So my last post was pretty heavy…it was something I could have easily went my whole life without sharing. Now pretty much anyone who desires to read it can. I truly know though that God wanted me to share for several reasons.
- Overcoming the fear of man.
- Overcoming the shame and guilt
- Experiencing true freedom in forgiveness
- Solidifying my identity in what He did for me on the cross.
- Helping others step into vulnerability
- Giving Him the ability to set others free
- To know His love on a whole new level
That being said…the day after sharing God was able to use it for His glory and gave someone else the ability to walk in freedom. God gets all the glory. I was just the vessel in which He chose to use my past pains to bring to light, give hope, and allow others the chance to face the same thing. So in releasing everything to God He then began to show me even more…the root of lust went back to elementary school when I was introduced to pornography and from then on grew into something that I couldn’t control. I was a slave to my flesh and all it’s desires. Looking back on my life now I see a boy who didn’t know how to cry for help. I also didn’t know I needed it. I see someone who rode the waves of life just trying to find his place in what seemed like a never ending cycle of ups and downs. I had no where to plant my feet so I would find anything to temporarily ease the pain. It’s not a glorious story but it’s one that God promised me to use for His good. He promised to redeem everything. He showed me the reality of what Jesus Christ did for me and I will never forget that moment I knew He was real. That moment I felt love, peace, and joy in the craziest way…it transformed my entire life. Thats the Gospel though right? That’s the reason I have given my life for His glory and to tell everyone I can about the love of Jesus!
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
??ROMANS? ?1:16?
“But I do not consider my life as something of value or dear to me, so that I may [with joy] finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify faithfully of the good news of God’s [precious, undeserved] grace [which makes us free of the guilt of sin and grants us eternal life].”
??ACTS? ?20:24?
So fast forward to the present. A man fully forgiven of all things and fully loved by the God of everything seen and unseen. A man with the most beautiful woman of God who one day I get to call my wife. My best friend Karen! A man who wakes up everyday and no matter what is thrown at him he now has a place to rest his feet! Jesus Christ has restored everything that was broken in my life and there isn’t a soul anywhere that can ever take my faith in Him away. I went 24 years of my life without knowing Him and from the day I gave everything to Him and ask Him to be the Lord of my life, my God, my Savior, my King, I have woken up everyday since then with a purpose to live. A joy that is present in all circumstances. A peace which surpasses all understanding. And a love that requires nothing of me. You see as hard as it is to see those deny Jesus’ love, deny the gift of grace that He offers, and deny the love that it took for Him to willingly walk to His death on the cross. Nothing. And I mean nothing is comparable to the glory to come! So everything that I am in this present moment is a direct reflection of the proof of Gods existence. So I want to say with great confidence that whatever you are dealing with, whatever you are going through right now, Jesus Himself is standing at the doorway of your heart. Gods word says this:
“because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.”
??ROMANS? ?10:9-10? ?AMP?
If you are sitting there wondering whats next for someone who asks Jesus into their life? Well luckily for you He is already working! Everyday you will grow in whatever He has in store for you and everyday you will experience more of Him! Read God’s Word, pray, and meditate on what it says to you as an individual walking in a personal intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. You will learn as you apply God’s Word in your daily life and have the experience of watching it work as Jesus said it would. There is no better life than a life walking with Jesus and when you have a humble heart He will take you places you could never imagine. It’s a process though. Every day. If you wake up with the mindset of self denial and Gods glory He will keep you on the right path. Does that mean you won’t slip up sometimes? Of course not. If you just Stand on the truth of Gods word in all things I promise you He will always catch you and never let you fall!
