Words of encouragement?

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Pres19

Senior Member
#1
Nov 27, 2013
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#1
So I was thinking about when I first felt God calling to me and about how I almost didn't answer Him until a brother from my church, Brother Alvin, stood up and testified.

Brother Alvin was a very sweet, loving and respectful man before he passed away. Don't get me wrong, he would call you out on your attitude, sarcasm and disrespect. But he did so in a loving manner.
I truly appreciate him and looked up to him alot. Funny thing is I never really talked to him other than "Hello, how are you?" I regret that now because I know I could have learned so much from him.

But when I was about to be baptized.. A week before that day, two people came to me. One man said "You aren't truly going to live for God so why bother?"
The woman said "You aren't even getting baptized for the right reasons."
This upset me to the point where I wanted to walk away.

Now, I remember all of Brother Alvin's testimonys like it just happen except the last one the one.. I DO remember the last part word for word.

He said..
"Living this faith is the hardest thing you will ever do. The adversary will use people to pull you away, tell you that you're not good enough for God, tear you down, make you weak. The people he will use the most, will be your brothers and sisters in the faith during their times of hardship. Keep your eyes on the heavenly Father, seek him daily. And when you find your self too weak to walk through the church doors, fall to your knees and crawl on in, praise His name and watch how you'll have the strength to walk again. Never give your faith over. Living for Him will be hard but it is WORTH IT!"

I was baptized that night. This man made such a big impact on my life and I never had the chance to tell him or thank him for his words.

I'd like to hear some words of encouragement from someone who helped you in your walk of faith.
So please feel free to share :)
 
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Mitspa

Guest
#2
#2
Not sure there is any one person, but it seems God has had many folks in the right place at the right time for me...thanks for the thread and im sure your friend often ask about your faith when he talks to the Lord in heaven. :)
 
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Pres19

Senior Member
#3
Nov 27, 2013
779
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#3
Mitspa said:
Not sure there is any one person, but it seems God has had many folks in the right place at the right time for me...thanks for the thread and im sure your friend often ask about your faith when he talks to the Lord in heaven. :)
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Oh same here. Lol
God has used many people to help me but if I wrote them all down..well that's just too much typing for me. Lol

But this one, it really stuck with me. :)
 
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Ugly

Guest
#4
#4
A friend once told me "don't let your past define who you are or who you will become". I'd struggled a lot with forgiving myself and not acting out of how I saw myself because of my past choices. I can still struggle with that, but those words have helped me a lot in the steps forward I have taken. And I pass them on whenever it seems to fit.
 
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Pres19

Senior Member
#5
Nov 27, 2013
779
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#5
Ugly said:
A friend once told me "don't let your past define who you are or who you will become". I'd struggled a lot with forgiving myself and not acting out of how I saw myself because of my past choices. I can still struggle with that, but those words have helped me a lot in the steps forward I have taken. And I pass them on whenever it seems to fit.
Click to expand...
Very few words can make a world of difference for some. :) thanks for sharing :)
 
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Siberian_Khatru

Guest
#6
#6
Several people have given me a leg up in understanding and in honing my critical thinking and reasoning my faith; Ravi Zacharias, C.S. Lewis, and a few others. But, as cliche as it sounds, the biggest impact(s) came from various passages in Scripture.
 
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atwhatcost

Guest
#7
#7
By the time I was 21, I managed to break every commandment but one -- Thou shalt not commit adultery. And do understand, I realize that includes fornicating, since I wasn't married so couldn't commit adultery.

(In all fairness, I haven't killed anyone, but I've thought it often enough, sometimes in great details, and fool is a word I do use for brothers.)

I was pretty proud of that fact, and then I got raped. I was both young and naive (compared to now, I'm old and naive), so I questioned if that was breaking that commandment. Naive -- a state of being I can't seem to get past. So, I had no idea how to get that question answered, unless I asked someone who ought to know. I did. My pastor. He told me I did break that commandment even though I didn't mean to.

Two years later, I was dating my future-hubby. The subject came up and I told him what my pastor said.

I don't remember his exact words, but roughly it was, "What a complete moron! How did he ever become a pastor? You didn't have sex. You were raped! So, no, you didn't break that commandment. You broke the law, so deserve hell, but Jesus saved you. So stop heaping on that pile of sin with sin you never did. You had enough guilt already. The real guilt has been past on to Jesus. He didn't die for non-guilt."

Sweet, wonderful words of encouragement. One of many reasons I married him and I'm keeping him! :D
 
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