Brother Ricky First thanks for your kind words, as well as your correction. I good brother can and will only speak for myself,as you well know the spirit world is much more complicated to both the mind and body,then those things we can see and feel. And how we choose to identify to the eternal also comes into play as well.( 2 cor 4:16-18),
In the testimony I gave on my blog,I go into a little of what happened to myself. Much of it i did not speak to because of the fear factor to some who would read it.There is no fear in love to me brother. I personally take Jesus at his Word simply because i depend upon our Jesus every single day for my life. To me, no choice. lol
But what if,try,and can't are no longer in my mindset.And it took many years to release those words from my mind as well. I do not, nor will not judge others lives,I have no right to. What I am led to do by Holy Spirit is to always look to show everyone the same escape Jesus helped me to find in him.( 1 cor 10:13)
We endure much in our life time good brother! One day i decided to visit an old friend,he lives many miles from me,but he also wished me to visit,so after 4 days of driving,having a couple of flat tires along the way,going through all kinds of bad weather, i made it to his house. I was willing to endure hardship brother( heb 10:36)My point.
Following Jesus is much the same until we finally reach our home in heaven. There will be hardship along the narrow path,and Jesus who knows all things,keeps encouraging us to continue our following until we reach the end. He does not laugh,or mock us in our hardship,he looks to mature us through them,even as he himself endured so very much just we we could learn how to follow him!
There are some who quit,there are some who decide on taking a break for a while, because of whatever reason,but the fact remains that if we choose to do this,we have come to far now to ever go back to start! Getting angry is not a sin,going back is!( luke 9:62)
We cannot deceive or even look to deceive our Jesus or ourself. I know!! for many years I did look to do this as my excuse! Excuses are like back sides we all have them,but in the end we lose if we choose to think upon this, and then do this.For all sin comes first into our minds,the flesh can talk as much as any spirit to me bro!! LOL
And many do not understand the difference. I do not wish to go on to long here! LOL But please look at gal 5:19-20 From the things of the flesh,if we dive to deep into them,then we give an opportunity for the enemy to enter into our lives.( eph 4:27) We know we have done this, when we stop to either look back,or go back. For the sin in the mind of looking back,causes are flesh to look to go back.
We must turn around before we ever walk back. hehe Words matter! Words of life and death to us and others spoken shape our mindset,as well as others.( proverbs 18:21) For the words we speak come from what we truly believe,and what we truly believe we also live out,telling on our true self. hehe
I will indeed pray for you as well Ricky,as I am thankful you also pray for me as well.Who does not need prayer!! It is as you have said,I have no Authority in self! But I do have Authority in Jesus,because he gave me his Word to both follow in, and live in!( luke 10:19-20!
The purpose for his word in the first place is to make our joy as full as his!( john 15:11-17!!!) We see the narrow path,and we know the way is Jesus,who leads us,now we decide how much we believe by how far we are willing to follow him! Blessing to all!