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Post by Rick on Sept 11, 2017 16:27:20 GMT -6
Hello everyone,
I wasn't quite sure where to post this and I didn't want to hijack anyone's thread. It has been quite the weekend to say the least. I made this post some what reluctantly as I'm not sure if it's my spirit calling out or my flesh. I've tried most of my life not to pay attention to what I call gossip. I think most of you probably know what I'm talking about. Lately, and especially this weekend I've been struggling with a fleshly habit that I have not been able to lay at the cross and it has once again made me question my own salvation. For years I've listened to people say, "well he/she can't really be saved if" they do this or they do that! Let me be frank, I hate gossip and I try very hard never to judge other people. My addiction is smoking, and try as I might I have never been able to quit even after praying about it for years. This weekend it again rared it's ugly head and I began to ask myself if I was truly saved. I try and tell myself that, it's only satan and not to pay any attention to him. I would only like to ask that y'all please pray for me and please pray if you will that I would finally give up this stupid addiction! I know this must sound crazy to y'all and you really only know me as a brother in Christ, but the very thought of not being truly saved because of a stupid addiction sends chills through my bones. I promised my self I was going to keep this short and simply ask for your prayers. With everything that is going on in the world today and in our very communities I just feel that time is truly short! I thank YHWH that he lead me to this site and to each and every one of you, that has placed their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. May YHWH bless each and every one of you and thank you for your time, patience, love, kindness, encouragement, and most of all, your Faith!
God Bless~ 2Ti 2:15
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Post by Natalie on Sept 11, 2017 17:03:22 GMT -6
I will be praying for you. Just keeping taking it to Him.
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Post by Romie on Sept 11, 2017 21:37:56 GMT -6
Dear Brother in Christ, Your struggle was identical to mine for so many years regarding different sins. The Holy Spirit led me to overcome in this way.
1st, I confess to God that my action was not pleasing to Him. 2nd, I let Him know that I wanted to be rid of it, but had no power to do so. 3rd, I thanked Jesus that He had already paid the price for this sin on Calvary. 4th, I tell Him that I know that in Him there is no sin at all. He is perfect in all that He does. And confess that I am, in myself, not at all like that. 5th, I, by faith, acknowledge that He lives in me and promised that He would never leave or forsake me. Jesus never makes a promise that He doesn't keep. 6th, I then, by faith, ask Him to use His awesome power to make me like Him in my area of struggle. What I cannot do, He is more than able to accomplish. So by faith I thank for His power to give me victory. 7th, If I fail in the same way up to 70x7, I go back to step one as well as praise Him that I know He is still at work cleansing me. I'm not the faithful one, He is! It is His life in me that must win the battle.
Usually, without my even being aware of it, the sin begins to lose it's power over me and diminishes in my life until it is gone. It has never even come close to 70 times before He has won the battle for me.
Earlier in my walk I tried to stop a particular sin with continual confession and promises with no success. It was only through faith in His complete forgiveness and power to deliver that I find victory. Jesus is both our Lord and our Deliverer. I stand in awe of Him! And I am so excited to see Him! Soon and very soon!
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Post by MissusMack08 on Sept 12, 2017 1:39:46 GMT -6
If you have accepted Jesus Christ's death on the cross as payment for your sins, you are saved. When God looks at you, He sees Jesus' righteousness. That is what imputed righteousness means. Nothing, by any means, shall pluck you out of His hand.
Addiction is a tough one. It is physical, emotional, and spiritual. You're physically bound to it because it's a chemical your body has gotten used to. You're emotionally bound to it because it is a habit you've created and associated it with feeling relaxed, good, peaceful etc. You're spiritually bound to it because it is a sin to be addicted to anything (depending on a chemical instead of God to satisfy your needs), and where there is habitual sin, there are demons. That accusation that comes against you in your own head, that brings the guilt and shame and asks, "what if I'm not saved?"... Those are demons. It's their voices. Realize that first and you'll begin to experience freedom. Don't let them suck you down into that mire of despair.
