As the Lord dealt with my heart, and I began to study the Bible, I realized I was a creature made in the image of God who had allowed sin and all its attendant symptoms to reign supreme in my life. I was made for the Glory of God--but had allowed sin to waste some of the most important years of my life. I had deeply wounded loving relationships. I had very nearly destroyed close family ties through the choices I made.
Before I knew the Lord Jesus Christ as my Personal Savior, I was a captive of Satan, bound in chains of sin--just as surely as any shackles could ever make a person, doing the devil's bidding. Certainly, it was my decision to allow him this reign in my life. The allure of sin was so strong--the "feel good" of the moment--the persuasion that nothing would ever catch up to me--it was all a delusion created by satan to keep me shackled to his plan and his purpose.
When I accepted Jesus into my life, I was set free from the bonds of sin. Jesus unlocked the shackles of sin and despair. He brought me up out of the gutter of hopelessness and set my feet on a solid rock--That Solid Rock, Christ Jesus. He redeemed my soul. He purchased me out of a slave market--the slave market of sin. He set me free through the blood He shed on Calvary so many years ago--for me, and those like me!
You want to know the part that put me on my knees--that finally got through to me--that broke my heart? The part that truly made me hurt inside for what I had done? Perhaps to someone else it would be something entirely different, but to me it was when I read ...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8. The hardness that encased my heart fell away and I surrendered my life to Jesus. When I read that scripture, something went through me and I felt as if the breath had been knocked out of me. My heart melted and I surrendered my life to Jesus.
Do you understand that scripture? Christ didn't say, "OK, you, when you clean up your act and earn my forgiveness..." No! He didn't say, "When you get cleaned up enough to earn my forgiveness, come back and see me." No! While I was having what I thought was a great time, He was loving me. He took the hatred, the anger, the thirty-nine stripes, the thorns, the ridicule, the sword in the side, the huge Roman carpenters' nails (spikes) in His hands and His feet--for ME! And YOU! Yes, YOU! Before you and I were ever born, He knew that someday we would need that peace that only God can give--and there is only ONE way to get that peace that passes all understanding: through acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Personal Savior.
The only way He could be our Savior was for Him to make the Supreme Sacrifice for us, to go to the cross in our stead. He took my place--your place--on that old cross that we might be freed from the bondage, the hold, that sin had us in. That you and I might be lifted out of the abyss of endless despair and our feet placed upon a sure solid rock foundation, Jesus Christ.
As much as my family loved me, as much as I came to realize I love them, they can't do for me and I can't do for them what had to be done--only Jesus could and 2,000 years ago, He did. He took my place, your place. He was perfect, without sin or flaw--yet He took on the sin of the world so folks like you and me could have eternal life through the blood He shed on the cross of Calvary!
You know, even to this day, I cannot fathom the depths of His love for me. When I deserved for Him to turn away and reject me as I had Him for so many years, He folded me into His arms when I called out His name. It was as if He was saying to me, "I've been waiting for you! I'm so glad you're here!"
You see, He knew there would come a time in my life when I would realize I could go no further on my own. And, thanks to the prayers of those who still loved me, who still cared about me, who held my eternal soul up before Him in prayer, He allowed me to live to come to know Him. Yet, I didn't even have to beg: all I had to do was to call out His name--"Jesus!" There was no other name to call--the name of Jesus is a name ABOVE ALL OTHER NAMES. It is the ONLY name that indicates the IMMEDIATE PRESENCE of its Owner. He didn't have to be conjured, summoned, or have an appointment made with Him. He was there the instant I called His name. It was my own guilt that broke my heart before Him.
Oh, to have a friend like Jesus! I cannot imagine another moment without Him! The ONLY One willing to take my place. The ONLY One willing to stand before Jehovah and say, "Father, this man wants to come home and sit at Your table. He's tired of feeding with the swine. He doesn't want to be in the pigpen any more. I've forgiven Him, Father, and wrapped him in the robes of Eternal Salvation." Jesus Christ, the ONLY One able to change my hopeless end to endless hope!
