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Discussion Forum : News and Current Events : Which side of this debate do you stand on? Speak up now Let it be known!

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ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: Which side of this debate do you stand on? Speak up now Let it be known!

Jeff,

Your testimony is inspiring, indeed. To go through the 'hell' of drug abuse and have the LORD snatch you out of this fire is very dramatic.

If one cares to know about me, my testimony, all they have to read are my posts. Other then that I do not feel compelled to write about how I came to the LORD. The fact that he had his hand on me and has called and led me is remarkable. For me it was more quiet and subdued, nothing dramatic.

Would you know, Jeff, that your testimony can be intimidating to those who did not have such a dramatic conversation experience? The devil can use it to tempt a person into thinking he does not know the LORD because of the lack of drama in his/her spiritual life. The devil can use it to entice some to taste gross sin so they will know what it means to be redeemed from the dregs of hell. Weird? No, it is wicked, but such is the nature of the devil.

Just saying... and I hope it will give you an insight how some are tempted and what they struggle with. In the meantime, I do appreciate your sharing your story. Having said this, mind if I ask you one or maybe two questions? Have you ever been tempted to fall back into drugs and immorality since your conversion? And if so, how did you respond?


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2012/4/28 20:09Profile
pilgrim777
Member



Joined: 2011/9/30
Posts: 1211


 Re:

The testimony of God's keeping power is just as wonderful as His saving/rescuing power.

My wife was saved at 13, I had to hit the lowest grate in hell first. I am amazed at her testimony and God's keeping power in her life. I would rather have her testimony than go through the things that I did. I am what I am by the grace of God and thankful for His love.

Pilgrim

 2012/4/28 22:30Profile
brothagary
Member



Joined: 2011/10/23
Posts: 2556


 Re:

i think a bit like brother tom regarding this topic

and the last topic that you posted , i feel was posted becasue of a preconceved notion you had about some of us who disagreed with your view on another subject

so i was not led to share my testamony in the last topic

but i will say god set me free from a life of drug addiction that began at regenreation.
and god led me too a seconed experance of a deeper santfication through a batisim of the same spirit the regenerated me in the first ,,,,with supanaturel signs around the led upto to this experance ,,and with out any chruch ,or real fellowship from any except one or two ,,,,, he has led me into a strong bible believeing faith based in the work of christ ,and his spirit

blessings

 2012/4/28 23:13Profile









 Re:

Ginnyrose,
I pray all is well with you. I have to be honest, no one has ever told me my "testimony might be intimidating to others (presumably believers)". It has never been expressed to me, nor has it ever crossed my mind. The Lord has used it to glorify His Grace, not any man (me nor anyone else) many times in Evangelism. I have never had a brother/sister in the Lord tell me that. The intention of my sharing my testimony is to bring glory to God, have believers praise God for what he has done in my life (& to further praise them for what He's done in theirs), to show lost people noone is beyond the reach of His grace, and to show believers to keep praying for that lost person they know who is far gone, but they feel led to pray for.
Im a little confused about the part of my testimony being taken as "glorifying sin" & enticing people to want to sin? How? Is it the part of spending years alone in a prison cell that seems enticing. Being bound by drugs and demons unable to stop? If it was taken as "glamourizing sin to receive grace", it was not received clearly as it was sent.
Sinners are already bound by sin and know it when they are this far gone, so it gives them hope to turn to a God who's arm isn't too short to save. If so-called "believers" are tempted to try a life of drugs and crime to see if they can get away with it and get grace, rest assured by the testimony of Jesus, Paul, Peter, John & many others in the Word, my testimony was not the problem. They know not God and are looking for grace as a license to sin. They are not His with that mind-set and they will find an excuse to sin to their hearts content, but the excuse is just that - an excuse-but the root of the real problem is a heart of stone that loves sin.
No, I've never been tempted to go back to a life of crime, drugs, etc. I have had struggles, like we all do, & the Lord is doing amazing things in my life to kill sin, crucify the members of my flesh, etc. I'm a work in progress, but I'm born again and filled with Gods Spirit, so I will overcome, because what He is faithful to finish what he starts.
I'm also a little confused about one more thing: if my testimony could somehow be a stumbling block to entice people to sin (or intimidate others with different testimonies), why'd your first response say you thought I should come preach where you are, before you knew I was white? And, what does that have to do with anything anyways? David Brainard, Felix and William Carey, Adonirum Judson, etc., etc. we're all men of caucassion descent who God used to reach China, India, Myanmar, Native American Indians, etc. God can use anyone of any color to do anything. Not sure what that has to do with preaching the Gospel and sharing a testimony?
Also, the three things Jesus said in Revelation the saints overcome Satan with are: 1.) the blood of the Lamb, 2.) the word of their testimony, & 3.) that they love not their lives into the death. I think a testimony is important. Paul persecuted and killed Christians. He had all the pedigree of a religious zealot and spelled it all out in the Word ("Hebrew of Hebrews, Pharisee, perfect in the Law, etc. , etc."). He shared what God brought Him out of, & didn't seem to consider if others might be tempted to try that route? Honestly, noone should ever be intimidated, nor hesitant to share how the Lord saved them, for any reason. People Jesus saved couldn't help but run and tell everyone about it! I'm sure you mean well and have graceful intentions, but unless the Lord Himself tells me not to, I will not stop sharing what the Lord has done in my life. Jesus told the demon delivered fellow to go and tell his family and friends what the Lord has done for him.
Anyways, blessings and grace to you!!

