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i did the right thing. i think.

Toleto

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i went out with some friends from my study group tonight. i spoke to them and they said they were going to a restaurant in downtown, so i met them over there. once we were there and finished eating we went for a walk around the place we were at.
i live in fort lauderdale and there is a very big city center type of place called riverfront that is very nice place to go hang out.

anyways, we started walking around and then like 4 of the guys wanted to go to the nightclubs across the railroad tracks.


before i found the lord, i used to be in those places ALL THE TIME, i used to get drunk, high and go in those bars and clubs and see how wasted i could get, etc.... bad. my life crumbled at one point and then i found God. (to make a huge story short)


anyways, we crossed the railroad tracks and i had this horrible feeling overtake me. it was like a really really bad body sickness, i couldnt walk. i saw my friends walking away from me and into the 'mass of people' and i froze. my friend Noli looked back and i couldnt say anything. she turned around and kept walking.

i turned around and started to walk the other way. i just couldnt do it. i then heard noli telling me to stop and asking me where i was going. so i told her: 'im not going in there' and that's all that came out. then other 4 guys came back and asked me the same thing and again, all that came out of my mouth was 'im not going in there' and my body turned HOT!!! i dont know why! i said, im leaving and i started turning around and two of the girls said, we're with you, we dont want to go in there either. so at that point i kind of felt some relief but at the same time felt bad that they were all gonna go have fun yet i stopped them from it.

I felt really stupid. 4 of the other guys went ahead and went to the clubs and tried to get in or whatever and came back and asked what's up and they knew what was up, i wasnt going in there and that was the bottom line. and neither did the other people. they still left again to go 'check out the clubs' and the rest of us turned around and walked back.

I had been telling everybody before that to go to an ice cream store but everyone ignored me, so on the way back they were all like 'lets go to the ice cream store!' so we went and i felt bad so i bought ice cream for everyone. :p


afterwards, the 'clubbers' came back and were acting really weird with me especially. the funny thing is that on wednesdays' class we were JUST talking about this...... as christians why do we have to go and tempt ourselves by going to these places were we are not going to do any good?
 

cajunlady

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Hello, I believe that you did what was best for you. I know for myself that I wouldn't feel right going into places like that anymore....I know the person that I used to be and I DO NOT want to ever see that person again. God bless...:thumbsup:
 
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ephraimanesti

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Toleto said:
.
I had been telling everybody before that to go to an ice cream store but as christians why do we have to go and tempt ourselves by going to these places were we are not going to do any good?
THE POINT IS, MY BROTHER IN CHRIST, THAT YOU ARE, IN THE LORD, NOW FREE TO CHOOSE--YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING; YOU ARE NO LONGER A SLAVE TO YOUR OLD WAYS. USE YOUR FREEDOM WISELY--IT WAS PURCHASED BY OUR LORD JESUS WITH A TERRIBLE PRICE!

BLESSINGS TO YOU IN CHRIST,
ephraimanesti
 
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Toleto

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update:

i didnt tell anyone about it because im not the type of person who is gonna go run to the teachers/pastors and tell....... but in a way i did judge in my mind one of the guys who was leading the other 3. so like 2 weeks later we were in a group study and the leader said that if anyone had to ask for apologies to please do it because its better to rid oneself of bad feelings towards others. anyways, i told him taht i wanted to apologize for judging him and for acting weird that night.

and the pastor interrupted and told me that i did the right thing. and that this individual had called him the day after that happened and told him exactly everything that happened.. and that he had realized that he had led other brothers to go into these clubs and he acknowledged that he should have turned around and left, that he shouldave never gone to them...... so yeah i got reassurance that i was in the right. ive been praying for this brother because he comes from a background similar to mine except i dont think he's quite done with everything.....
 
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Melchior6911

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living in constant fear of something is not being free.

if these places still have such a strong hold over you id suggest you try to figure out why that is exactly.
i can tell you with great certainty that none of the people inside have such a great emotional state in being there as you do to not being there.
 
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ephraimanesti

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Melchior6911 said:
living in constant fear of something is not being free.

if these places still have such a strong hold over you id suggest you try to figure out why that is exactly.
i can tell you with great certainty that none of the people inside have such a great emotional state in being there as you do to not being there.

MY DEAR BROTHER MELCHIOR,

Of course the people "inside" are not in any kind of "great emotional state"--they are all so stoned and blitzed that their emotions and thinking have pretty much completely shut down, and the best reaction they can manage to any kind of external stimuli is probably, "Far out, dude."
Better to be clean, sober, and free on the outside than "Dazed and Confused" on the inside. Being "Dumb and Dumber" ain't no kind of life!
HAVE A CLEAN AND SOBER 2006, MY FRIEND!

ephraimanesti
 
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