My Decision

I have been writing a lot about salvation . Therefore I will now share with you how God revealed the Gospel to me.

We did a lot of moving around as I was growing up.  At one point while going to school in Canada I received this little New Testament. About a year after  the little red book had been given to me, I made another attempt at reading in it.

I came across the salvation verses in the back and could hardly believe what I was reading! We can be saved? I had always been afraid of what would happen if I died. I tried to earn my ticket to heaven in different ways, but didn't have any assurance.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 5:24

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:13

Reading these verses now, I thought the Bible is giving me assurance. I questioned it a bit as to rather this was a true Bible. However I read more and just began talking to God again , like I had so often done a few years earlier.

I told God, "I want this. I want to believe you but I feel unsure. I will put my trust in you though. You see God , I'm writing down my name right now and I will believe you have saved me. I will believe  I get to be in heaven with you some day."

There was a point where I forgot about this little book or my commitment that day. For years I didn't realize just how important that signature was in there.

One day a few years ago we were going through some stored away boxes and my husband came across that very book. When I opened it and found my signature in the back, memories came flooding back about my decision that day.

I was amazed at the seed God had planted in me  and how he never gave up on that seed  growing into a plant.  He is the vine we are the branches  and for that reason we will continue to bear fruit.

My most memorable and life changing moments with God have always been when it was just the two of us. It was never people trying to persuade me into their beliefs or some big meeting or  even a teacher like it has been for many.

If we want to know the truth we will find it. God will reveal it in one way or another. It is always our choice though!

If you have not yet made the choice to take him at his word in these promises , to believe that Jesus died but rose again .... you have the chance right now as well! I would suggest to write out your commitment on paper. Looking back on my signature here has been a big blessing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We May Know...

 

I don't have very much time on my hands to finish this but if you go to  "my well" , you will find a little bit about my Mennonite background, my childhood and my first impressions of what God is like.  Pictures will come eventually as well,  just be patient with me .

One thing that left me with much fear and many doubts was the fact that I was taught we can't know if we are saved. We can only wait and see. Hopefully somehow we will have earned our way to heaven.

As a parent we want what is best for our children. We desire for our children to trust us and to feel safe with us. We want our children to know we will not just leave them stranded and alone.  If God is our Father, He must feel the same. Many times the Bible tells us to have faith and trust in the Lord.  Why then would God want to leave us uncertain of salvation? I now know he wouldn't!

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:13

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Romans 8:16.

We have to choose to believe what he tells us in his word for these promises to apply to us. He never forces his ways on us.

I now believe and know that I have the gift of eternal life. It's not because I think I'm good enough or have earned it but because I have accepted  it as a free gift by believing Jesus  saved me.

The word gospel means good news. We are told to tell others of the good news. The good news is that Jesus  came to save us and we may now have eternal life .

On the next post I will share with you about the day I accepted Jesus as my Saviour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not Like the World

Maybe if we become like the world,  we can reach the world, right? That seems to be the mindset in churches today.

 If people are  not interested in what the Bible has to say...well what if make church more like the world they are use to, that should get them started in becoming a "Christian."

One thing that I see happening with these compromises is that yes, it can reach people to come to church, but these are not things that lay the solid foundation that brings others to Christ and keeps them there.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

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Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

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1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

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1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

We simply need to share the gospel, a holy message from God, be a light by walking in the Spirit with love. We will not need any other methods or tricks ouside of what the Bible teaches.

May God give us the faith to believe that He  is able to draw others to Himself.  He calls each one but allows us a the freedom to choose the path we will walk.

When we truly love God, we won't mind doing things differently than the rest of the world!

The Only Way

  ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  John 14:6

It is only by believing in Jesus, as the son of God that we will get to the Father. We will not find Him any other way.

There are many religions in this world and many traditions and customs. We will not receive eternal life by keeping traditions and following any religious customs.  Many times it is the traditions that become more important than Christ.

Mark 7:3-9

³ For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. ⁴ When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

⁶ He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. ⁷ And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’^[a]

⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men^[b] —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

⁹ He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

This does not mean traditions are always bad to have, but if the traditions we have are more important than God we are not right with God.

Lord, help us all to draw others to you rather than our own ideas, traditions and laws.....