 2012/4/29 0:06









 Re: One forward, three back.

Brother,
You mistook me on a couple of accounts. My prayer for the Lord to crush me into the powder of humility was a genuine one. The way you seemed to handle what you presumed I was doing (while telling me not to presume on others) was proof to me not to post my heart open prayers on this forum anymore to be criticized by others. Look, I mean no harm, but if you or anyone else can honestly tell me that there's not something wrong when "Noone feels led" to share HOW GOD SAVED THEM when asked, but seemingly most all the same people apparently "Feel led" to argue/critique every political, theological non-essential, you name the subject, thread on SI.
Brother, just take that at face value and use discernment apart from your thoughts of my post (or anyone else's): NOONE FEELS LED TO GIVE THEIR TESTIMONY (0 responses) & threads that dissolve into arguments and divisions can draw hundreds of posts. If you didn't care for the way I approached it, then that's OK, I meant not to harm, but to exhort. But the fact remains that it is what it is. I am going to pray about my posting at all anymore here on SI, cause I'm not sure how edifying it is when everything dissolves into strife and contention. Maybe it's just me brother, maybe it's just me.
I have been greatly blessed by a few of the brethren and posts on here. I really have. I have been greatly reached by some of the messages of Art Katz, David Wilkerson, Paul Washer, and others. I like reading some of the posts first posted, but do many seem to delineate into misunderstandings, over reactions, and some very false assumptions. You took what I did as such and I'm sorry for that brother. I did just call others to share their testimony. I just laid it out there - let people know what God did for you. The "Stand up and let your voice be heard" was hyperbole and a test of my own understanding to see how many views and responses that drew conparitively. No one (1 person) responded (or hardly viewed) that, but tons viewed and responded to something that looked like it started as a "confrontation/controversy". That's a "controversy" in itself. That was my point. I hoped/wished people would see that and be grieved as it made me, & I believe it makes the Lord.
Sure, iron sharpens iron and we all can discuss, disagree, etc., but when we can do that CONSTANTLY, but "don't feel led" to share what the Lord has done to save us, there's a problem. Doesn't take the gift of discernment to see that brother if we will just look at it objectively. Everyone feels led apparently to get caught up in all kinds of disputes, disagreements, contentions, theological non-essential salvation arguments, but NEVER "feels led" to just share a testimony?
I don't think these forums are for me brother. True Body Fellowship, time in the Word & prayer, the ministry God has called me to, etc. - I think those are what God is telling me to spend my time on. Forgive me if I came across wrong - probably the fruit of "I should have been spending that time in the Word & Prayer" anyway. So please forgive me!! God Bless you!!

 2012/4/29 0:34
pilgrim777
Member



Joined: 2011/9/30
Posts: 1211


 Re:

Jeff,

Thanks for your testimony. It blessed me, greatly.

Please consider dropping by once in awhile. But I do understand that real fellowship and ministry happens face to face and we can waste many hours online.

I have never been intimidated by someone who the Lord has kept from sin or someone who was saved from a terrible life. I rejoice in both (Rejoice with those that rejoice). To not rejoice is to have either a competitive or insecure spirit. We should not adjust our testimonies for the crowd.

