Religious, dont look

[Robert]

One of the greatest gifts that I have been given is the gift of salvation and of knowing the Lord. I can tell you countless stories of the works He has done in  my life. I never even could conceive of the things He would do for me. So when we talk about God we dont understand how personal He is with each of us. If you dont believe in God really only matters for your own salvation because God still knows you, intimately as He knows each of us. Salvation or accepting the Lord is sometimes not a pretty thing in some cases. Not that the experience is just awesome but the place we are to finally accept His gift is not sometimes good. In fact it could be the end of all that we think we know. Our knowledge, our ways, our ideas, dreams,hopes or even life. I wonder in the natural terms if this is really being reborn, since we finally run out of ourselves and seek another path. My salvation was this way and in fact God in His wisdom took everything away and put me in a place where I had nothing to do but still gave me hope of a future. He put things in my life that were but a seed a good seed if I were to decide to follow Him. You will find that God usually doesnt leave us with nothing and even if He does He is more than able to make something out of nothing. He has done it with the universe He can do it with us.

One story of mine is I had no money, no home, no job,no car and really didn't even have my freedom to choose where to go. It was the exact place to learn who God is. Not only by head knowledge but by what He would do for me and through me. What he would provide for me and how He would do it. My wife that He actually chose for me was living in her dads apartment out of necessity since because of circumstances had to give up our place we were living at . Mind you I had no money and the situation was coming that we could see that I could finally get a job and have a life. But my wife calls me and says what are we going to do about a place to live. I could do nothing about this because of my situation and said God will provide. As a few weeks went by she asked the same thing, but this time I knew in my heart although somewhat distressed that indeed God would provide. So it comes to a the time when I could get a job and within one week, God provided a job to pay for the house that He told someone to put a down payment on. He also provided a car a brand new Ford Mustang Cobra convertible that someone just bought and allowed me to use for a 1 1/2 years while I got things situated in my life. I was able to make the payments on the house from day one and keep food on the table. I have so many more testimonies about what God can do that, I can not say God is far off but near and close and loving.

I can understand that some say God is fake since the natural mind set on the things of the world without the spirit of God changing their heart cannot and is impossible to see the possibilities.

I will say this to anyone who reads this, it must be God and He can do for you what He did for me. He loves us all and wants us to succeed and not by head knowledge of Him or book knowledge but by a personal relationship. Just ask Him for help in whatever situation that you are in and allow Him to work. Recognize His fingerprints in your life also. Sometimes God works and we being natural men dont fully understand that He actually has done things for us all along and attribute them to other things. But search your heart and you will find the treasure that He has deposited there.



If God looks down on mans knowledge and says man is a sheep. If God gave us Jesus as Shepard and knows that the flesh has nothing good in it. If mans knowledge and wisdom will never understand the things of God and we as men put to much emphasis on our own knowledge then who, what is making it possible for us to understand God and the things He has for us. Who has been in the world since the beginning and shaped many world changing events according to the Lords will.
Who changes mens hearts to accept salvation and even know they need salvation and where it comes from. Below is a few scriptures to tell you who and show a few of the deeds that the Holy Spirit has done.

I want to remind you that the apostles were a clueless of who they had with them in the beginning. They couldn't recognize who Jesus truly was or even understand His teachings. So it gave hope to me and should to everyone else. That understanding and revelation, and power and authority came in the upper room when they were baptized in the Spirit. Then all the teachings all the words Jesus spoke came to life and they were able to follow them and proclaim them with great power and authority.


Isa_63:11  Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them,

Mat_1:18  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

Mat_1:20  But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.


Act 8:14  Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,
Act 8:15  who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
Act 8:16  For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 8:17  Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.

Act 9:17  So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
Act 9:18  And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;

ct 11:16  "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
Act 11:17  "Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
Act 11:18  When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life."

Joh_14:26  "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Joh_20:22  And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

Act_1:2  until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.

Act_1:5  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Act_1:8  but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Mar_13:11  "When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.


It is through this relationship that we understand who God truly is and He becomes a person and real to us.

[Gavin_Sons]

Oops, I looked 

[f6john]

 I recently read a book that I would recommend to everyone and maybe especially if you are having medical issues. The title, Proof of Heaven, is not a "religious"book but recounts the experiences of a neurosurgeon who was near death and in a coma for 7 days.

[specialdose]

 

         Yes, I looked too. Jesus saving grace is the very best part of my life.......I have strayed more than a few times since being saved but think God for his word, John 10: 28-30.......If you have never heard

  Ray Boltz sang The Anchor Holds, visit youtube.

[Flrider]

 

[John Schmidt]

Very good Robert, I remember well the first time we met, was in my garage. We had some good moments together before you left. 

[Alpha Dog]

I recently read a book that I would recommend to everyone and maybe especially if you are having medical issues. The title, Proof of Heaven, is not a "religious"book but recounts the experiences of a neurosurgeon who was near death and in a coma for 7 days.

By Dr. Eben Alexander, Neurosurgeon out in Virginia.  Was not a complete atheist, but very non religious.
The outstanding thing about his NDA was that he was in a coma for a week and was labeled brain dead as their were no brain waves registering.  Some rare form of Meningitis put him in this condition.  This throws out  the theory of your brain creates heaven during NDAs.  Try again scientist.  I know you can not put this on a table and study it so therefore in your minds it does not exist, but there is so much of this planet and universe you guys just can not get a handle on at this time.   He detailed several levels of heaven.  He had a spirit being guiding him some of the time while there.  It was only months after he got back into his body he found out that this spirit being was his deceased sister he never new as they were separated into different adopted homes at birth I believe.  I read his book about 3 years ago.  Saw him interview with Oprah and of course has been a guest a few times on Coast to Coast AM.

[f6john]

I recently read a book that I would recommend to everyone and maybe especially if you are having medical issues. The title, Proof of Heaven, is not a "religious"book but recounts the experiences of a neurosurgeon who was near death and in a coma for 7 days.

By Dr. Eben Alexander, Neurosurgeon out in Virginia.  Was not a complete atheist, but very non religious.
The outstanding thing about his NDA was that he was in a coma for a week and was labeled brain dead as their were no brain waves registering.  Some rare form of Meningitis put him in this condition.  This throws out  the theory of your brain creates heaven during NDAs.  Try again scientist.  I know you can not put this on a table and study it so therefore in your minds it does not exist, but there is so much of this planet and universe you guys just can not get a handle on at this time.   He detailed several levels of heaven.  He had a spirit being guiding him some of the time while there.  It was only months after he got back into his body he found out that this spirit being was his deceased sister he never new as they were separated into different adopted homes at birth I believe.  I read his book about 3 years ago.  Saw him interview with Oprah and of course has been a guest a few times on Coast to Coast AM.

To clarify, the girl he encountered while "in Heaven" was his biological sister who was not born at the time he was put up for adoption. He had never met any of his biological family until after his Near death experience and once they had agreed to meet him that particular sister had already pasted away several years earlier. He only knew of the connection when he was shown a picture of his deceased sister. It really is a fascinating read.