Preachers At Home: Tried by Fire "But he knoweth the way that I take

"Not By Might, Nor By Power, But By MY SPIRIT, Says The LORD"

"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."Zechariah 4:6
I am forever grateful to our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ for the truth of this Scripture and His love. For it was He that saved me nineteen years ago, in 1990, on my way to teach Sunday School at a Baptist Church in Illinois.

In the year, 1970, I had made a commitment to God and asked Him to save me. I told Him I was sorry for my sins and wanted Jesus to come into my heart, and I would live for Him,"from now on." I was determined to endure anything for God, even if it meant suffering. Due to certain circumstances, I did suffer because of this decision, and I was very sure that God was pleased with me. My husband was not a saved man and had no interest in religious things. I tried to submit myself to Him in obedience to God but I was trying this in my own strength. Alone in my desire to raise my children for God, I tried, with reading the Bible from time to time, taking them to church and praying with them at night before going to bed. I taught them some Christian songs and scripture memory and was sure God would bring them through because of my efforts, which made me feel very proud. In my mind, I was suffering as a Christian, and enduring for God, I was sacrificing. I had such a good feeling inside about myself, I thought the feeling was the Holy Spirit, but now I know it was just pride. At Church I was someone else than I was at home, I was a hypocrite and didn't know it. However, my children could see right through me.

As time went on I knew that something was wrong. . . things weren't going the way I thought they should go. . . Wasn't I "Living for God?" I was miserable and wondered where was that joy and peace and love I was suppose to have as a Christian? I remember thinking about Jesus and the cross and wondered, what does it really mean, "Jesus died for my sin"?
Even though I had prayed a prayer for salvation, and was sorry for my sins, I was not saved. I was still under the wrath of God because I did not truly believe in my heart nor did I have His Spirit dwelling in me. My outward life reflected good works, sacrifice, spiritual talk and song, but inwardly I was dark and sinful, though at the time I would not have admitted it even to myself.

My oldest children became very worldly minded. I became very confused and though I didn't know it, was worldly minded as well. We went through some very stormy and troublesome times which left us wounded and groping as a family. Without going into detail, the marriage of 18 years, ended in a horrible divorce. Broken hearts and complete despair was the result of sin that I and their father was guilty of.

I blamed God. My heart was broken, I thought it was not right that I had, "suffered so much for God" and my marriage should end that way. But someone encouraged me to love God just because He is God, and trust Him even when things go wrong. Because of my pride and desire to please God, I continued to live religiously, and would not face my own sinfulness.

Which brings this back to the day I was driving to Church. I knew scripture verses and I was thinking about Isaiah 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." I asked myself,"What does that really mean, "laid on Him the iniquity of us all?" When suddenly I understood, a light had been turned on in my understanding and in my heart! ! ! At that moment I knew the reality of what Jesus Christ had done on the cross for me! All my sin was laid on Jesus at the cross, He became sin for me. I deserve hell because of my sin, I deserve the wrath of God and punishment in eternal fire and darkness and suffering. But Jesus took it all for me on the cross, He died and rose again the third day! At that moment I saw myself for what I was, a miserable sinner, deserving of hell fire. Yet I saw what Jesus Christ had done for me, and I believed! Oh I cried at this and thanked Him for what He had done on the cross, and repented of my sin. He saved me at that moment and He came into my life, His Spirit came in my soul to dwell, I was truly born again!

After this, life changed drastically for me. I was new, not the old me.. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new". 2 Corinthians 5:17.
I began to hunger for and understand the Bible and had a desire to give the gospel to others. I had for too long taken for granted what Jesus has done on the cross and it grieved me sore.

"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
Romans 5:8

Praise God! As time went on God began to reveal to me the grave faults I had and the wrong things I had done with my older children. Because I remarried and realized the wrongness of divorce and remarriage, I repented of that sin and I know the Lord Jesus has forgiven me. He has renewed my life in Him. (I do not seek to be loosed from my husband,
1 Corinthians 7:27 ) but desire to be the best wife I can be as his help-mate.

Now after 23 years of marriage to my dear Mick, and 5 children grown, I can see the hand of God in their lives. His mercy has been great toward them. They are an amazing blessing to Mick and I as we enter into our older years.

I grieved deeply that I had not been saved when my older children were being raised, but God very tenderly showed me... "O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel." Jeremiah 18:6.
God helped me to understand that we are His vessels to be shaped and molded the way He wants. He uses our past, present and future experiences as a molding tool to make us according to His design and for His glory. Life is not about us, but about Jesus Christ the Lord and for His glory. All my children are very precious to me. I pray and seek God to continue to mold them and shape them for Himself to His glory.

Nothing is too hard for our God. My daily prayer is that all my children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and on, (if Jesus should tarry)...will know, love and serve my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and for a godly seed to continue for many generations to come.

You see by this testimony that I did nothing to save myself. No one can save themselves from the wrath of God. It is only Jesus Christ the Lord that can save us from His wrath. His wrath is fierce against us because of our sin and the spirit of Cane in Genesis 4:3. Cain brought the fruit of the ground as an offering to God. Able brought a lamb as God required. Cain offered a sacrifice to God in his own way, (I did the same thing before God saved me.)
What about you?
Isaiah 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God.

Please Pray For Ellen, A godly Wife and Mother of Seven.

Our family has been acquainted with Ellen and Greg and their children for over 3 years now. Ellen has been battling with her health for many long years. They recently discovered a mass the size of a watermelon that is threatening her life and needs surgery.
It is clear now that her health problems were related to the mass growing for these many years. Throughout the years they had been to many doctors and specialists who never discovered the source of her health struggles.
Ellen is a prayer warrior, loves her Savior Jesus Christ, and has been submitting to Him and surrendered her will to His even in the hardest times of her life. Even with the difficult pain mounting, the weakness and inability to do the things she has longed to do as a Wife and Mother she submits to God and says, "Thy will be done."
Greg and Ellen's beautiful children bear testimony to the faithful prayers of praying parents surrendered to God in impossible situations and circumstances, (but with God all things are possible. ) Their children love the Lord Jesus.
Their eldest daughter in her 20's is a beacon of strength in her Lord Jesus as she submits to her parents and is content to serve them in any way she can. The other 3 daughters under her, all close in age, are also obedient and submit to serve their parents. The three youngest are following the examples of these 4 sweet sisters and it is like music to see them earnestly, quickly, respectfully serve their family.
They are a precious jewel of a family what a blessing to know them!
Please pray for Ellen and Greg and their beautiful children as they face this difficult road.
Here is a web site which will keep everyone up-dated as to what is happening to Ellen and Greg and family as surgery is scheduled for Monday, July 25th.
Thank you for prayer!

Good news! Ellen's surgery went well. Check out their web-blog to learn of her progress! Praise God!

http://bowtheknee.blogspot.com/

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