You've tried the rest--now try Jesus. Let Him into your heart--let Him give you that joy and peace you've searched for so long. Let Him know you need Him to make the changes in your life that need to be made. I promise you this: HE will never forsake you, but will be with you always, even unto the end of the earth. Now that's a FOREVER FRIEND. Not dependent upon how much money you have, what you look like, what the weather is, not even on what you can do for Him. He will be your friend: FOREVER and EVER and EVER.
Ask Him into your life today, won't you? He WANTS to be your Lord and Master.
Thank You, Jesus! I love You!
Had I listened to many around me, I'd have given up. The world said my son "would never make it". But I want you to know one thing: the world doesn't dictate my salvation. And it doesn't dictate your salvation, either. Or the salvation of your loved one(s). I don't care what "the world" says, you remember this:
Don't quit. Don't give up. Don't stop. Don't lose hope. Our faith, our hope is anchored in Jesus Christ and He does know all about us! He won't fail you. He won't leave you. When you think you can't go any further, just hold on. When you think you can't pray any more, hold on. When you think you've cried a river, hold on. I'm telling you, hold on!
This is a testament of the difference Jesus Christ makes in a life. We owe it all to Him. I lift Your Name, Jesus, for You are worthy of all praise and honor and glory! There is NONE like unto Our God. Nobody did, nobody could have made the changes that have been made, but Jesus. Glory to The Lamb of God! I love You, Lord Jesus. I thank You for the mercies You extended and the Grace we have found in You. I thank You for all your blessings--pressed down, shaken together and overflowing! You are worthy of all praise and honor and glory!
I had walked around for about twelve years thinking I was "saved". But God in His tender mercy and love dealt with my husband to get us back into church. We knew the family was not headed where God intended us to go. My husband felt led to a church near our home, which we joined. We were baptized together. Still, I felt something wasn't right. What was my problem? I should be happy! This is where God started to work on my heart and convict me and draw me to Him. I started to search for the reasons I wasn't getting the so-called blessings that everyone else was. I was on the outside looking in.
My husband offered a small devotion to our family around the table one night and asked us all about the time we were saved. As my boys were telling their stories, I was thinking of mine. I had no story! I couldn't remember! I asked the Lord in my heart to reveal to me if I was saved or not. At that moment, I saw myself falling into "utter darkness", screaming. I thought I was going to die at that very moment! I felt a rush go through my body. "Oh no! I'm having a panic attack!" (I thought) not realizing it was the Holy Spirit answering my prayer.
The following Sunday, I went to church and listened to the pastor preach on the Great White Throne Judgment. That pastor was speaking to me! "He thinks I'm not saved. Wait a minute! I don't think I am either! Maybe I can't be saved! What's happening to me???" As the invitation began, I struggled. I held on to that pew with all my might! I had "white knuckles". I kept thinking to myself, "I'm saved! What is wrong with me?"
I decided to talk to my husband when we got home. I was anxious to get there, being very confused as we loaded into our van to go home. At home, we went into the bedroom to change out of our "sunday clothes". That's when I realized, before I could even find the words to say to my husband, I needed to be saved!
I said to him, "We need to pray." He asked why. I just broke and said, "I need to get saved!" Right then and there I fell on my knees and asked the Lord to forgive me of my sins and save my soul. From that very moment I felt that peace that "passeth all understanding". I was clean and felt like a load of bricks had been lifted off my shoulders. The weight I was carrying was taken away from me as far as the East is from the West. Praise the Lord and Thank You, Jesus! I am free and washed in the blood of The Lamb!
Now my family is on the right track. My youngest son got saved just months after I did; my oldest son joined the Air Force and was called to the mission field while in Boot Camp. He feels that the Lord has called him to Israel, God's Chosen People!
I love You, Lord, and I want all the praise and glory to go to You for saving my family and me. I thank You for calling my son to the mission field. I am blessed beyond measure!
If you have been blessed, give God the Glory!
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