Jesse and his Family

Jesse was a 10 year old boy who had Burkitt’s Leukemia . He was friends with our son and we watched him grow from baby on in our church family.

It was a shock to everyone when he suddenly became so sick. He fought hard right to his last days.  His pain and suffering is over and  he now awaits in heaven.

Read  his story and be touched along the way as God continues using Jesse's story and his parents' lives to remind us all of what is truly important!

(Click the image to get to the unfolding drama...)



 

Seeking God

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:7-11

To me these verses are about spiritually seeking God.

I went through a time in my life where I felt very depressed after  losing our first baby. It was a season where I felt very alone and really longed to get closer to God. I didn't have the "right" words to pray but talked to Him openly and honestly.

I had accepted Christ when I was younger,(which I will share more about yet another time) but I still had doubts about my standing with God.

I wrote the first part of this poem during that soul searching time and finished the second part a few years later.

Asking, Seeking,Knocking

Tell me Lord , am I doing okay

Let me know , am I heading your way

I'm far from perfect, I already know

What should I do different, tell me so

I will try my best to follow your ways

To be righteous in all my days

But, I know I should do more

to take the path that leads to your door

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You showed me Lord, I will be alright

Opened my eyes and gave me sight

You saved my soul from all that is wrong

You talk to me always and make me strong

You are with me right in my heart

I could have known you right from the start

 I am able to bare everything

With the courage and love you always bring

I did not have it in me to be righteous, but with Jesus in us we are righteous. He has cleansed us from all unrighteousness!

Thank you , LORD!

 

 

Saved By Grace

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:4-10



We will not have eternal life in heaven because of the work we have done on earth. We need to accept it as a free gift that God was willing to give us by grace alone. God holds out that free gift to each one. All we have to do is believe and  accept it!

Through Jesus, we are however able to do the good works He created us for.

When we truly realize what He did for us by dying on the cross for our sins, we will want to live for Him and serve him.

I am reminded of this poem:

 Who has seen the wind?

Neither I nor you:

But when the leaves hang trembling,

The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I:

But when the trees bow down their heads,

The wind is passing by.

By: Christina Rossetti

 Others will not be able to see the Holy Spirit in us but  will see the evidence by the way we live.  Just as the wind which we cannot see, is able to move the leaves on a tree, the Holy spirit which can't be seen, is able to do things in our lives which others will see.

Lord, fill us with Your Holy Spirit, so that others will see what You are able to do through us! We know You are able to do all things and through you we can do all things because you strengthen us!

Thank You Lord for Your free gift of eternal life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have You Been Born Again?

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:5-8

We are born of the flesh into a sinful world as sinners ourselves. We all have some idea of right and wrong. Many want to do what is right but our flesh is  weak and our efforts may seem like a hopeless cause.

Do you ever feel like you want to do what is right,  you want to change your life, but feel you always fail?  You might believe in God and you might want to live a good life but that which is born of the flesh is still only flesh. Our flesh is weak!

We do not need to remain in the flesh. We can be born again, in the SPIRIT!  When we sincerely ask Jesus to enter in our hearts, fill us with His Spirit we are born all over. The old things are gone. Everything is new. It's like starting life all over!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17

We have no reason to dwell on the past if we have Christ! It's like God took a great big eraser and erased all our sins... We are free from the burden of sin! He has replaced our sin with HIS Spirit which will give us the strength to do ALL things!

¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

John 14:16-17

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Romans 8:26

I don't know about you readers out there but this lifts me up and gives me reasons to rejoice!

Share the good news with your friends! Come back for more on this topic tomorrow, Lord willing!

Heavenly Father,

I pray for each reader reading this. Touch their lives with Your Spirit in amazing ways. If they have not yet been born again, open their eyes to their need of this and be the strength they need each day.  Also revive us all daily and fill us with your love! Shine through each one so that many more will be reached and in You.

