YOU HAVE JUST COME TO THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR LIFE. BEFORE SALVATION WE ARE IN DEATH. WE WALK IN DEATH WE TALK IN DEATH,BASICALLY EVERY THING WE DID RESULTED IN THE SPIRITUAL DEATH OF SOMEONE OR SOME THING. YOU MAY NOT HAVE RELIZED BUT EVERY TIME YOU CALLED YOURSELF A FAILURE OR SOMETHING TO THAT NATURE, YOU WERE KILLING YOUR OWN SELF ESTEEM YOUR OWN IMAGE OF YOURSELF. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT AS A MAN THINKS,SO IS HE. SO NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, YOU HAVE TO START CALLING YOURSELF JUST THAT. NO MATTER HOW LONG AND HARD OTHERS(MESSENGERS OF SATAN)WILL TRY TO REMIND YOU OF WHO YOU USED TO BE WHAT YOU DID AND HOW THINGS WERE.YOU JUST KNOW IN YOUR HEART THAT NOW YOU ARE IN CHRIST AND ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW. PEOPLE MAY OR WILL HAVE A HARD TIME TRYING TO FIGURE YOU OUT. THEY WILL BEGIN TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS THAT MAYBE YOU CANT EVEN ANSWER JUST YET,BUT YOU WILL PRAISE GOD. YOU WILL BEGIN TO VIEW LIFE DIFFRENTLY BUT REMEMBER BEING A CHRISTIAN IS A LIFE CHANGING EVENT. EVERYTHING WONT COME TOGETHER OVERNIGHT. YOU TOOK YEARS TO COMPLICATE YOUR LIFE. GIVE HIM HIS TIME WITH YOU TO STRAIGHTEN IT UP. I DID SAY HIM NOT YOU. BUT ONE THING YOU CAN BE ASSURED OF IS THAT YOU ARE SAVED. EVEN IF YOU DONT FEEL LIKE IT, BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE. KNOW THAT YOU ARE. SATAN WILL TRY TO CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU DID TO MUCH,SAID TO MUCH. AT THIS POINT THERE IS NOTHING YOU DID OR WILL DO THAT WILL SEPERATE YOU FROM HIS LOVE. WHEN YOU INVITED HIM INTO YOUR LIFE HE MARRIED YOU. MEN DONT LET THAT SOUND STRANGE TO YOU FOR IN CHRIST THERE IS NIETHER MALE NOR FEMALE.
AT THIS POINT I WOULD SUGGEST YOU FIND A LOCAL CHURCH OR CHRISTAN ORGINIZATION. FELLOWSHIP IS REAL IMPORTANT FOR BELIEVERS. FOR GUIDANCE,SUPPORT AND WORSHIP OF OUR LORD AND OUR FATHER. INVEST IN A BIBLE,ONE THAT IS EASY FOR YOU TO READ AND UNDERSTAND(NIV OR AMPLIFIED, EVEN KING JAMES)BUT WHICH EVER YOU CHOOSE REMEMBER TO ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LEAD YOU INTO UNDERSTANDING,AND HE WILL! KEEP IN MIND THAT EVEN ALL THE BIBLE SCHOLARS DONT UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE BIBLE,WE ARE CHILDREN LEARNING HOW TO WALK. INVEST IN TAPES OR CDS, WATCH TELEVISION PROGRAMS TO GET INSIGHT ON HOW THE WORD OF GOD IS TO BE ADHEARD TO. THIS WILL AID IN YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH ON BECOMING A POWERFULL MAN OR WOMAN OF GOD. MOST IMPORTANTLY, PRAY. PRAYING IS NOT AS HARD AS IT SEEMS. YOU ARE TALKING AND ENGAGING IN CONVESATION WITH A MERCYFULL GOD AND LOVING FATHER. YOU NOW HAVE A FRIEND IN JESUS THAT WILL STICK CLOSER THAN A BROTHER.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU,MAY GOD KEEP YOU
TERESA LIVINGSTON
LEAVING THE PAIN BEHIND.
