God ain't finished with me yet!

[Heidi]

I have angonising over sin in my life stil present, for two reasons.  Firstly, God opened my spiritual eyes and ears.  I have come out of Mystery Babylon and believe with all my heart and soul the things that I have read in BT.com.  It all makes perfect sence now.
The sin still present in my life (I belief that their are many others), is that I cannot seem to stop the destructive habit of smoking.  God knows I have tried and every time I don't succeed, I feel even more fearful of not being part of the chosen....
Until....I read the emails sent to Ray (worshiping in spirit and truth)

[Ray Replies]

"Dear Steve:

God has given ALL OF US, weaknesses.  Some have financial problems, others marital, others health, others bad tempers, others fear and uncertainty, others are mentally and emotionally unstable, etc., etc., etc.  The thing to remember is, "GOD AIN'T FINISHED WITH YOU YET"!!

Don't feel that just because you have certain problems and weaknesses that you will never ever overcome them. GOD IS ABLE! These weaknesses humble us and drive us to our knees and herefore, they do a good work in us. 

I have as many genetic and emotional weaknesses as anyone, but I don't let them get me down.  I press on with the assurance that God will not let me down. And as we mature, we find that we are stronger in faith, and mature even more quickly.  I do not have near the sins today that I had just a half dozen years ago.   God has conquered things in me that I was never able to conquer, try as hard as I may.

Peter denied Jesus three times in one evening.  But in later years, Peter was a bold a lion!  Be of good cheer, as Jesus said,  He overcame THE WORLD, and it is this same Jesus that is now living IN US!

God be with you,

Ray"

I am so greatful for this email, because I can stop trying now and know that God s at work in my life.

Love
Heidi

[brandon h]

Well Heidi, I was going to post a seperate message asking for prayer with some of my weaknesses that seem to just be lingering; things I seem to just not get over how hard I try. But I belive that this post is confirmation for me to agree with you. That e-mail was indeed refreshing to read and has lifted my spirit some. There truly, truly is now no condemnsation for those who are in Christ Jesus.(Rom 8-1). And though we feel sorrowful for our sins, it makes the spirit all the more worse when we let condemnation get a hold of us. I struggle with fears and uncertainty, even though I believe all that has been opened up to me. I've struggled with the thought of being double-minded because of this. But I know Christ has made progress in me, and will continue to as long as I'm in this mortal body. Thank you for posting this, Heidi. Be strong in Christ. And remember, we all have our weaknesses, and there's nothing wrong with sharing them with the saints. That's what we're here for.

14 " For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, accordingly to the power that worketh within us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus thruoghout all ages, world without end. Amen." Ephesians Ch 3

By the way, the Lord delivered me from smoking 4 years ago. It is possible, just continue to believe!!

[Heidi]

God is very faithfull.  Since posting this message on His site He has been speaking to me through His word.

Rom 8: 12-17
" 12.  Therefor, brothers, we have an obligation- but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.  For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
14. because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15.  For you did not receive a Spirit of fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.  And by Him we cry, "Abba, Father....[/b]

WOW....true worship is obedience, please pray for me to be an overcomer.

Love
Heidi

[kweli]

Praying for you Heidi

He has been speaking to me through His word.

That must have been a great experience.

[gmik]

Thanks Heidi for bring this up.  I just read this post today.  I had not seen that e mail from Ray.  I am going to print it and memorize it

You know, if God ain't finished we me yet, then he is not finished w/ you yet, and therefore there is no need to JUDGE(wrongly) anyone.  What freedom that I don't have to be the HOLY SPIRIT to someone!!  Who can cast that first stone.

Freedom from Babylonian churchy preachy judmental crap is FREEDOM INDEED!!

PS as a past smoker and an occasional social smoker now, I can tell you it is not what bothers me----those pesky inside beasts that want to take over the throne, now thats something to pray for! -selfishness is my big one (i think)

[winner08]

Sorry Heidi I took just read your post and I must say I too struggle with self destructive habbits that I wish I did not have. But if you beleive that God has a plan for you and I and His will , will be done and all His desires will be done and that we do not have free will but God has all the power and we are doing and we are where we should be at this time and place in our lives then no matter what we do or how hard we pray nothing will change untill the Lord is ready for us to change. We are here and doing what we are doing for a reason. God's reason. Just remember this to shall pass.


                                          Thanks  Darren

[Roy Monis]

Hi! Heidi

I'll give you a sure winner, if you promise not to laugh at me as I did when this cure was given to me. Believe me when I say I laughed because I not only laughed but was convulsed. It's ever so simple just five little words and all your troubles are all over. I have recorded this elsewhere on this forum, so I'll not bore you with the whole story. Suffice it to say that I was a chain smoker, 20/30 a day maybe more and a pipe for good measure. I wheezed with every breath I took and frequently fell unconscious due to not being able to catch my breath.

