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Lost then Found.
I trully think that in my generation, I'm less than the least of God's people, like Paul said he was, in his time.
Ephesians 3:8-9 NIV
"Although i am less than the least of all the Lord's people this grace was given to me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of tjis mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who crrated all things."
I say this because I've in the past, hypothetically dragged God's name and power in the mud, both consciously and unconsciously.
Let's see. I was suspended from highschool in my final year for homosexuality, which would have been twice, had I not changed schools before i was found out at form 2. Then as soon as i joined campus, i became a fornicator, sodomite, and still a homosexual engaging in orgies, pornography, masturbation and all, i mean all sinful acts of the flesh. The one time trials became more frequent and before the snow was out, i was a hardcore addict. Got into silly quarrels and fights all for the wrong reasons.
I had heard a couple of Pastors preaching repentance, forgiveness and salvation a few times, all of which landed on deaf ears. So God says he can actually forgive and purify me as well? Aren't my sins too many to be forgiven? Surely there's got to be a Point of No Return (PNR) huh.
1 John 1:9 NIV
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Revelation 3:20 NIV
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
I was raised in a devout Christian home, my grandpa being a pastor and an Elder at church, so you can imagine that kind of household. However, this alone wasn't a guarantee that I was trully christian. Neither was it straight up salvation for me. It sure didn't exempt me from falling into temptation after temptation.
Salvation is first an inside job, before it bears forth good works of faith; fruits.
Did God then let me go? Nope. Did Satan get off my neck? Nope. Did i quit on me though? You bet i did.
I felt too disgusted with my sinful nature, i wanted to get rid of it alright. No amount of self-induced burns or cuts or overdosed prescription pills did it. All i got were days on a hospital bed, ruined mental health and oh too much time up in my head.
A girl needed help. A girl needed God,still does, to date. I didn't immediately seek God's face, it felt like i was on different continents with God, like i was alone, fighting the battle before me, except, i wasn't exactly fighting, say my opponent still battled me even when i was down already.
Psalm 22:24 NIV
"For He has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; He has not hidden His face from him but has listened to his cry for help. "
With my poor job at hiding my bruises from everyone, it all came to light. Along the way, I'd lost friends, who weren't exactly friends because they didn't lead me to the light, some family members spoke the grossest things about me, and my world was simply in debris. I'd say Psalm 22:24 was the prayer of the realest people in my life, praying constantly for me, and guess what,
Psalm 23:2-3 NIV
He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake.
He did that for me, for His glory of course and later my glory from Him.
It didn't take a day or night for me to accept His grace and welcome Him into my heart and life, but it did happen, exactly how He wanted it. His love, oh too immense has washed me from my past iniquities, saved me from my flesh, if the heavens sing Him praise, who are we not to proclaim the work of His hands?
Where would i be if not for God, who snatched me from the jaws of bulls and lions piercing my precious life with the power of the dog.
Given the chance and power, would i change my past, all the wrong desires I'd heeded to, temporary pleasures of the flesh i thirsted over and everything that has transpired upto this point in my life?
Absolutely not. I wouldn't have it any other way. All that God has delivered me from, all that He's overcome for me i would not change because how else shall i sing Him glory? How then would i have seen His immense power over death? How else would i trust Him with my own life, had He not given it to me? How would i have known that i wasn't too sinful to be forgiven?
Lord, what is mankind that you are so mindful of them?
Shall i then let down my guard on Satan now that i have Christ living inside of me? Shall Satan then let me be and go after someone else because i now have the Prince, the Holy Spirit living inside of me?
1 Peter 1:14 NIV
"As obedient children, do not conform to ths evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written : 'Be holy, because I am holy. "
1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, tested, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. "
Sure Satan tests me with all sorts of malice, and he's witty alright, and he knows what the/my flesh desires. And when he does, God comes through, He always does. All victory belongs to Him. With this book, the Holy Bible, His words of affirmation, His promises, the joy and confidence i have in fellowshiping with Christ, the mind-blowing wholeness i feel in being His child and Him my father, can not be traded with temporary joy from what Satan offers. Can not be traded with eternal death ;a few minutes, or years of pleasure in the flesh.
1 John 5:12 NIV
Whoever has the Son has life ; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
My curious former classmate(s) in campus that watched from a distance ask how hard it is being Christian, bet they imagine God as this old guy in heaven waiting with a pen and paper at hand, to journal every wrong thing we do.
We're not a mine that just blasts you off as soon as you make a wrong step, or say something ungodly. He's a just God, he convicts us and doesn't just issue punishments as our sins deserve. He shows us where and when we go wrong and gives us a chance to earnestly repent of our wrongdoing, then remembers the sin no more. Not to mean that He loses His memory then, but that He doesn't hold us responsible for that sin anymore ; forgiveness.
Do you then get off the car when you let Jesus take the wheel? Lol no. When you accept Christ and are identified as one of His, His will becomes your will. What He wants will be what you want, so you'll both drive together, in perfect sync.
I have so much i want to share with you, all the in between thorns in my flesh, that are still waging war with me till date, and I'll do that very soon.
How i do hope that this little gives you a tip on the iceberg on the immense power of our LORD, how great He is, how loved and treasured you are by God. He calls you to Him and longs to draw you closer to Him on the daily, if not secondly. (see what i did there? 😅)
Here's one of my favourite verses:
Romans 8:16-17 NIV
"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings im order that we may also share in His glory."
May God grant us wisdom and revelation to understand His word, the ability and power to see all the ways out of satan's traps, May our Lord bless, and keep us forever.
