> Testimonies / Prayer Requests / Fellowship

Testimony - Work in Progress

<< < (2/3) > >>

Samson:
Hello John Michael,

Thanks for sharing that Testimony with Us. It took allot of courage to do so. The word SIN comes from the Greek Word HAMARTIA and means TO MISS THE MARK OR SIMPLY A MISTAKE. God's Chosen Elect, those in the First Resurrection are very few. Everyone Sins John(Romans. 3:23), anyone that says they haven't or even occasionally Sin by either Thought, Word or Action is a Liar & the Truth is not in them or they might be Self Righteous. The Main difference in the area of Sin when comparing God's Chosen Elect and everyone else is that Sin doesn't Reign or have Dominion in the case of God's Elect, but if they commit an individual Sin, they have a Comforter or Advocate with Jesus Christ.

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

G264
ἁμαρτάνω
hamartanō
ham-ar-tan'-o
Perhaps from G1 (as a negative particle) and the base of G3313; properly to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), that is, (figuratively) to err, especially (morally) to sin: - for your faults, offend, sin, trespass.

Dave from Tennessee mentioned 1Cor. 6:9-11 about those " not inheriting God's Kingdom," that Scriptural passage is referring to God's Chosen Elect because they make up those that are Kings & Priests that Rule with Christ teaching Righteousness after Christ's Return & The Resurrection of the Dead. The point in that passage is that they don't " don't practice such things."

John, To be quite honest, I don't know for sure whether or Not I'm of the Chosen Elect & I'm not going to worry myself about it. The fact is God has put a desire in you to desist what your doing and I'm glad you decided to join this Forum. I have my faults too, I smoke tobacco, does that make you feel any better, maybe not, but it is what it is.

My Wife used to be a Forum Member, She decided to let Her Account run out, but She believes in most of what We learn here & talks to some members through telephone. The reason I bring Her up is that Her best friend is a Gay Female who is Married to a Woman. At first, I was a little hesitant thinking this Woman might influence My Wife in the wrong direction, but I quickly realized that Her Gay Friend is got allot of good traits in many other areas that many self righteous "Christians" don't exhibit.

My point in the first paragraph of My response is that Sin is Sin. The Churches of Christendom try to rank Homosexuality as one of the top three or something like that. Conservative Churches will overly highlight the wrongness of Homosexuality, but don't seem to be concerned about those that commit Pre-Marital Sex-Porneia. Probably, because they wouldn't have any membership left if they focused on those committing Fornication-Pre-Marital Sex.

Anyway, thanks for sharing Your story & glad you joined us at Bible-Truths, believe Me, many of us have our Stories of suffering & horror, your not alone.

                                  Kind Regards, Samson.





 

arion:
John;

No judgement from me as for much of my life I have struggled on/off with those kinds of thoughts but God had mercy on me and I have never engaged in those activities.  Christ said if you look at a woman to lust after her you have already committed adultery with her in your heart and it would be just the same with thoughts of male/male, female/female sexual activities as well.  Only us as individuals, know if we really want to be delivered and walk in cleanliness or if we are looking for some sort of justification for our sins.  I have told people many times that there is a difference between a man who abhors his sin and would go anywhere and do anything to be free from it as opposed to the ones who justify their sin and try to twist the scriptures to say that there is nothing wrong with their behavior and indeed God approves of it like the metropolitan churches claim.  It's so easy to look down our long bony noses at the homosexuals, drug abusers and alcholics and yet the ones that do so are many times filled with pride because they have never done such sins, yet who is guilty of the greater sin?  The one indulging the sins of the flesh or the ones indulging the sins of the spirit?  God knows.  I won't approve you in your sins and you need to stop it.  But neither do I think you can give them up of your own accord by the exercise of your will power.

God be with you and all of us.

Doug

JohnMichael:

--- Quote from: Abednego on April 06, 2011, 12:19:18 AM ---

I guess it it all comes down to focusing on the One who will deliver us more than we focus on what we need to be delivered from.

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

--- End quote ---

There is great wisdom in your words. I know that I can nothing without Him. I have tried to in the past, and fallen flat on my face.


--- Quote from: Dave in Tenn on April 06, 2011, 03:16:06 AM ---
I believe I can tell you this as testimony--you are not without hope.

If 100 people had lined up to tell me 'don't do this' while I struggled in the church or succumbed and wallowed in the world for 20 years, I would not have been able to 'stop', even when I wanted to.  I came to believe the Gospel about three years ago now.  Some things have fallen away easily and others the Lord has not removed easily, but has forced me to lean on him and to act in faith.

Some things I haven't begun to tackle.  I know that He works in increments, because I've experienced this--more than once. 

The other way it is not like my religious past, is that I KNOW that the Lord is not mocked.  He sees the very motives of my heart.  I cannot pull the wool over His eyes or fool Him in any way.  He knows my works, my faith, my desire, my thoughts, my motives--and He is not surprised at anything, including my many failures.  He designed me to fail, and so far I've proved to 'operate within specified parameters.'  ;)   He also knows my heart and my state when the Spirit is willing, but flesh is weak.

