"The Power of Your Testimony!"

 "ECCLESIASTES"

  "[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.]] Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide they face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee."" (Psalm 51:1-13 KJV)

 How much do you feel that you were saved by your own will? That is not a trick question, because the moment you were saved, it was your heart that made you need God's free gift of Salvation. But, in the spiritual sense, it was God's hand upon your life, guiding you and leading you towards that particular moment, when everything would be prepared for the perfect invitation. 

 There are two verses in John's introduction to his Gospel, (which, as previously stated consist of the first 18 verses of his Book,) verses 12 and 13, which say, "But as many as receive him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." 

 The point that I am trying to make, carefully, is that we really do not have a will to go after God; it is God that goes after us! If it weren't for the fact that God called me, spoken out, saying, "Come to me!" I would have just stayed in the same condition I was in, thinking that I was okay! 

 I spent all my spare time reading the Bible, religiously, and still had no clue who it was that I was reading about; nor did I think I needed anything else to make my life different. As far as I was concerned, everything was perfect, except for the fact that I was in jail. I was happy, had a great job waiting for me, my wife and son were being taken care of; I even had a good life in jail: being the Duty Lightbulb Man, I got to travel freely all over the compound, even outside the compound as well, if the parking lot lights were out. 

 I also had a store, which was not unusual in that time period; but now is something that doesn't involve cash anymore. This store that I had involved selling cigarettes, candy bars, and instant coffee: which is what was probably the thing that helped me to be somewhere where I could listen to God.

 It might sound silly, but God knows you better than you know yourself! He knows what is required, to have you let down your guard, to sit still long enough to hear His voice, to move towards Him, and to pay attention to what you really need, more than anything else! And He makes it happen! 

 You can think whatever you want, but if God didn't have me there and then, then when would I have had the chance to listen! I have been approached so many times, even by friends, even by my wife! Yes, my wife; she went to Calvary Chapel of Downey with our next-door neighbor, and then tried to get me to go the following Sunday, but I refused to go, because I hated religion. I even hated marriage, because it was so badly respected in my life growing up. 

 Regardless of my wishes and feelings, God found a way, made the way, or planned to show me the way, way before I even had the chance to previously reject Him! How do you like me now...

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures: and that he was seen of Cehpas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15:3-10 KJV)