T was given 6 months to live and I'm talking 35/40 years ago. I prayed, I can't say to whom because I was an unbeliever then, but everyone else prayed in such situations so I prayed. Then we got a visitor, a Babylonian believer but a believer nonetheless, while I was having one of my passing out phases and when I recovered it was he who gave me this advice. Now I'm going to tell you what he said and I hold you to your promise, because it sounds ridiculous. Ridiculous or not this is it and it's the truth.

"LORD JESUS PLEASE HELP ME!" The visitor had long since gone when a few days later I had a repeat performance and as I came round those 5 simple little words were on my lips. No ill effects, no substitutes, no medication nothing just my God and me. There is no partiality with God, you are a believer at this moment in time, and so am I now but I wasn't then. I am nothing special, so I believe that what He has done for me He can and will do for you or anyone else who truly believes in Him.

That is the medication I send you with love from the greatest physician that graced this earth. I tried to help heavy smokers belonging to Babylon but they put it down to my strong will power. How little they knew of me, my will power wouldn't win an argument with a two year old child. I'm too soft and too sensitive to possess any will power, if there be such a thing then I haven't got it. It is all of God.



God bless you sister in our joint walk in Christ. 

Love in Christ Jesus.

Roy UK     
     

[OBrenda]

Physical addictions, uggghhh!
My addiction is the one you can never stop taking......(food)!
They can cause you to hate yourself and destroy your physical/personal Life.  But I see something else under it all.  I see a kinship of my powerlessness over a twinkie, and someone elses...to a mug of beer!  If we can't learn the absurdity of "Free-Will" in addictions, it might take a blinding light on the road to Damacus!

The biggest insanity is the Blindness and judgement...
I once had a woman standing over me, snarling out condemnations on my drinking a "Diet Soda" (I'm a diabetic) while puffing on her cigarette!  (I think that would deserve a "Brilliant")

Being an addict I have learned compassion for ALL kinds of addictions from herion to cupcakes, or addictions to anger or fear!
It's all the same thing.....But for the grace of God walks I.....(with my sugar-free cupcakes)

Having said that.......AMEN Heidi, I so needed to read this....
Rom 8: 12-17
" 12.  Therefor, brothers, we have an obligation- but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.  For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,

Roy said it well..."LORD JESUS PLEASE HELP ME!"

This is powerful from Brandon...
14 " For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, accordingly to the power that worketh within us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus thruoghout all ages, world without end. Amen." Ephesians Ch 3

[Firefly]

Heidi,

Thank you for posting that email from Ray. I welcome the encouragement. A common thread I see when I read everyone's post's here is that we all struggle with things and want to overcome them. It is the race we all run. I certainly struggle with sin every day and it gets so tiring. Thanks again for the email. Even though I don't post much I am so grateful to God for this forum and all of Ray's papers on the Scriptures.

With love, Lori


Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye ********, and not sons.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:

And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrew 12: 1-29

[Heidi]

Thank you all for replying to my post, I got something from all of you.  I praise my God and King for this forum and for all of you....LORD JESUS PLEASE HELP ME.

Love in Christ
Heidi

[Jackie Lee]

One thing that kinda jumped out of Ray's reply is that as we get older we sin less.
Did anyone else glean that from the email?

[joyful1]

Hi Hiedi--
I think its a good thing to remember that Paul was given a messenger of satan in his "flesh" which he asked three times for God to remove....but it was NOT removed, as far as we know.

Here is my experience...
As God, I believe, has been leading me in the truths of His Word, I have often found myself stopping when I would want to chastise others. I would remember the thorn in my own flesh, which has yet to be removed, and realise that I should wait until I was in a position to judge, which clearly, I am not.

So, I see that thorn in the flesh as necessary (for now) for my spirit to grow. Does that make sense to you?

Ray mentions elsewhere about how Paul left for about 15 years immediately after being converted, to study and prepare for his ministry. But the messenger of Satan in his "flesh" was still there! It was as if God pre-ordained that Paul would have to put up with this for a "season" and a "reason" known only to God.

Peace, sister!
Joyce

[EKnight]

Hi! Heidi

I'll give you a sure winner, if you promise not to laugh at me as I did when this cure was given to me. Believe me when I say I laughed because I not only laughed but was convulsed. It's ever so simple just five little words and all your troubles are all over. I have recorded this elsewhere on this forum, so I'll not bore you with the whole story. Suffice it to say that I was a chain smoker, 20/30 a day maybe more and a pipe for good measure. I wheezed with every breath I took and frequently fell unconscious due to not being able to catch my breath.

T was given 6 months to live and I'm talking 35/40 years ago. I prayed, I can't say to whom because I was an unbeliever then, but everyone else prayed in such situations so I prayed. Then we got a visitor, a Babylonian believer but a believer nonetheless, while I was having one of my passing out phases and when I recovered it was he who gave me this advice. Now I'm going to tell you what he said and I hold you to your promise, because it sounds ridiculous. Ridiculous or not this is it and it's the truth.

"LORD JESUS PLEASE HELP ME!" The visitor had long since gone when a few days later I had a repeat performance and as I came round those 5 simple little words were on my lips. No ill effects, no substitutes, no medication nothing just my God and me. There is no partiality with God, you are a believer at this moment in time, and so am I now but I wasn't then. I am nothing special, so I believe that what He has done for me He can and will do for you or anyone else who truly believes in Him.

