The Right Church
Church
I thought I would go to one of the local churches in my neighborhood. Why did I need to go else where? There were plenty of churches to choose from, in fact, there were thirty-four within a 3-mile radius.
No sooner had the thought came in my head, and God told me “that was unacceptable”. He was not going to allow me to try and pull a fast one. I understood what He was telling me. I had known the truth and ‘that’ was the type of church I must attend.
Oneness, Holy Ghost filled and Baptized in Jesus Name was acceptable. There would be no more games!
God knows our thoughts
“The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.” Psalms 94:11
“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Proverbs 16:3
Much given, much required
“But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:48
Jewelry
I skimmed over the fact that I never went anywhere without my jewelry and make-up. The make-up was important to me, but when faced with having to pick one it was not as difficult to give up. The fact that I owned enough jewelry to open a small jewelry store cannot be glossed over. I was obsessed with jewelry and owned it all.
Actually to say obsessed doesn’t seem to capture the feeling. I was not like the normal person that had a couple rings, necklaces, bracelets, pins, and earrings. I was ate up with it bad!
Yet God took that desire inside of me that burned for so long, and snuffed it out instantaneously. I was not consumed with the fixation to have bigger and better, more and more any longer.
Ready for church
Wouldn’t you know as it turns out; God used the fact that I was running late to help me. As I started to get ready for church, God again spoke to me. He told me “I didn’t have time for that.” What He was referring to was my make-up and jewelry. I had a choice to make, and I didn’t go anywhere without either. I chose to leave without any make-up on and as to the jewelry; it too all stayed behind. From that point on God made it easy for me. The temptation was not there. I have often thought would I have gotten the Holy Ghost again ‘that’ day, had I not done what God wanted me to do? In my heart the answer is no. But I will never know. I am exceedingly thankful I made the right decision.
It is my belief that God did that for me because of my decision I made ‘that’ day.
This is not to say I would have never received the Holy Ghost, just that it would not have been as quickly. That too amazes me. God continues to throw me curve balls and I am delighted each time He does!
God does not force us; however, He will quicken your heart.
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” II Corinthians 6:17
“The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” Deuteronomy 22:5
Right after we started going to church, some out of the ordinary things began to happen. The garage door would not go down, there was nothing blocking the door. Another time it was the car door that would not shut.
I began experiencing pain in my right shoulder for no reason at all, and it would only occur when I was at church. I had pain in my knees and back and could not stand for longer than a few minutes before having to sit down, again it would only happen when I was at church. My left eye developed a spot and I could see almost nothing out of it. It was a hole in my left Retina. I was finding it impossible to be able to read the Bible, as I am not an avid reader I do not read much else.
Each time a situation would make us late, I was determined to go to church. This is why I say I hated being late, but when faced with a situation, being late was better than not going at all. There was a way around it, we addressed the issue and off we went. Once again, as amazing to me as it is God caused me to recognize what was happening in our situation.
satan was trying to keep us from going to church and God had drawn from some early childhood memories about the preacher talking on this subject concerning the tricks satan will try to do to stop you from attending church. Had God not given me that information to fall back on, I would never understood what was happening. I would not have pushed and been so insistent that I had to go to church.
When I asked Bill if he had understood what was occurring, he replied “no”. He thought that they were unfortunate situations that were occurring at a bad time. He didn’t realize that they were all linked right back to satan. God was continuing to give me what we needed as we needed it.
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” Job 1:6-8
While I do not like acknowledging satan or giving him credit in any fashion, I do not believe in blaming him for everything bad either. I do believe in admitting and accepting the truth. Having said that, he was doing his best to stop us and God had given me the tools I needed to realize what was happening. satan was going to have a battle on his hands, for this time I was not caving in, I would not go down without a fight and this time I would be on God’s side.
After enough tries he finally seemed to stop, or at the very least, we were allowing more time for those occurrences. satan does not give up easily nor were we. For me this is where my made-up mind really came into play. satan had won the last go around 32 years ago, but I would not give up this time it WOULD be different! I would stand the test!
For anyone that has ever been there, coming back from backsliding is twice as hard. You REALLY have to make your mind up and giving it all you got, otherwise it is too easy to fall right back into the lures of satan. You can let him convince you that it is too hard and whatever your weakness or ‘it’ is, he will use on you. It does not matter what ‘it’ is, when that becomes the thing you focus on it can be difficult to take your eyes off the ‘it’. Just realize we all have a weakness and if you do not focus on it, you are giving him nothing to use against you.
By giving it all to God, you are taking the focus off the ‘it’ and onto what you know. Stop thinking about the ‘it’, it is really not that important. Focus on what you know! Coming from one that has been there, it is so much easier when you just give it all to God. He will give you strength the likes of which you have never known.
Lynns Recording Retna Healing Miracle: 
Choices
Life is all about choices. With each choice, there is a decision. It is those decisions that we make that define us.
Your Life is Determined by the Choices You Make!
No one makes them for us; we are the makers of our own destiny. God is there to lead and guide us, if we let Him, but the ultimate decision is still up to us. He does not make us do anything; He is just like that perfect gentleman you always wanted to know, date, or marry.
What happens when you follow others
“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” Matthew 15:14
“And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” Luke 6:39
About choices
“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” Deuteronomy 30:15,19
“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. {24:15} And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye well: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:14-15
There are as with everything in life many different schools of belief. Standards are so very important; there is no leeway once again. And if you start playing with them, you can find out just how easy it is to begin to accept something that in your heart you know is not right. You begin to rationalize that everyone else is doing it. The justification that everyone else is doing it doesn’t make it right. In fact, in some cases it could even be down right wrong. Well, I was never a follower and I don’t follow the crowds now. I will opt for the straight and narrow path.
Scripture Values
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” II Corinthians 6:14
Discretion
“As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.” Proverbs 11:22
What happens when you follow God’s path
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
The reference to “few there be that find it”, should be a clear indication not everyone is going to heaven. It actually says ‘few’. The answer is simple, most will not conform. Perhaps they see it as too difficult, I can tell you that the road I traveled was an exceedingly painful and arduous one, and I have no desire to go back. I will continue on God’s path right up until the end.
If in your walk with God, and you are not being visited by satan, then that should be a red flag he has you. He does not need to harass those he has, only those that are walking for God and the closer you walk with God the more he will be around. satan too knows his time is limited.
It doesn’t matter how many times you have read the Bible, there are things you will never understand. It takes God to open your eyes and give you the knowledge and understanding you can never obtain without the all mighty God.
God is omnipotent
“Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.” Ecclesiastes 8:17
If you truly love God and want all He has for you, I would encourage you to seek Him earnestly and diligently, God alone knows the heart and He can and will reveal to you the likes of which you have never known. I call it the key to the Bible.
Earnest and diligently
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
What it all comes down to is how deep is your commitment? How much wiggle room are you allowing?
Let God lead you & serve Him
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:23-24
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” Proverbs 8:13-17
There have been special prayers that I have kept in my heart, never spoken out loud, God alone knows our very thoughts. He can and does answer those prayers.
God knows our thoughts
“But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.” Daniel 2:30
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Hebrews 12:14
I have to give it my ALL for Him, as He gave His ALL for you and I!