My Testimony Part 9

My testimony part 9

Jeff had been asked to speak at a Sunday night service. He had decided that he would share thoughts from 1st Peter 1: 6,7 ( " In this ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold trials, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth , though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.") As I listened to his remarks on the text, I was again reminded of Gods call on his life. It was all very exciting, to him and to me. He was very sincere, and I couldn,t help remembering two short years earlier when I was so downhearted because I couldn,t seem to shake off smoking, he had prayed for me, and the Lord had gloriously delivered me . Several times in the past I had quit, only to return to it,s bondage.Jeff would tease me about my problem. " Mom will be sitting out back of the church, bound, smoking up a storm and I will be inside, free, preaching up a storm. I knew that he was only fooling, but sometimes I hated to admit that perhaps he was right.

A few weeks later,I was invited to go to a smoking clinic. After attending only a week, I asked the Lord to deliver me from the habit. " Lord, I have to trust you to do it. I can,t do it on my own." Immediately I was set free and have not wanted to smoke since.

Anyone bound by any such addiction- drugs, alcohol, smoking-need only call on Jesus. He,s always there to help. By His mighty love and power, He is able to set us free from the bondage of sin.

Meanwhile, I had a strong desire to tell others about Jesus Christ and His deliverance from sin. It seemed almost imposable to tell others while I was still bound myself. Smoking had been my crutch. Only after I had gotten into the word of God and it was revealed to me that my body was the temple of the Holy Spirit was I able to see that He must have a clean home to dwell in if He is to abide in me and me in Him.

In 1968, I was set free, and my whole family rejoiced with me in the spiritual victory. With a renewed vigor, I began to serve the Lord. It was so much fun and we were so busy that I hardly noticed that we weren,t seeing many of our old friends anymore. I did miss them and we still pray that many of them might find the Lord. That God might reveal Himself to them as He has to us.

A few of our old friends have come to Christ, but many are still unsaved. Satan makes it seem so hard, but it,s really not. We have come to know, through the Word of God , that no one who seeks Him will ever be turned away , no matter what they have done. Jesus loves a repentant heart and longs to prove His love toward everyone.

To be continued, God Bless, Roberta