That is the medication I send you with love from the greatest physician that graced this earth. I tried to help heavy smokers belonging to Babylon but they put it down to my strong will power. How little they knew of me, my will power wouldn't win an argument with a two year old child. I'm too soft and too sensitive to possess any will power, if there be such a thing then I haven't got it. It is all of God.



God bless you sister in our joint walk in Christ. 

Love in Christ Jesus.

Roy UK     
     

Hi Roy,

Did those five little words help you quit overnight? Or did you have to say them every day for a period of time until you were completely off cigarettes?

I ask because it's been helping me cut back.  Like when I want a cigarette I just keep repeating in my head "Dear Lord, Please Help Me".  I can put it off for a while but I still have the urge.  Plus, I get irritable when I don't smoke so I wear a nicotine patch, otherwise I turn into an unbearable person. My family can attest to that!!

Eileen

[Roy Monis]

Dear Eileen

Let me tell you the full story and then you can judge for yourself.

I used to chain smoke which meant that a cigarette or pipe constantly hung from between my lips. Eventually I  started with a persistent hacking cough and constant wheezing with every breath I took, and at times I would cough and not be able to stop with the result that I used to drop unconscious due to not being able to catch my breath.

Then my dear wife forced me to consult the quack who referred me to the chest clinic. There the balloon burst as it were. I was X'rayed several times and finally was shown the plate and given the verdict. " Do you smoke?" I was asked. "Yes?" was the reply. " Well stop immediately and you may last a few years: don't stop and you'll be lucky to see out six months." I was warned. They show no sympathy for smokers.

That was the verdict and I am telling you the truth.

I tried to stop, boy did I try to stop! I became aggressive, bad tempered and impossible to live with and it would have ruined a very happy marriage of at that time 10 years standing had I continued. So I decided to not stop completely but cut down. It didn't last,  before long I was back to the usual if not more, it was a no win situation.

I wasn't a believer then, but I prayed, who to, I have no idea but it was the thing to do everyone in trouble did it, so why not I? Well I'll never know whether it was the answer to my prayer or just coincidence, I believe it was an answer to that prayer. We got a visitor and while he was in I had one of those passing out phases. When I came round he held the packet of cigarettes I'd left on the table and said to me. "Why don't you kick this filthy habit?" To which I replied " Easier said than done." " It's easier than you think?" he said. I laughed,  " Go on then what's the panacea?" I asked in ridicule. " Just ask Jesus to help you." He quite innocently replied. At which I nearly fell through the floor and couldn't hold back the laughter, as rude as it was, I just couldn't help it.

A few days later the visitor, who was a Babylonian but a believer nonetheless, had long since gone when I had another occurrence while my wife was out fetching me some cigarettes would you believe. Then as I clawed my way back on to the settee I heard myself saying five of the most beautiful words I've ever heard, PLEASE HELP ME LORD JESUS and that was it. Believe it or not it's the truth. When my wife said here's your cigarettes you owe...I interrupted her and said,

" Take them back, love, and treat yourself to some nice toffee." That was it, no after effects like I had before on my supposed will power, nothing to compensate for the cigarette, absolutely no ill effects whatsoever. All glory to God my Saviour. That was 49 years ago now and still counting.

Our loving God answers prayers Eileen, just simple prayers from the depths of the heart. No long drawn out stuff like the Babylonians teach, just simple and to the point, BELIEVING IN HIM.

Does that answer your query, lady, I hope it does. There must be no doubting, somehow doubt never entered my head when I prayed that simple prayer I just seemed to know that it was granted.

I try to help people but they just won't believe me, they laugh at me like I did at the visitor but it has left me laughing from the wrong end now. They insist that it was my will power. What will power? Did I not give that wonderful will power of mine a try? Did it succeed? As Ray would say " What a Crock!" 

I pray to God that this helps you dear sister, because I know what you're going through and I empathize.

God bless you sister in our joint walk in Christ. 

Love in Christ Jesus.

Roy UK     

[joyful1]

Brother Roy--what a beautiful testament to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! I believe that you experienced Jesus, just as you say you did! God bless you...brother, friend. And thanks for being humble enough to post what you did!
Joyce

[EKnight]

But Ray said once in an email that you will quit when God wants you to quit.  So maybe those five little words won't work for me if it's not God's will at this time???


Eileen

[Roy Monis]

Hi! Sister Joyce

Thank you for your kind words, but I believe that that is what God wants me to do now that I can devote more time to Him and that is to help His children in any way I can and in that way help myself as well.

By the way I was being puffed up beyond measure by a member who admired my cute graphics, so I told her I wasn't that clever and I owed it to my clever teacher and asked her to puff you up instead, because puffing up wasn't good for my spiritual health. I hope you don't mind??? 

But thanks again Joyce, it's much appreciated.

God bless you sister in our joint walk in Christ. 

Love in Christ Jesus.

Roy UK