Put on your armor of God. The belt of truth: God's Word girds us and holds all our armor together. You've got to study it and know it. The breastplate of Righteousness: who you are in Christ—you are covered by Christ's righteousness for eternity. You are a co-heir with Christ, part of Christ's Body, a child of God. The enemy's broadswords cannot smash your breastplate. The helmet of salvation: the sealing of the Holy Spirit protects our mind from deception by the enemy (but not if it's directly related to sin). Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: always have an answer for the hope you have. The shield of faith: believe God's Word. The sword of the spirit: wield God's Word. Use it against the enemy.
It is possible that God will just take away the addiction all of a sudden. I've heard of it happening, but I wouldn't depend on that happening. I would come up with a plan of how to address all 3 areas of the addiction. Physically: buy gum, patches, or see a doctor about helping you decrease the chemical in your body over time. Quitting cold turkey rarely works and is very unpleasant (hence, why it rarely works). Emotionally: figure out why you smoke and what other ways you can achieve those things. Spiritually: repent of the sin, tell those demons they have no power over you because of the blood of Jesus, bind their ability to affect you anymore, and cast them out. I usually say something along the lines of: "in the name of Jesus, I bind you spirit of "addiction" and I cast you away from me. You have no power to bother me anymore, in the name of Jesus Christ my savior, amen."
Hopefully, this doesn't shock you. I don't speak for everyone in this forum, so this may not be an area that others "agree" with me on. I just share based on the gifts God has given me and the experiences He has put me through. For me, spiritual warfare is very, very real. I sense it and sometimes God reveals specific things about it. He has given me a strong desire to help others find deliverance from it. Praying for you.
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Post by socalexile on Sept 12, 2017 1:52:21 GMT -6
Please watch Rick:
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Post by Rick on Sept 12, 2017 23:14:47 GMT -6
Hello to socalexile MissusMack08 @natalie and @guest Thank you all for your kind words and prayers. I am deeply appreciative. I have fought this battle for many years and will continue to do so till the battle is won. I will keep y'all in my prayers as well. Again thank you all and may God Bless each one of you! God Bless~ 2Ti 2:15
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Post by mike on Sept 13, 2017 8:13:41 GMT -6
Rick - just saw this and no need for me to add to what MissusMack and SoCal provided...God Bless you brother, He loves you the same whether you quit or don't! Praying for you, Mike
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Post by MissusMack08 on Sept 13, 2017 8:52:34 GMT -6
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Post by whatif on Sept 14, 2017 13:11:14 GMT -6
My addiction is smoking, and try as I might I have never been able to quit even after praying about it for years. This weekend it again rared it's ugly head and I began to ask myself if I was truly saved. I try and tell myself that, it's only satan and not to pay any attention to him. I would only like to ask that y'all please pray for me and please pray if you will that I would finally give up this stupid addiction! I know this must sound crazy to y'all and you really only know me as a brother in Christ, but the very thought of not being truly saved because of a stupid addiction sends chills through my bones. I will certainly pray for you, rickj316, and I am in agreement with what our other brothers and sisters in Jesus have said here in response to your post! The Lord is so good, and He will not abandon you. I know from personal experience how frightening it is to be a Christian and come into a time of fears about salvation. I struggled with that for a long time, but in hindsight I can see that the Lord never left me and that He was holding tightly to my hands even when I couldn't sense them touching me. He won't let go of you either, rickj316.
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Post by kjs on Sept 16, 2017 10:30:42 GMT -6
To answer the subject title specifically ....
No, you are not worthy!
Then again that goes the SAME for everyone else on this earth as well!
No one is Worthy! No one has ever been worthy (with the exception of Jesus Christ, and He is a special case)....
That is what is so glorious about the Gospel .... While we were yet sinners ... Jesus Christ died for us !