HAVE YOU EVER DONE SOMETHING TO SOMEONE AND YOU DID EVERY THING YOU COULD TO TRY TO GET THAT PERSON TO FORGIVE YOU? MAYBE YOU TRIED TO RECON WITH THEM BY GIVING IN,OR MAYBE YOU EVEN TRIED TO BY THEM SOMETHING TO MAKE UP FOR YOUR WRONG. EVEN STILL TODAY THAT PERSON IS SEEMINGLY HOLDING A GRUDGE. YOU REALLY DEEP DOWN IN YOUR HEART WANT TO RECONCILE WITH THEM. MAYBE IT WAS A BROTHER OR SISTER,EVEN A BEST FRIEND. JESUS HAS GIVEN US THE ANSWER TO RECONCILIATION IN HIS WORD. THAT IS FORGIVE AND YOU SHALL BE FORGIVEN. HARD TO BELIEVE OR EVEN UNDERSTAND BUT IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BE FORGIVEN YOU MAY HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT PERSON YOU NEED TO FORGIVE. WAS IT THAT SCHOOL TEACHER THAT WOULD CALL YOU TO THE BOARD WHEN SHE KNEW YOU DID NOT KNOW THE ANSWER AND ALL YOUR CLASSMATES LAUGHED AT YOU. OR WAS IT THAT LADY AT THE STORE THAT DID NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT CHANGE BRCAUSE YOU WALKED OUT BEFORE COUNTING IT. MAYBE IT WAS THAT DRIVER THAT CUT YOU OFF THIS MORNING IN HIS BMW BECAUSE YOU COULD NOT GET UP ENOUGH SPEED IN YOUR 84 CHEVETTE. OR DOES IT GO DEEPER THAN THAT? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN IN YOUR CHILDHOOD THATS NOW HAUNTING YOUR ADULT LIFE? WHO WAS IT THAT OFFENDED YOU. YOU MAY SAY THAT THAT PERSON DOESNT DESERVE YOUR FORGIVENESS AND MAYBE THEY DONT,BUT THE FORGIVENESS PART IS NOT FOR THE,ITS FOR YOU. SO THAT YOUR FATHER MAY FORGIVE YOUR DEBTS. WHEN YOU FORGIVE YOU ARE SAYING THAT YOU LET GO OF THE PAST. ALL THINGS ARE NEW. NEW CIRCUMSTANCES NEW PEOPLE, NEW IDEAS. YOU HAVE A NEW LEASE ON LIFE AND YOU DONT WANT TO CARRY THAT BAGGAGE INTO YOUR NEW THOUGHT LIFE TO HINDER YOUR GROWTH. THE MORE STUFF WE CARRY THE HARDER IT IS TO CLIMB AND REACH OUR GOALS. THAT PERSON DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PRESENT TO HEAR YOUR DECLARATION OR EVEN BE ALIVE FOR THAT MATTER. IVE HAD TO FORGIVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE PEACE THAT SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING. IVE HAD TO CAST ALOT OF CARES ON THE LORD. IVE HAD TO FORGIVE EVEN MYSELF FOR NOT LOVING AND RESPECTING ME THE WAY I SHOULD HAVE. BELIEVE IT OR NOT THAT WAS HARDER THAN FORGIVING OTHERS.
TODAY I ENCOURAGE YOU THAT IF YOU FOUND IT HARD TO FORGIVE SOMEONE AND JUST COULDNT DO IT,YOU CAN PUT AN END TO THOSE FAILURES BY BASING YOUR FORGIVENESS ON FAITH RATHER THAN FEELINGS. TRUE FORGIVENESS DOESNT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HOW YOU FEEL. ITS AN ACT OF THE WILL. ITS BASED ON OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND FAITH ON HIM AS IT IS WRITTEN "VENGENCE IS MINE,I WILL PAY THEM BACK." SAITH THE LORD.
THIS MEANS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE FORGIVEN A PERSON,YOU NEED TO CONSIDER HIM PERMANENTLY FORGIVEN! WHEN OLD FEELINGS RISE UP SAY TO YOURSELF, "NO IVE ALREADY FORGIVEN THAT PERSON AND I WILL NO LONGER LIVE IN THE PAST,IN DEATH AND DEFEAT. REMEBER, IT DOESNT MEAN THAT THAT PERSON WAS RIGHT BUT THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU A SPIRIT OF FORGIVENESS NOT OF FEAR WHICH INVOLVES TORMENT.
TERESA LIVINGSTON