When I talked to God the first time, and I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, I decided I was gonna follow God for the rest of my life, no matter what. It took me a few months to understand what that meant, because I had absolutely no previous understanding of the Bible. I had followed nearly every false religion and myth, done witchcraft, both black and "white", been an atheist, studied science, been completely blind and mentally ill in every way. I was like the man with Legion, just wandering around in chains, broken and isolated.
Knowing Christ was so new to me, in every way possible. It blew my mind. It was a completely fresh start, and I felt such love, all the time. He was tough on me at first, because I needed it, and I prayed for it, but He also let me stumble where I needed to. It was a beautiful few first months, but it was a struggle to get to truth. I prayed every day "God, lead me, show me the way, show me truth" (No idea at the time what that meant
) I immediately accepted that God was real, but then I explored nearly everything I could find that supposedly had anything to do with Him, seeking truth whatever that may be, but being open-minded yet sceptical. I kept following Jesus, because He was everything I wanted, but I still had a lot of evil spirits inside me that were constantly trying to mislead me. It was a mess, and I ended up searching for Him in all the wrong places, I guess looking in all the dark corners that I had previously not noticed in life, because God wasn't on the map then. God wasn't there. He isn't hiding in darkness.
I kept following Jesus in action, because that's what I wanted in my heart, repenting and changing, yet battling a mess of thoughts and lies in my head.
And He was really involved in everything I did. I saw huge miracles, God intervening when I really needed it. I eventually ended up right where I was supposed to go, at the Cross, with Jesus. The Way, the Truth and the Life. The Word of God.
I wasn't planning on talking about all of that right now. I guess God had other plans. I wanted to talk about Heaven, and my struggles and thoughts about it, but I guess it will have to wait.
All I want to know is Christ, because nothing else is valuable to me. All that comes from anything else is disaster and evil, and blindness. I used to think that the true Lord Jesus of the Bible, and all He was telling us, was too good to be true. How could it be the one true religion, when nothing good comes for free?
But it does come for free. If it's from God. Because God is glorious and wonderful and 100% amazing in every way!! And there is nothing that we can give Him, nothing that He needs or desires, except our love and our faithfulness. But we cannot even love Him unless He loves us first, or have faith unless He gives it. It's all on Him!
I used to doubt that I truly knew God, because of the lies that others speak. They say He will hate you and condemn you if you sin, even if you're saved. So how could what I was seeing be the same God they believe in? (Hint: it isn't.)
But that didn't stop the Lord from proving to me over and over that I truly know Him, and that He is who He says He is.
No, our God is love, He rewards us freely, heals freely, gives freely, loves us no matter what, and I have seen Him do incredible things to save someone from their sin, because that's what He does. Forgives, justifies, sanctifies, saves. He gave us His Son to die for us. He is madly in love with each and every one of us, wanting no one to perish.
Our God is insane in the eyes of the world. Completely bonkers. That's why it is so hard for us to see the real Him, because we are so trapped in the darkness that surrounds us. Not realizing just how good He really is.
But He is real, and His nature is perfect.
Praise Him!
Knowing Christ was so new to me, in every way possible. It blew my mind. It was a completely fresh start, and I felt such love, all the time. He was tough on me at first, because I needed it, and I prayed for it, but He also let me stumble where I needed to. It was a beautiful few first months, but it was a struggle to get to truth. I prayed every day "God, lead me, show me the way, show me truth" (No idea at the time what that meant
) I immediately accepted that God was real, but then I explored nearly everything I could find that supposedly had anything to do with Him, seeking truth whatever that may be, but being open-minded yet sceptical. I kept following Jesus, because He was everything I wanted, but I still had a lot of evil spirits inside me that were constantly trying to mislead me. It was a mess, and I ended up searching for Him in all the wrong places, I guess looking in all the dark corners that I had previously not noticed in life, because God wasn't on the map then. God wasn't there. He isn't hiding in darkness. I kept following Jesus in action, because that's what I wanted in my heart, repenting and changing, yet battling a mess of thoughts and lies in my head.
And He was really involved in everything I did. I saw huge miracles, God intervening when I really needed it. I eventually ended up right where I was supposed to go, at the Cross, with Jesus. The Way, the Truth and the Life. The Word of God.
I wasn't planning on talking about all of that right now. I guess God had other plans.
I wanted to talk about Heaven, and my struggles and thoughts about it, but I guess it will have to wait. All I want to know is Christ, because nothing else is valuable to me. All that comes from anything else is disaster and evil, and blindness. I used to think that the true Lord Jesus of the Bible, and all He was telling us, was too good to be true. How could it be the one true religion, when nothing good comes for free?
But it does come for free.
If it's from God. Because God is glorious and wonderful and 100% amazing in every way!! And there is nothing that we can give Him, nothing that He needs or desires, except our love and our faithfulness. But we cannot even love Him unless He loves us first, or have faith unless He gives it. It's all on Him! I used to doubt that I truly knew God, because of the lies that others speak. They say He will hate you and condemn you if you sin, even if you're saved. So how could what I was seeing be the same God they believe in? (Hint: it isn't.)
But that didn't stop the Lord from proving to me over and over that I truly know Him, and that He is who He says He is.
No, our God is love, He rewards us freely, heals freely, gives freely, loves us no matter what, and I have seen Him do incredible things to save someone from their sin, because that's what He does. Forgives, justifies, sanctifies, saves. He gave us His Son to die for us. He is madly in love with each and every one of us, wanting no one to perish.
Our God is insane in the eyes of the world. Completely bonkers. That's why it is so hard for us to see the real Him, because we are so trapped in the darkness that surrounds us. Not realizing just how good He really is.
But He is real, and His nature is perfect.
Praise Him!
