Mark_18

I know I've been here a while, but I figured I'd post this since I've already written it up. Its simply my "About me" from my facebook page as well as a sort of testimony that I wrote up for a guy who wanted to know more. I was limited for space with the "About me" part and it's just a rushed thing.
__________________________________________________ ______

I'm about encouraging what is good and of God and discouraging what is not. Not conforming to the ways of the world, but rather making something beautiful and good of the life you have, and shining bright as an example to the open-hearted who will appreciate what is good.

I've made my mistakes but I finally know which way is up. I've died and am always dying of myself to live with Christ. I live now trying always to fully submit to His will. I'm all about learning and growing in wisdom and understanding. Learning how to really love people. I have a very "hate the sin not the sinner" kind of view. I know where sin comes from and what it does. I know that "bad people" are just souls, no less significant than myself, that have been taken by sin and turned into something ugly. But I know to take my eyes off of that, see what IS good, and embrace it. Encourage it.

I always thirst for more and more, wanting and wanting to become a better and better person.

I believe in fair justice. Not taking sides, nor starting or participating in quarrels, nor taking revenge.

I believe in constantly being willing to learn something, knowing that there are always things to learn. Knowing the importance of reproof. Knowing that even the wisest of men is still just a man. A thick-headed, argumentative, judgemental, selfish - man. No matter how good we think we are.

Any man who thinks himself to be wise is a fool. You always think you know everything until you learn more. Then you say okay NOW I know everything. XD

I believe in being patient and understanding with people. Knowing that every person is living in a different world - in that their perception makes the world literally look very different than it does to you.

I'm all about honesty. 100% honesty and communication in a relationship is the only way, no matter how rediculous the world tells you that this is.

I'm about being faithful. I literally love everybody on God's green earth. I could literally "fall in love" with many girls. Now here's the difference: Knowing that what most people see as falling in love, is simply desires of the flesh to have compatability and to satisfy lust and what not. Everyone has something different to offer. Comparing them is rediculous, they are DIFFERENT, not better or worse. Deciding to be with one woman and being faithful to her is where the difference is. Without that faithfulness there is NO love. Other women will offer you different things and they may seam better. Thats when people cheat.... You can go back and forth all your life with that mindset. Without faithfulness there is NO love. If the relationship is not to be it has to be talked out. That's where honesty and communication come in. Then it can be ended and resolved with no hard feelings. Two mature people can do this - absolutely. The world has lost faith in this kind of thing because they are Godless in their thinking. I never will.
________________________________________________


Christianity is not religion as the world knows it. Religion is man made. God wants a relationship and nothing short of that is sufficient for your salvation. Christianity is not blind faith, and following rules and rituals blindly. It is a relationship with the living God. Through His son Jesus. When His hand is at work in your life it is proved to you over and over that this is the God of the bible and Jesus is Lord.

Three months ago - I was drinking. I did drugs. I was sexually impure. I believed in God but He wasnt reality for me. I Just wasn't sure. I kept seeking for the truth. For some absolute proof. I wondered why I couldn't find anything that I absolutely knew to be true. Finally I quit drinking. Started turning from sin as the Lord say to. Then I started learning. Now, where I am after so many spiritual revelations, answered prayers, etc... I have absolute proof. I recognize that the reason I didn't have proof before was simply because A) I didn't know enough, and B) Unless I turned from sin I wouldn't gain enough wisdom to even COMPREHEND the truth that I know now. I just didn't see it when I refused to change my ways. God is a living God and His word is alive and active. It brings life. So when I finally learned enough about Jesus and what He offers I accepted Him officially, willing to die of myself. I asked Him, the living God, to help me to see Him. To save me. And He did. So creatively, so gracefully, and amazingly - He did.

See in order to see the truth as it is you have to see it as it is in reality. Not your own perception of it... Or at least as close to reality as possible, because none of us will see it perfectly. Obviously the more you see things as God sees them, the more you are seeing them how they truly are. He IS all-knowing. So we want to have eyes that see more like His. To do that you have to be willing to change your ways of thinking and change your heart.

He talks about the importance of not being proud and instead taking correction so that you can learn. As you become more pure of heart you become a bit more like God. As Jesus displayed. So then your view of things starts to be more like His. You start to see how things really are... Having sin and bad things in your heart keeps you from seeing things through Gods eyes, which is reality. He can't touch sin, He is perfect... He won't change, you have to.

The things that are not of God- fear, hate, bitterness, pride, and so many other things, are not in His heart so we have to learn to rid them from our heart to see things more through His eyes. More how they really are. Because THEN you are seeing the truth.

I grew up in a Christian family and went to a Christian school until grade six. But never was it real. Never did I know God until about 3 months ago. And it just keeps getting better and clearer. Church was boring for me until now. Now it's something MUCH different. Something I look forward to. I'm really thirsting now for more. He says "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for rightiousness, for they will be filled"

When I imagined what it would be like after I quit drinking and turned from sin I thought no way, I can't do it. I don't see myself being happy with what I thought it would be like. But as He promises to everyone, He made my load light, made things easy for me, and replaced the things I gave up with more than I ever expected or could have imagined. He gave me more and truer friends. He gave me a beautiful Christian girlfriend. He taught me how to appreciate what I already have. I thought I was fine before, but NOW I am happy. I am truely living now - at last. I have mind boggling purpose now and a future with so much to look forward to.

In the past I might have looked at a character such as the current me, and judged him. Being all preachy and like a saint. Am I ever glad I left that blind perspective. Everything is better now. My relationships. My attitude. Absolutely everything.

Things start to happen when you stop seeking the God you want, and start seeking the God who is. When you hear your heart start asking "What's my motivation?".
________________________________________________

__________________
Luke 15:31 - And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
Joel 2:28 - I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Matthew 7:7 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Psalms 126:5 - Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

JOKE POLICE

Boanerges

Excellent words from and excellent young man and a good brother! It is a real pleasure to see you growing in Christ Mark. The more we see Him the more we become like Him, the more we become like Him the more we see of Him! We indeed can spend a life time exploring His glory, beauty and majesty and only just began to scratch the surface! What a wonderful journey is this Christian walk!
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

__________________
Anything that dims my vision for Christ, or takes away my taste for Bible study, or cramps me in my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult, is wrong for me; and I must, as a Christian turn away from it. – J. Wilbur Chapman

TheMan

This is my feelings as well, people don't seem to understand this.

__________________
May God Bless you richly.........Doug

Fluffy

__________________
Be transparent before God, He sees right thru you, anyway!
http://www.likepreciousfaith.org/testimony_val.htm
Please pray for your local emergency responders, daily.

God's_Child

Thanks for sharing~~

__________________
"For God ... giveth grace to the humble".
(1Pe.5:5)
"Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen".
(Eph.6:24)