In other words, you do not first have to take a step toward Him, He loves and takes you just As YOU ARE!
The Gift makes you worthy! But the worth comes from Jesus Christ -- never because of something you did, or will do!
Until you die or are raptured - you will continue to have SIN in your life.
Just take it one day at a time, when you fall (and nine out of ten times u will)
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and speak with God about it ... Then go out and try again.....
Some of sins will always be with us, Paul says sometimes it is simply Grace is sufficient and just move on.....
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Samuel Joseph Lindsey
Guest
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Post by Samuel Joseph Lindsey on Oct 6, 2017 13:28:14 GMT -6
This is an awkward way to introduce myself, and I apologize if I come off in any type of wrong way, for it is not what is intended whatsoever. I will start with my first ever encounter with God. I don't remember the age, but when I was younger, my parents taught me about death; I was so terrified that I began to cry uncontrollably. My parents, trying to calm me down, introduced me to God, not Jesus Christ; Yet I know who God truly is, now that I can understand the concept. Without introducing me to Jesus, they introduced me to the Gospel and the bible. I was comforted for a temporary period. As a young child I had such terrible nightmares; in which I now have had 4 separate cases of sleep paralysis as an adult, yet I am only 18, almost 19. I prayed every single night asking for the lord to take away my nightmares, and with that, he answered a scared little boys' prayers. A boy without the intelligence to even grasp the definition of faith, or let alone 'grasp' itself. After a year or so, I had yet to grab the full concept still, understandable at a young age. I stopped praying for an estimated 6 month period, out of laziness and the hassle that I thought it was, to stay awake and pray before relaxing. My nightmares increased and out of a fear of doing wrong, I continued with prayer, however the prayer was basically the same every night for a few years, unfortunately because I had yet to grasp the whole concept. Fast forward, I am now a teenager. I was blind and thought that I had never seen a sign of anything more. I was a normal teenager, a sinner, getting caught up in girls and a social life, now distancing myself from everyone eventually, out of middle school rumors that hurt me. I continued in prayer for quite a while, every night, even when I wasn't a conscious believer, if that makes sense. I eventually got into drugs in high school, and unfortunately, had been into lust and adultery, having cheated on my first real relationship with a woman, multiple times. I today regret this extremely. Yet I knew better back then. I eventually stopped praying, yet on and off I was reminded to pray regardless; it was just natural since a kid, so I never abandoned the thought of a higher power. To me, whether it was jesus or something else, it was god. I eventually made my way to the horrible drug of LSD, after finding a woman in which at the time I didnt know, I would fall in love with and want something with for the rest of my life, I still do. I am still with her, and hopefully will be forever. Through LSD, I began to, what I thought, see demons around people in the air, and I could tell when the holy spirit was working through the people around me, eventually myself. A bad trip eventually led to me never doing it again, and gaining sobriety, unfortunately still not over cigarettes and marijuana; I AM A COMPLETE SINNER, PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE. I am now sober, and have been waiting for the lord since the beginning of this year. My whole point of this, I have ALWAYS been complimented on how nice I am. It scares the spirit OUT of me. No matter what someone had to say, it was always a good guy, or nice. It affects me now knowing that the Anti-christ will be related to a good guy. I will continue this another day, I ran out of time in class. Forgive me if you are confused. I just have so so so much to say and I sit in fear almost daily.
