Not By Works
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I have a little Viking blood in me, but it most have drained out. I live in Lincoln, Nebraska, close to were I was born an raised on a farm. We I decided to move back to Back to Nebraska, I got caught in TWO Blizzards, and the interstate was closed for a day both times. Now that I have been here for 3.8 years, I feel the COLD so much more than before, I cannot help thinking, WHY DID I NOT MOVE TO BELIZE WHEN I HAD CHANCE ? ? ?
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If you do not know, then you have not SURRENDERED to HIM, yet.
How does a Nebraska farm boy, with no Bible College Education, get to be the one that started a prison ministry, in the highest level of Security, in the State of California? I do not know how that is possible, BUT HE keep controlling my life, HE keep opening the doors, and I just keep walking through those doors. HE WAS TOTALLY IN CONTROL OF MY LIFE, AND I HAD COMPLETE TRUST IN HIM, THAT HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING WITH MY LIFE. JESUS DID IT ALL.
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......and what about the believers who do not have such doors opened but rather because of whatever reason struggle and experience misfortune after misfortune...... how does that work?
And they keep surrendering and pleading with God and yet things just go from bad to worse, does God elevate some people give them all good things and then let others struggle?
And they keep surrendering and pleading with God and yet things just go from bad to worse, does God elevate some people give them all good things and then let others struggle?
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NO on the robot. I should have explained, sorry. I completely SURRENDERED TO HIM the Night I was saved on Dec. 29, 1977.
NO AND's, IF's, or MAYBE's. I gave HIM THE RIGHT TO Guide me through life, CHANGE ANYTHING HE WANTED, AND TO CHOOSE MY DESTINY; and I would TRUST HIM TOTALLY. It came in the form of a still small voice or thought in my heart, and I ABSOLUTELY LISTENED TO HIM.
One of the first Changes HE made in me, was to clean up my vulgar mouth. I mean it came as a total surprise to me, because I could not say a sentence without at least two four lettered words in it. One day I hit my thumb driving a nail with a hammer, and all that came out of my mouth was "DOG GONE IT!" I was instantly SURPRISED, because in the past I would have cussed a blue streak. Then I realized that HE was changing the cussing to something clean. You see I KNEW HE came into to me spiritually the night I was saved, and have never questioned it. I cannot remember, but I may have cussed a couple times sense, but I repented of it at that moment.
Then HE wanted, me to quit smoking, that still small voice or thought in my heart, kept telling me to quit. My favorite Aunt died of Lung Cancer at 29, so I do not know what I ever started. But I continued to argue with HIM, and the last night, I even said "WHY SHOULD I QUIT AS LONG AS I ENJOY IT." The very next morning, I sat up in bed, reached for the lighter and pack of cigarettes on the night stand. AND THE VERY FIRST PUFF, IT TASTED HORRIBLE, AND IN MY HEAD HE SAID, "WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE NOW DUMMY!" That was the last cigarette I ever had.
He kept leading me and training me, for something HE want me to do. One night on my headset radio at work in the Post Office, I GOT SO BORED WITH MY COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC, I changed the channel. AND LANDED on a Christian Radio Channel, just Dr. John MacArthur was starting his sermons of going through Revelations, verse by verse. I quickly found it interesting, and hand never heard a sermon that was not boring, and MY BORN AGAIN HUMAN SPIRIT just soared, as I soon could not get enough of that style of teaching. Fairly quickly, I was listening to Chuck Swindoll too, then a few others. He was leading me to all kinds of Evangelical Pastors, feeding me to prepare me for what HE WANTED ME TO DO.
Then one night came the a thought in my head, "It is finished, MOVE WEST." I could not shake that feeling that HE wanted me to move West. I even got promoted to a day job, with my whole career laid out before me, in the Post Office, the best JOB I ever had.
And I could not shake the feeling that HE wanted me to move WEST. To make a long story short, I ended up month later moving via a several minor miracles Moving to Susanville, Ca. without even knowing WHY HE WANTED IT. It was there that I first got started in prison ministry. AND two years later, "It is finished, MOVE WEST.", popped in my head again. Only this time HE TOLD ME, why HE want me to moved to CRESCENT CITY, CA. HE want me to start a PRISON MINISTRY, that was just being built there. I had know IDEA how to start a PRISON MINISTRY, but I knew from experiences, that HE WOULD GUIDE ME ALL THE WAY.
So whether it comes as a still small voice, or a Thought from the HEART, you will KNOW IS CAME FROM THE LORD.
P.S. You do not want to make HIM yell at you, like I did once.
I was going back to NEBRASKA to pick up three Grandkids to come out to Crescent City. I spent the Night at a motel in Elko, NV. In the morning I was on the on-ramp to I-80, accelerating to 65 mph. I swung wide of a hitch hiker still accelerating, WHEN HE YELLED: "PICK HIM UP." That booming voice scared me, so I had all four wheels screaming on the pavement to a dead stop about 20 yards past him. I was just shaking like a leaf, when the hitch hiker opened the door and said, "Are you giving me a ride?" I said "YES, you get into the car because GOD just told me 'PICK HIM UP!'" I had him in my Car all the way to Laramie, Wy, and lead him to the LORD.
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You have got to TRUST HIM TOTALLY, without any limits or conditions. I think people will put limits or conditions on TRUSTING HIM, is the main reason for experiencing struggles or misfortune If you honestly Totally Trust HIM you will be amazed, and if HE wants you to move, YOU MOVE, and if HE wants you in a Particular Ministry, you cannot say I have not been educated for that. When I went into the Security Housing Unit, {the HOLE} for the first time, with the head Chaplain, he took me to the MOST Violent inmate in there; just to see how I handled it. You will get to know him, because he will be standing right NEXT TO ME on my Right Side, when we are gather before the Throne of Grace. It took YEARS to get HIM SAVED, but GOD WOULD NOT LET ME GIVE UP ON HIM.
In the Security Housing Unit {S.H.U. for short}, you are required to have a stab proof vest on at all times, even when it is hot. AND there will be a door between you and the Inmate at all times, why? They have been known to make blown gun darts dipped in their feces, and try to hit you with it or an Officer. That is how bad some of the inmates are that are in the S.H.U.
So SURRENDER TO HIM, means no Limits, and no Conditions.
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First remember:
1 John 4:4 (HCSB)
4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
John 14:16-18 (NASB)
16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (HCSB)
12 For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.
13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—
whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:13-16 (NIV)
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
So the Holy Spirit IMMERSED us into the spiritual BODY of CHRIST, AND IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE THOSE WORDS after you are BORN AGAIN, it should be easy to answer your question. We have the mind of Christ in us and HOLY SPIRIT.
AND IF HE IS ASKING US TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS ACCORDING TO HIS WILL; WE KNOW IT IS THE THOUGHT OR SMALL VOICE IN OUR HEART IS GOD.
We had our Bible Study Group on Thursday night, and we were in Col. 3:1-15. It is all about what HE wants us to stay away from, and what HE wants us to PUT ON. That would be a good place to start to find out what HIS will for our lives should be.
Colossians 3:1-15 (NASB)
1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,
7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—
11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Now How come I was SURE it was CHRIST that wanted me in CALIFORNIA ? ? ?
Because I was raised in Nebraska, and as typical Nebraskan, we all thought there is nothing but Fruits and Nuts in California, so who would want to LIVE there.