© makworo
#Christianity #christianblog #Christian #Christiancreatives
Ephesians 3:8-9 NIV
"Although i am less than the least of all the Lord's people this grace was given to me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of tjis mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who crrated all things."
I say this because I've in the past, hypothetically dragged God's name and power in the mud, both consciously and unconsciously.
Let's see. I was suspended from highschool in my final year for homosexuality, which would have been twice, had I not changed schools before i was found out at form 2. Then as soon as i joined campus, i became a fornicator, sodomite, and still a homosexual engaging in orgies, pornography, masturbation and all, i mean all sinful acts of the flesh. The one time trials became more frequent and before the snow was out, i was a hardcore addict. Got into silly quarrels and fights all for the wrong reasons.
I had heard a couple of Pastors preaching repentance, forgiveness and salvation a few times, all of which landed on deaf ears. So God says he can actually forgive and purify me as well? Aren't my sins too many to be forgiven? Surely there's got to be a Point of No Return (PNR) huh.
1 John 1:9 NIV
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Revelation 3:20 NIV
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
I was raised in a devout Christian home, my grandpa being a pastor and an Elder at church, so you can imagine that kind of household. However, this alone wasn't a guarantee that I was trully christian. Neither was it straight up salvation for me. It sure didn't exempt me from falling into temptation after temptation.
Salvation is first an inside job, before it bears forth good works of faith; fruits.
Did God then let me go? Nope. Did Satan get off my neck? Nope. Did i quit on me though? You bet i did.
I felt too disgusted with my sinful nature, i wanted to get rid of it alright. No amount of self-induced burns or cuts or overdosed prescription pills did it. All i got were days on a hospital bed, ruined mental health and oh too much time up in my head.
A girl needed help. A girl needed God,still does, to date. I didn't immediately seek God's face, it felt like i was on different continents with God, like i was alone, fighting the battle before me, except, i wasn't exactly fighting, say my opponent still battled me even when i was down already.
Psalm 22:24 NIV
"For He has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; He has not hidden His face from him but has listened to his cry for help. "
With my poor job at hiding my bruises from everyone, it all came to light. Along the way, I'd lost friends, who weren't exactly friends because they didn't lead me to the light, some family members spoke the grossest things about me, and my world was simply in debris. I'd say Psalm 22:24 was the prayer of the realest people in my life, praying constantly for me, and guess what,
Psalm 23:2-3 NIV
He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake.
He did that for me, for His glory of course and later my glory from Him.
It didn't take a day or night for me to accept His grace and welcome Him into my heart and life, but it did happen, exactly how He wanted it. His love, oh too immense has washed me from my past iniquities, saved me from my flesh, if the heavens sing Him praise, who are we not to proclaim the work of His hands?
Where would i be if not for God, who snatched me from the jaws of bulls and lions piercing my precious life with the power of the dog.
Given the chance and power, would i change my past, all the wrong desires I'd heeded to, temporary pleasures of the flesh i thirsted over and everything that has transpired upto this point in my life?
Absolutely not. I wouldn't have it any other way. All that God has delivered me from, all that He's overcome for me i would not change because how else shall i sing Him glory? How then would i have seen His immense power over death? How else would i trust Him with my own life, had He not given it to me? How would i have known that i wasn't too sinful to be forgiven?
Lord, what is mankind that you are so mindful of them?
Shall i then let down my guard on Satan now that i have Christ living inside of me? Shall Satan then let me be and go after someone else because i now have the Prince, the Holy Spirit living inside of me?
1 Peter 1:14 NIV
"As obedient children, do not conform to ths evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written : 'Be holy, because I am holy. "
1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, tested, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. "
Sure Satan tests me with all sorts of malice, and he's witty alright, and he knows what the/my flesh desires. And when he does, God comes through, He always does. All victory belongs to Him. With this book, the Holy Bible, His words of affirmation, His promises, the joy and confidence i have in fellowshiping with Christ, the mind-blowing wholeness i feel in being His child and Him my father, can not be traded with temporary joy from what Satan offers. Can not be traded with eternal death ;a few minutes, or years of pleasure in the flesh.
1 John 5:12 NIV
Whoever has the Son has life ; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
My curious former classmate(s) in campus that watched from a distance ask how hard it is being Christian, bet they imagine God as this old guy in heaven waiting with a pen and paper at hand, to journal every wrong thing we do.
We're not a mine that just blasts you off as soon as you make a wrong step, or say something ungodly. He's a just God, he convicts us and doesn't just issue punishments as our sins deserve. He shows us where and when we go wrong and gives us a chance to earnestly repent of our wrongdoing, then remembers the sin no more. Not to mean that He loses His memory then, but that He doesn't hold us responsible for that sin anymore ; forgiveness.
Do you then get off the car when you let Jesus take the wheel? Lol no. When you accept Christ and are identified as one of His, His will becomes your will. What He wants will be what you want, so you'll both drive together, in perfect sync.
I have so much i want to share with you, all the in between thorns in my flesh, that are still waging war with me till date, and I'll do that very soon.
How i do hope that this little gives you a tip on the iceberg on the immense power of our LORD, how great He is, how loved and treasured you are by God. He calls you to Him and longs to draw you closer to Him on the daily, if not secondly. (see what i did there? 😅)
Here's one of my favourite verses:
Romans 8:16-17 NIV
"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings im order that we may also share in His glory."
May God grant us wisdom and revelation to understand His word, the ability and power to see all the ways out of satan's traps, May our Lord bless, and keep us forever.
© makworo
#Christianity #christianblog #Christian #Christiancreatives