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Post by MissusMack08 on Oct 6, 2017 16:53:50 GMT -6
This is an awkward way to introduce myself, and I apologize if I come off in any type of wrong way, for it is not what is intended whatsoever. I will start with my first ever encounter with God. I don't remember the age, but when I was younger, my parents taught me about death; I was so terrified that I began to cry uncontrollably. My parents, trying to calm me down, introduced me to God, not Jesus Christ; Yet I know who God truly is, now that I can understand the concept. Without introducing me to Jesus, they introduced me to the Gospel and the bible. I was comforted for a temporary period. As a young child I had such terrible nightmares; in which I now have had 4 separate cases of sleep paralysis as an adult, yet I am only 18, almost 19. I prayed every single night asking for the lord to take away my nightmares, and with that, he answered a scared little boys' prayers. A boy without the intelligence to even grasp the definition of faith, or let alone 'grasp' itself. After a year or so, I had yet to grab the full concept still, understandable at a young age. I stopped praying for an estimated 6 month period, out of laziness and the hassle that I thought it was, to stay awake and pray before relaxing. My nightmares increased and out of a fear of doing wrong, I continued with prayer, however the prayer was basically the same every night for a few years, unfortunately because I had yet to grasp the whole concept. Fast forward, I am now a teenager. I was blind and thought that I had never seen a sign of anything more. I was a normal teenager, a sinner, getting caught up in girls and a social life, now distancing myself from everyone eventually, out of middle school rumors that hurt me. I continued in prayer for quite a while, every night, even when I wasn't a conscious believer, if that makes sense. I eventually got into drugs in high school, and unfortunately, had been into lust and adultery, having cheated on my first real relationship with a woman, multiple times. I today regret this extremely. Yet I knew better back then. I eventually stopped praying, yet on and off I was reminded to pray regardless; it was just natural since a kid, so I never abandoned the thought of a higher power. To me, whether it was jesus or something else, it was god. I eventually made my way to the horrible drug of LSD, after finding a woman in which at the time I didnt know, I would fall in love with and want something with for the rest of my life, I still do. I am still with her, and hopefully will be forever. Through LSD, I began to, what I thought, see demons around people in the air, and I could tell when the holy spirit was working through the people around me, eventually myself. A bad trip eventually led to me never doing it again, and gaining sobriety, unfortunately still not over cigarettes and marijuana; I AM A COMPLETE SINNER, PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE. I am now sober, and have been waiting for the lord since the beginning of this year. My whole point of this, I have ALWAYS been complimented on how nice I am. It scares the spirit OUT of me. No matter what someone had to say, it was always a good guy, or nice. It affects me now knowing that the Anti-christ will be related to a good guy. I will continue this another day, I ran out of time in class. Forgive me if you are confused. I just have so so so much to say and I sit in fear almost daily. Yes I am a little confused. Are you afraid you might be the antichrist?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2017 1:11:31 GMT -6
Hey Samuel, I'm 19 and have had a similar experience with LSD. You ought to trust in the Lord, and lean on His faithfulness as often as you can. Listen to His voice, and His voice alone.
We all have regrets. We all fear screwing up. But don't rest in that fear, rest in your knowledge of the goodness and truth and love of Jesus Christ! God doesn't want you to sit in fear daily. He wants you to repent from the sin in your life and love Him honestly!
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Post by whatif on Oct 7, 2017 14:03:43 GMT -6
I AM A COMPLETE SINNER, PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE. I am now sober, and have been waiting for the lord since the beginning of this year. My whole point of this, I have ALWAYS been complimented on how nice I am. It scares the spirit OUT of me. No matter what someone had to say, it was always a good guy, or nice. It affects me now knowing that the Anti-christ will be related to a good guy. I will continue this another day, I ran out of time in class. Forgive me if you are confused. I just have so so so much to say and I sit in fear almost daily. You are welcome here, Samuel Joseph Lindsey! Jesus loves you so very much, and I believe He will hold on to your heart. Tell the Lord all you are feeling, and don't be afraid to ask Him questions. I know from experience that He never turns away questions asked from the heart. You've come to a good place to talk with believers who can give you encouragement. We are all sinners, and none of us have cause or desire to judge others. The Lord is faithful to save all who call upon Him--even when we don't fully understand all the details of what He's accomplished for us. We are all at various stages of understanding His Word and coming into deeper and deeper relationship with Him. Don't be afraid.
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Post by socalexile on Oct 8, 2017 0:30:24 GMT -6
Relevant to this thread:
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