Pilgrim

 2012/4/29 0:55Profile









 Re:

Just wanted to say, Pilgrim, that much of your posting has been a blessing to read.
God Bless - Jeff

 2012/4/29 2:01
onemite
Member



Joined: 2011/9/19
Posts: 168


 Re:

Jeffmar-
There are some lovely testimonies here. I count it a privelege to read over them. God is so merciful in his dealings with man!
When I see what God has done in the lives of others and when I recount what He has done in my life, awe and gratitude well up from within me. It is very good for me to recount and when I start to become dull, it renews my faith.
I know that not everyone has dramatic things happen that lead up to their being born again but this life on earth brings every person their share of adversity, and the Lord means to use them to transform His children with the same kinds of dramatic results.
Like most who give their testimonies, I can only touch on mine. I have had a few pivitol times in my life where God brought me out of something in a miraculous way. I won't go into detail, but tell you I grew up in a small church sitting next to my mother. I loved God- what I knew about him but I grew away from the truth and as I got older I got into things that I knew were wrong.
Eventually, I married a muslim and moved to the mid-east, and rejected the Truth. I had children, and spent a lot of time alone. Culture shock, lack of sleep, evil dreams and a host of other pressures were on me. I had fits of rage that fed my guilt. All my thoughts were suicidal but the rememberance of the God of miracles that I found comfort in as a kid kept enough of a spark of hope in me to cause me to seek Truth. Things got very bad for me. I could feel the battle for my mind and knew that I was on the edge of insanity. I would laugh and cry out of nowhere, and I could feel the pull to just go with it. I had scoured the kuran for help and knew it offered no rememdy for what was ailing me, and (miraculously) I had recently met a woman who gave me a bible, so I prayerfully began reading it from page one. I remember I said "God, I know you are real. I just don't know how you want me to worship. I dont know which book is real. If this book hasn't been changed and Jesus is your son, cause me to see it. If it's all a hoax, then I will see that too." and I prayed this prayer every time I opened to read. I was so bad off that hourly it seemed, I would ask for Gods help when I would feel myself losing control of my emotions and body. Without knowing what I was formally doing, I was repenting of various things until one day I was so tormented that I used the name of Jesus and He honored my usage of it and I learned that His name was a shield to me. One night he so set me free.All that was tormenting me fled away. In my zeal I told everyone I knew that the Kingdom of God had come upon me and that my name was written in the book of life! Of course they all said I had lost my mind and when I came back to the states, that was the response from many leaders in the churches I talked to. It remains though, that I have been free of those things that once had me so bound. He also freed me from a great deal of fears and emotional things which later came up and that deliverance came more gradually as I grew in the Lord. Jesus defeated satan on the cross and God has seated him at His right hand far above all principalities and dominion. His name is above every name- and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord! Amen!
I am thankful that He who began a good work in us all will carry it on to the day of completion in Christ Jesus.

Jeff, your contribution here is valuable because the spirit it comes in as true with many others. I hope that you do not leave the forums altogether, although all of us must do whatever necessary for us to keep our heart pure from strife, pride or bitterness.

As for me, once again I have posted at the end of a long thread. I hope that someone comes and posts something after me so that I don't have to look at my name on the wall for very long :)
In Christ,
Onemite.

 2012/4/29 2:51Profile









 Re:

Wow!! Thanks for sharing OneMite! See, that testimony every bit is just as
Amazing as mine or any other!! It's always amazing that God saves us and how He does it for each of us where we are. I mean, I was bound by drugs and had a murderous spirit, but you were married to a Muslim (from whom I believe the Man of Sin shall come), living in the mid-east (the current "seat of Satan"), demonically oppressed by what sounds like a spirit that would have tried to get you to take your life or someone else's eventually. The Spirit behind Islam is strong and evil. To hear how the Lord brought you out of that into the truth is awesome!! Praise the Lord!!! Thank you for sharing. What an encouragement for those with Muslim friends, family, or co-workers who they may be praying for to come to the Cross!!

 2012/4/29 9:52
onemite
Member



Joined: 2011/9/19
Posts: 168


 Re:

Jeff, I've never thought of it that way. I dont blame islam. All life without Jesus is death. Darkness is darkness and everyone who does not have Jesus is in darkness, no matter what form it takes and my oppression and bondage began much before that time. When I turned my back on the truth is when my heart really let in all kinds of bitterness and evil. Nobody is immune. I dont know why some are held by evil spirits and some are not. Perhaps God just allowed me spiritual eyes to better help motivate me to want to resist. Whatever the case, God is the one who frees us through the blood of Jesus.

 2012/4/29 11:50Profile





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