Forgiven

1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

It is amazing what we do to ourselves. Isn't it? We can beat ourselves up over and over and over again for something we did wrong in our past. We can hold onto it for years and never let it go. We can even justify it, roll it up in a pretty package and put a bow on it. But inside we know that if we untie the bow and look in the package the sin is still there.

My pastor, recently spoke about giving up the sin that has been eating away at us. He said that often we go to the altar, repent, lay it at the Lord’s feet and then just as we are about to stand and leave…we pick it back up and take it with us. I am totally guilty of this!

One of my favorite songs is by Casting Crowns and is called, between the Altar and the Door. It is exactly what my pastor was saying, don’t lay it down at the altar and pick it up before you leave the doors of the church.

The wonderful thing about my Lord, Jesus is that he has forgiven me every sin. It doesn’t matter what I have done in the past, his blood has covered it all. It has taken me a long time to realize that since I have asked my Lord for forgiveness, I don’t need to dwell on it, feel bad about it, or even give it another thought. It is gone, washed white, cast as far as the East is from the West. Hallelujah! I don’t know about you, but that just makes me feel amazing.

If you are holding onto something, ask forgiveness, and let it go. Your Lord has forgiven you. If you are having difficulty moving forward in your relationship with Christ, ask why? The Lord has an amazing way of letting you know what things are still holding you back. Sometimes, they roll out like a scroll in your mind. Is there someone YOU need to forgive? Perhaps there is someone you need to ask forgiveness from? Or finally, perhaps you need to forgive yourself and ask your Lord to forgive you. By denying yourself true forgivness, you are denying that Christ's sacrifice was big enough to cover a multitude of sin. You are basically denying Jesus in your life. WOAH! I don't know about you but I don't ever want to deny Jesus or tell him, "Hey, you're big enough to cover this one sin, but sorry JC, you aren't big enough to cover all of it."

They say, “The Truth will set you Free” but I believe it is because of the Truth that we are Free. The truth of everlasting love and life beyond this Earth given to us Freely but at great cost to Jesus Christ.

My friends, set yourself free today. Break the chains that bind you. You are a precious, wonderful, child of God.

Do you know MY Lord?

I thought it was important since I am writing my very first blog to help you understand where I am coming from. I am a Christian but more than that, I am building a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. I was asked this last weekend if I was prepared to answer the question about Why and What that means to me. As I pondered the answer, I was given a beautiful gift. This gift came in the form of a guest speaker that was brought in as part of a Spiritual Women's retreat of which I was co-chair. The guest speaker was a former Survivor China contestant and was a local radio host. She shared that being a Believer meant: Having a Firm Conviction, A Full Surrender, and a Life Style that Reflects that Surrender. I had a Holy Ah-Ha moment, as my friend, Kim would say. It was as if I already had these things but could not put them into words.

Having a Firm Conviction: Check: Yes, I have a very firm conviction. Jesus Christ officially entered my life at the age of 8, however, I don't think I fully understood what that really meant. I had a beautiful baptism. As a matter of fact, my Daddy baptised me. I still remember being dressed all in white and being led into the baptismal fountain. I remember as I held my nose and was dipped back into the cleansing waters. But, as the years passed and I became more free in my life, I adapted into normal "church" behaviour you know, attend on Sunday, go to Sunday School, etc... I never really started to build a true relationship with my Lord. As I aged, I realized that I have a Peace and Grace and had been carried through so many major obstacles in my life. There is no way that I could have been carried through these times unless someone else was doing the walking! In my full testimony, I say that the Lord saved me time and time again. Conviction, yes.

Fully Surrendering: Check: It was about 11 years ago when I decided to give my life fully over to Christ and strive to build a very personal and deep relationship with HIM outside of my "normal" church routine. It no longer was good enough to just go to church and be a good person. I started being more active in His word, I started to pray more and I started to seek God's will in my everyday life. Part of this full surrender included asking the Lord to identify sin in my life and in turn asking for forgiveness of that sin. Isn't the Lord wonderful? He forgave me the day he was nailed to a cross and his bloodshed covered every single one of my sins. Even if it would take me years to know it.

Having a Lifestyle that reflects that Surrender: Check: I am NOT PERFECT. I still mess up. I still sin. However, the beauty of being forgiven is the opportunity to start over again with God's Grace. I not only attend church but invite others to come and visit my church. I not only lead small groups, but I am on a committee that helps oversee and form small groups. I portray a joyful spirit in all I do. I give Grace to those who have wronged me and I ask for Grace in those I have wronged. I have a repentant heart and a great big ole loving Spirit. I have dug my roots deep in the ground so as not to be ripped out or shaken when adversity strikes.

So yes, I am a Christian with A firm conviction, A full Surrender, and a lifestyle that reflects that surrender.

Jesus died for me on Calvary. It is not something that I believe because I read it in a book. It is not something I believe because I have always been told it is the right thing to believe. It is something I know, deep, strong, burning and constant.

Guess What? He died for YOU too. Do you know my Lord?

This blog will be a testimony to my everyday life as well as serve as a soundboard for my convictions and beliefs. I hope you will find it inspirational and if you come to know my Lord, I will rejoice with you in Heaven.