True Evangelical Faith

I was sent this message in my Berean Call Newsletter for 14 November 2014, and I just had to share it with you all.  It is one of the best descriptions of how an Evangelical Christian life should be that I have ever seen anywhere. Oh, how I wish mine could be like this!

"True evangelical faith is of such a nature it cannot lie dormant, but spreads itself out in all kinds of righteousness and fruits of love. It dies to flesh and blood; it destroys all lusts and forbidden desires; it seeks, serves, and fears God in its inmost soul; it clothes the naked; it feeds the hungry; it comforts the sorrowful; it shelters the destitute; it aids and consoles the sad; it does good to those who do it harm; it serves those that harm it; it prays for those who persecute it; it teaches, admonishes, and judges us with the Word of the Lord; it seeks those who are lost; it binds up what is wounded; it heals the sick; it saves what is strong (sound); it becomes all things to all people. The persecution, suffering, and anguish that come to it for the sake of the Lord's truth have become a glorious joy and comfort to it."
--Menno Simons (1496-31 January 1561, Anabaptist leader, Simons was a contemporary of the Protestant Reformers, and his followers became known as Mennonites)

You can find The Berean Call website at http://www.thebereancall.org/.  It is an awesome site I found many years ago when I was struggling with, and questioning, things that were going on in the church I was a member of at the time, looking for answers to my dilemma, and it literally helped to save my walk with the Lord.  I learned so much, and the Lord used it to open my eyes to the truth of His Word, and as a consequence I was able to walk away from this church, which was preaching heresy and false doctrine (and which literally destroyed so many of my friends' marriages and lives) without any regrets at all.  

For 3 years after leaving this church, and seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord than I had ever had before, I was inspired to write all the poetry that I will be featuring on this blog.  I had never written poetry before, but I literally had to carry a note pad with me everywhere I went, because I would get a poem whilst driving in the car, walking through the shopping centre, visiting friends and family, in the bathroom, and I would even wake up at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning.  They came to me complete, and I never knew what I had written until I read them again.  I just knew that if I didn't get them down right away I wouldn't be able to write them later.  It was the most amazing and inspirational experience I have ever had.  Then, after writing over 160 poems, it was as though the tap was turned off.  I tried writing more, but I found it was a real struggle, and that is why I believe that I was guided by the Holy Spirit, and it wasn't just coming from me.

As you will realise, when you read my poetry, my life has not been an easy one, to say the least, and I believe the Lord realised that I had to get all my emotions down on paper to help other Christians, who are struggling to grasp the fact that they ARE loved, to realise that there IS someone who is there with them AT ALL TIMES, and who loves them with an everlasting, unconditional love.  This has always been a hard thing for me to believe, having never experienced what a father's love should be like, and never hearing the words "I love you" from my own father (or mother), and I just couldn't understand how anyone could love me the way God did - and the way every earthly father (and mother) SHOULD.  These poems helped me to come to understand that God DOES love me this way as I poured out my heart on paper, day after day.  So, if you are struggling, let me reassure you that He does love you, and always will, even if you stumble and fall.  He understands, and if you truly repent, and ask His forgiveness, He will pick you up, dust you off, wipe the slate clean and you can start again, with Him by your side to guide you, or to carry you when you are going through tough times. 

I also realised that there had been a reason for all the things that I had experienced throughout my life, because if they had never happened, I wouldn't have been able to help others who have been through the same things I have.  People usually say "Oh, I understand what you are going through", but unless someone really has experienced it themselves, they can't understand at all.  However, I started to realise that, as the Word of God says, "all things work together for good for those love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose".  

There have been many times over the years that I have cried out to the Lord "Why me, Lord?" but never seemed to get an answer.  I guess I won't really find out why until my life on earth is over, or the Lord comes to take me home, so I just move on and keep trusting Him to know what is best for me.  I still struggle, don't get me wrong, especially when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February this year and had to undergo surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for it.  Praise the Lord, though, I have come through OK so far, and my doctors a sure that I am in remission and that they got all the cancer when they did the surgery, so I consider myself a survivor, and I intend to stay one, with God's help.

I hope you will check out The Berean Call site, and that you can find something there that will help you as much as it has helped me in the past, and still is after many, many years.  I also thank you for visiting my blog, and I hope you will come back again soon to see what I have for you.  I know this has been a long message, but once I started to write I just couldn't stop, so I guess, once again, the Lord wanted me to write it!  If it helps just one person in their walk with the Lord, I know I will be happy, and I hope the Lord will be happy, too.

God bless you, and peace be with you.

 Hugs

Christine

(Please check out my other blog at the link below, too.)

My Nail Art Journey
http://chips48nailartjourney.blogspot.com.au/