Today’s Scripture: Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. Luke 24:35 ESV
Now what? Jesus has been crucified and raised from the dead. Re-reading all of the Gospels this morning there are varying endings to the four Gospels as to the different experiences and stories people had.
Same thing today; we each have had different experiences with Jesus. Whether we were running to Him or whether we encountered Him along our roads we each have a story. A story of how we came to recognize Jesus and what He said to us.
Like the two walking to Emmaus or the Mary’s going to the tomb we have encountered Jesus and He has asked us, no, He has commanded us to go and share the story He has given us.
What is your Jesus story? Are you telling it?
Today’s Prayer: Father God, thank You for raising Jesus from the dead. Thank You for proving this to me. I am thankful for how Jesus has appeared to me. I will tell my story and pray You will bless this and use me to help make disciples of all nations. Use me LORD to teach the commandments of the love of Jesus Christ. Amen
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 Life
Tom, Your old friend from North Carolina. I hope you are doing well. I think of you often, in fact, every time you post. I and still consider you my friend even though it has been a while since I commented. You asked for my story. I am taking you literal. Kinda long, but hope it will bless you and anyone else who cares to read it.
Every time I see your post I am reminded of the friendship we had, I cherish those days. However, I basically have taken a break from writing, even though I have spent some time going through my old post to edit and rewrite. I am working to update my blog. I am not even sure how it is going to come out in the end. It keeps changing.
I have basically taken the last two years as a sabbatical, if you please, from holding offices or anything other than just day to day ministry of speaking into lives of those I have come in contact with. I know we can always learn more knowledge but I needed so desperately to grow my relationship with God.
Even though God had done some miraculous things in my life, I shall say, despite myself, I knew there were some areas that I just had not submitted to God. The truth is I did not know how. To make this short, Joey and I sat under a Freedom in Christ, Christian counselor who mentored us for 2 years, discipling us as Christians; to understand God’s Grace, our identity in Christ, and how to resolve underlying strongholds that were creating issues in our lives that were keeping us from experiencing the joy Christ gave us and keeping our ministry from being productive.
Christ came to SAVE, not only to keep us from spending eternity in hell, but to give us abundant life. All my life I had tried to be productive in all my leadership roles within the churches where we attended, even through the Romans Bible Study that I taught. But I saw no true results my spiritual life was unproductive. I was not producing fruit of the Spirit in my personal life. In my relationship with other – I was not leading others to Christ, nor was I discipling others to become disciples. My whole life has been spent helping others learn about Jesus, to praise him for all his goodness, but has failed to teach them how to truly worship him (Romans 12:1-2).
In the process of focusing on God, I realized that much of my thinking about God, who I am, and even how to live for Jesus, had been half truth – in other word lies. As we have focused on God and submitted to the authority of God’s word, our lives, marriage, and ministry is being transformed.
Joey and I began looking for a church that was biblical based. That sounds a little pious doesn’t it, but most churches today have watered the gospel down so that it is not the gospel of Salvation at all. We shared with the senior pastor and associate pastor our story about the victory in our lives over temptation and sin and felt that the message of the gospel was foundational to believers ability to live the abundant life Jesus spoke of.
Since joining Putnam I am now an Associate with Freedom in Christ Ministries ( ficm.org ) and focus my time in Christian discipleship counseling. I am in beginning stages of building a Community Freedom Ministry in our county under the umbrella of my church, Putnam Baptist. As we began sharing how God had transformed out thinking. Other wanted to know more. I began forming a Women’s Discipleship Class. Then men came to sign up. So… I started a second class Freedom in my House for men and women. We have 42 all together going through our classes. People who I do not even know signed up. I have individuals from 9 churches, Baptist and Methodist, who are attending.
We go through the studies and as individual are ready, I take them through 7 steps to freedom. Under the Holy Spirit’s leading they do a soul search, prayer and declaration confession and repentance activity. Just in the past month, I have seen individuals overcome smoking, sexual sin, anger, and un-forgiveness.
We are finding that when we confess, repent, and under the submission of God’s authority we can renounce and declare our right to walk in freedom. Those things that once set me off, that robbed me of joy, has no hold over me any more.
This is my story of salvation. Jesus said, First, Love the Lord you God with all your heart and soul and mind. Secondly, likened to that, ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ (Matthew 22:36-40). And what kind of love is that. If we love our neighbor we will give them the greatest love of all – the message of salvation. It is absolutely awesome to watch God as he uses me as His instrument. It is almost like an out of body experience as I watch Him at work.
God is faithful to his word. Seek ye first God and his righteousness, and he will bring you the desires of your heart. Tom, remember the phrase you shared with your daughter. It has become a reality in my life. God is transforming my life so that others recognize his working in my life. And miraculously, others ask about what is going on in my life. This is supernatural, and to God be the glory.
Would love to hear what God is personally doing in your life?
PS. I was going to share this with you on email but I no longer have your email.
Still your …
Sister in Christ,
Patsy
Oh Patsy, thank you so much for sharing. I am sorry for my delayed response as I was traveling for a company meeting and did not have the time to get to my blog and the weekend was a distraction. Now that I have read your BLESSING and testimony I see God’s perfect timing. I too think of you often and have wondered where you were…and now I see you were on a journey to seek out God and His will for your life. How powerful is He and if only we would seek Him with all of our heart, mind and soul. I find it interesting that I am just now reading your reply as the message He was speaking into me this morning in my quiet time was one of seeking what is deep inside and giving what we find there. His Holy Spirit was promised to us and He DOES dwell within us. Yet, if not diligent to seek Him I find I fall pray to my lusts of the flesh. Living from my flesh or the shallow offerings of this world fail to bring meaning and cleansing.
I am sooooo happy for where you are and I am intrigued at this new ministry you are mentioning here. I will read up on it. You can email me at trainesga@yahoo.com. I am at a place of transition vocationally and I sense spiritually as well. Although this affirmation of God has brought me to experience God’s love and calling I am sensing there is more He desires for me to do and I am seeking His will, guidance and assistance. I too know I have some areas of my life I have not fully submitted to Him and His Spirit. It was impressed upon me this morning in my quiet time that I must seek to go deeper and seek deeper what is inside of me. Inside of me, beyond me lies His Spirit that I have come to know yet at times do not dwell deeply enough. I pray blessings upon your calling my sister and friend and look forward to witnessing the gifts you are giving away. Blessings and thank you for keeping in touch! Blessings as you share your Jesus story!
You did it again, Tom. You brought out huge Truth in just a few words. And you prodded our hearts, as always. Thank you.
Thank you Julie! Blessings as you tell your story.