The Beginning ...

How amazing God works!

I am overwhelmed by the power of the Holy Spirit! PRAISE JESUS! How much He has taught me! How much He is teaching me!

“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure”

Philippians 2:13

The past several years of my life God has taken me on a journey. He has challenged me and taught me things that have shaken the very foundation under my feet. A foundation I thought was so “righteous” and “godly”. How amazing God is to allow me to see my foolishness, and not stop with showing me some (for I have many more to go) areas of wickedness and pride in my life but He has given me a way of escape.

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you might be able to endure it.” 1st Corinthians 10:13

God has been working in my heart in these areas: Legalism (works oriented life), fear of man, lack of faith, lack of love for Him and for others (which later I learn all are closely knitted together). How God has shaken my comfort boat! And I pray He never stops.

About 4 years ago God revealed to me a very unhealthy lifestyle. My fear of failure and my grossly unhealthy understanding of who He is. This sin had taken root in a very, very legalistic lifestyle. A fear and a sin that had basically crippled my faith. I lived in constant fear of messing up, messing up is inevitable, but that fear constantly challenged my beliefs and the security I had in my salvation. To share one example of how far I had fallen from the truth: I had a fear that if I forgot read my bible before going to sleep EVERY night, I would condemn myself to hell. How foolish, how childish! That is only one of many examples (it is one of the more extreme). How could reading my bible save me? How could anything I do save me? God graciously showed me that I was living a “works based salvation”. I was thinking in my pride that I had to “measure up” in order to secure my salvation. PRAISE JESUS FOR A REVIVAL IN MY SOUL!

“For Grace you have been saved through faith; not not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, that any man can boast” Ephesians 2:8,9

“even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe, for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” Romans 3: 21-24

I can go on and on with verse after verse. But through it all God has been changing my heart. He has been showing me that I can not save me. He alone can save me. His sacrifice alone has paid the price for my sins. This is only the beginning...