Amen

 

Turning Back Time

I shared about my own childhood experiences and my first [false] impressions of God. I wasn't taught at that point what it meant to have faith and so there have been dark periods and hard times for myself and others who were like  I was.
Mennonite history however is based on faith in Jesus Christ who died for our sins. I have done a little research over the years and I really am amazed about where we come from! Our ancestors were persecuted for their faith in extreme ways.
They had left the Roman Catholic Church, were re-baptized and were not willing to take part in war.... Hearing and reading stories about Mennonites who lived in that time, I am convinced they whole heartedly loved the Lord and were willing to stand for their faith!
Through the generations our people moved a lot. Some of my own ancestors moved from Germany  to Russia, from Russia to Canada and later on from Canada to Mexico. I believe it was their faith that lead them in their travels.
My grandma who was born in Saskatchewan, Canada has told me a bit about her own journey to Mexico in 1930. Their reason for this move to Mexico had to do with the schooling that the Canadian government  at that time was forcing on them.
Based on the things grandma has told me, her father was a great man of faith. I can almost picture his strength in such a kind and loving way.  Somewhere along the way though , many lost sight of that faith. Life became about following man's laws rather than faith in God and living according to HIS standards. Eventually people gave up completely it seemed. They could not meet all the expectations and rules that had been put together by man, rather than the word of GOD. I imagine this is what led to hopelessness and a lot of damage!
It is time now to go back to God's word and spread the GOOD news to all the nations, including those who came from the same place I did!
I will continue to share my story of the pass but will be adding the message God puts on my heart as I do so. As promised more to come on some of the different topics I already brought up and yes eventually some pictures! :)

“

For true evangelical faith...cannot lie dormant; but manifests itself in all righteousness and works of love; it...clothes the naked; feeds the hungry; consoles the afflicted; shelters the miserable; aids and consoles all the oppressed; returns good for evil; serves those that injure it; prays for those that persecute it." Menno Simons

Jesus Our Foundation

[caption id="attachment_437" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo by Lauren at http://acts17v25.blogspot.co.uk/[/caption]

I was looking out the window as my husband and sons came driving up to the front of the house. My oldest 2 daughters were playing behind me but I'm not even sure where the baby was at that very moment. As I'm watching the van drive up it suddenly started to spin around in circles. I figured I better tell them to stop that and headed for the door. As I opened the door, a massive, strong wind began to push against it. Very quickly this storm began to wrap itself around the house and I got this feeling in my stomach as if we were being lifted. I screamed for the girls to come grab my hand, but we just weren't able to reach each other at this point... Oh and the baby! Where is the baby!?  That is when I woke up! Immediately the parable popped in my mind about the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7.
²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

I am reminded that Jesus is our rock. We need Him as the foundation in our homes.

⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 3:9-11

Searching for Truth

What does the phrase "the fear of the LORD" refer to?

The dictionary definition of fear is 'An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.'
This would probably describe my initial feelings when introduced to our Creator. To me he was a judge who would send me to hell because I could never meet up to His standards. Out of this fear, I tried daily to be "good." What amazes me though is that as I spoke to God daily in a childlike manner, HE began to comfort me rather than scare me when life itself got scary. Deep in my heart I just knew there  had to be a way that this God I spoke to daily would somehow save me!
Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." The word fear here in my way of thinking now would mean  to acknowledge our Creator; to recognize that He is the Father , we are the children. He is the master, we are the servants.
 The way I was being taught  made me believe I needed to be scared of God. I don't know if those around me actually realized just how much thought I was giving these things.  God's power is able to go beyond our circumstances and earthly teachings. He put the desire in my heart to search for the truth in these matters. He brought my heart some hope but I still didn't know just how I would make it to heaven!
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matthew 7:7-8
 These are verses I did not yet know of at that time, but I was searching, seeking and knocking. Children in our community did not go to church or have Sunday school.  We weren't taught about Jesus as a Saviour in a way we could understand. In fact I do believe most the adults (though I can't speak for all of them )around us didn't understand salvation either. This brought a lot of hopelessness to the communities. These were also not the original teachings of the Mennonites. Somewhere along the line man's rules and traditions in our area there became the main focus, which took them away from knowing GOD.   People were spiritually giving up. Many (not all) fell into different traps , like alcohol and depression pills. Marriages were in trouble, children grew to be teens and also began to smoke and drink. Many were also abused.I was however still very protected even though our family was not free of these traps. I was never physically abused. I enjoyed school and had friends I loved! I did however fall into some traps as well, which I will tell you about on another day!

*This is not the way one would describe all Mennonites. This is only what  I have seen where I come from.  I am only explaining my own memories and experiences. There are many Mennonites out there who love and serve God in spirit and truth!