My testimony I wrote out for Children's Program. Might as well post it.

What lead up to my salvation?

I had never really realized that I needed to be saved before I was. I grew up with everything being reality that yes, Jesus died and took my punish meant for my sins, so I could be right with God and go to Heaven, however I never realized I had to DO something about it. I was in Sunday school, and I was only five years old. The teacher was teaching on salvation, and that is the only Sunday school lesson I actually recall from those days. Anyway, I prayed and gave my life to God. I had no idea EXACTLY what that meant at the time, but I do believe that was when the Lord Jesus saved me.

What Scriptures people or events did God use?

Like I said. God used my Sunday school teacher and verses on heaven and hell to show me my need, but He has used many others to help me understand more.

What battles went on within you?

I really think I was blessed to be saved that young, in that I didn’t have a horrible past and I cant recall anything big that I struggled with before my salvation. He did show me in a strong way that I needed to call on Him, because without Him, I am nothing. I recall the felling that I needed to do something about it, but I wasn’t all the way sure what, until my teacher actually told me that I needed to believe in my heart and confess with my mouth.

How did God change my mind and heart?

At the time, He really made it clear just the basic need to be saved, but since then He has continued to work in me. He has more recently helped me to be content. The verse Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart”, has taken on whole new meaning. I have resolved to accept and rejoice in HIS will in different big and little situations lately. He has helped me to surrender in a real way, and He has made the desires of my heart, turn into a gratitude and thriving for ONLY His will. I am not saying I have mastered contentment at all, but it is great to see how He works.

Why did you need to be saved?

I needed to be saved because I was a worthless sinful human worthy of nothing more than complete separation from God forever. Except for the Lord Jesus coming into my life through His grace, I was potentially a horrible murderous, lying thieving sinner. I sinned before I was saved and I have sinned since then. There had to be a punishment for my sin, because I have turned away in contempt against the perfect God. He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to live a perfect life, but die a horrible death in my place. He took the punishment I deserved in my sin and suffered and died in His righteousness. It is like we did a swap in Gods eyes. He looks at Jesus Christ His perfect Son, and sees the horrors of my sin, and then He looks at me, the one that despised and rejected Him, and sees the perfection and righteousness of His Son, Jesus on me. This is a miracle topping the Creation of the universe. 

What were the results immediately after my salvation and the results since?

I was joyful. I had to tell people. I felt like I was on top of the world. It was great. Since then I have had times pretty rough. I have been stupid, reckless, careless, and rude. But the Lord Jesus has worked in my and shown me that He can change me, and He has been and is. I don’t know the way, but He isn’t done yet because I do know what the finished product is, because He is going to bring my salvation to perfection and end me up spotless in heaven with Him, so I can trust in that move with faith and victory.

What was the main obstacle to you?

The main obstacle that has been and will be is having the focal point of self. I am seeking to put myself on the throne of my service sometimes, but the Lord Jesus is there and H doesn’t subcontract. So I hope He gets rid of myself, and ill do what I can. Not that He needs it. =D

jdd

Redeeming the time. Because the days are evil

Holy?!

Now I know a lot of my stuff is “You have to do this! You have to do that!”, but in this post I want to kind of just dwell on a great truth God recently showed me. This is probably something obvious I missed, but humor me.

Been thinking a lot lately about Romans 12:1

 ¹I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Especially the first part. We are to present our bodies, as a living sacrifice. This is something we do ourselves, for God. We are presenting ourselves, but aren’t we sinful? How can God use us? Well that’s what I want to focus on.

The living sacrifice is what we so often focus on. But I was thinking about the rest of it. We are so lame. So sinful and inadequate, but here it doesn’t even say we are that. It says when we present ourselves as a sacrifice to God, it is HOLY! Remember, sacrifices have to be without blemish, perfectly without flaw. But it even gets better! We are ACCEPTABLE to God!!! Acceptable! Think about how powerful this is: there has not been a person able to rightly serve God since Adam. But through this other One man (Jesus Christ), we don’t just become His servants, we are acceptable, holy sacrifices! Living, breathing ones at that. The more for God to use us!

 So how is this possible? When we are under the Blood of Jesus, His Righteousness becomes what God sees on us. When we are saved, we are no longer the sinful man that we once were. But my words don’t quite grasp it, It says it perfectly here: By the mercies of God.

Well that’s it, just wanted to jot something down real quick. I hope it’s a blessing. I hope that you will make sure that your name is covered, then present your body COMPLETELY as a sacrifice to Him, and let Him use you. God bless,

Jdd

Eph 5:16

 ¹⁶Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.