There's a time and a place for failure, and also a time and a place for 'with Christ I can do all things'.  There is a time to live against the will of God according to His ultimate purpose, and a time to repent.  There is a time coming when your repentance will be effective.  And if you are speaking the truth about your desires, that ought to give you hope.


--- End quote ---

That does give me great hope - more than you know.

When you mention "leave Babylon," that reminds me of a dream I had a few years ago. I didn't know what it meant at the time - only that it was something important.

In the dream, I was being led by a figure in black. I couldn't see the figure's face, only the black cloak it was wearing. It led me through various dark rooms filled with occult symbols. Then, the scenery changed, and the same figure was leading me into a church, but the church was filled with the red "danger zone" kind of lighting. I was in a line of people who were walking single file up a staircase. The people were expressionless and blindly following this same figure in black. The staircase led up to the steeple, but then it turned and started back downward. As I turned the last corner in this line, I saw up ahead that the staircase suddenly stopped, and I saw flames shooting up, and the people ahead of me were walking off the cliff. I saw the figure suddenly turn, and the cloak dropped, and I saw this malicious looking figure start laughing, and saying, "Oops!" as each person fell.

I looked in horror as my place in the line kept getting closer and closer to the "drop," and I cried out, "Lord, save me!" I was instantly transported out of the church, and into a garden, where I saw a caricature of Jesus. In the garden, we talked for quite some time, but I couldn't (and still can't) remember what was said. After this conversation was finished, I was transported back to the church, but this time I was running out of it as fast as I could into a bright, beautiful, sunny day. I had such a feeling of liberation and freedom.

Years passed, and I had forgotten this dream, but then I "stumbled" upon bibletruths.com when I was looking up scriptures in anger. I started reading Ray's papers on Hell and Free Will, and I suddenly couldn't stop myself from reading. I read and read and read and read until I felt like I couldn't read anymore. I was driven to keep reading. It was as if I was a starving man suddenly placed at the table of a great banquet, and I was scarfing down food. When I reached the part about leaving Babylon, that dream came rushing back and hit me like a massive tidal wave, and I trembled inside.

I'm only 27, so I don't know if that was a prophetic dream or not because I know the Bible says, "Old men will dream dreams," but I couldn't help but feel like that dream was showing me leaving Babylon. Some would try to say that the dream was proving the existence of Hell, but I know that to be a falsehood. I believe it did show me eventually leaving Babylon though. Lord, chastise me if I am wrong or misguided, but that is what I genuinely felt as I was reading that paper.

I have seen little "snapshots" of my sinful relationship ending, and it hurts. It really does - more than words can describe. My heart breaks. Moreover, in those same "snapshots," I have seen myself being a eunuch for the Kingdom, and that hurts. The fact that I won't be able to experience the joys of having a companion - that I will be alone (as far as a companion goes). It makes me break down into tears, but also, at the same time, something inside me screams, "Yes! Lord! Yes!" I don't know if those "snapshots" are prophetic or not, but something inside me believes they are.

I know and believe that God IS Sovereign. My will is nothing, and it is ALWAYS subservient to His Will. I know that the pot (me) has no place to question the Potter (God), and I hope that I am NEVER guilty of mocking Him. My heart trembles though and is fearful. My heart has cried out, "Please don't give up on me!" many, many, many times. My head knows that God will always finish what He starts, but my heart has doubt.

Please pray for me, and though I don't feel worthy to pray for all of you, I will. Maybe I'm at the point in the story of the Prodigal Son where he remembers his father's house, and begins the journey of coming home. I can only put my trust in Him. Sometimes I feel as though I can only crawl, but He drags me on.

Thank you all for your uplifting and comforting responses - it means more to me than you may ever know. Christ give me patience to wait upon His timing, so that I will know that it was He who brought me out of darkness and sin - not myself.

John

Joel:
John;
I went twenty something years feeling separated from God, but there were times while thinking about my life before I went to sleep at night, the only peace I had in my mind was that whatever the Judge of the earth's verdict for me, will be right, perfect, and true.

Hebrews 9:27-28
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Keep looking :)
Joel

karenmarie:
John, I don't know how God will work in you for this particular issue, but I do KNOW that you can trust Him, and I think you also know that, deep down.

He may gradually help you to overcome homosexuality as He did occult practices - gently, a bit at a time, making you ready to be a different man at His timing. Deliverance might come all at once. Soon or not so soon, but at the right time that God has ordained for His glory.

One thing I noticed in your last post to comment on is a reliance on dreams and visions. God does give us those, but in my experience, I have ALSO received dreams and visions from other sources, to confuse and alarm me. Maybe from inside my own brain, my own reasoning, maybe from an evil source. I try to practice discernment and "listen" to see if a particular image flashing in me is truly from God. "My sheep hear my voice"

So maybe the end of your relationship may not be painful in the way you are "seeing" it. You may not be alone without companionship - who knows what God will provide for you. Flashing views of you alone and suffering great sadness may be what God intends, but IF SO, He will be there with you! He will not leave you alone! He is the Comforter. God is the author and finisher of our faith. We can trust Him totally to shape us into the likeness of Jesus.

Karen

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page