Today is July 4, 2015. Many people celebrate with families, having BBQ’s, days at the beach, the pool or on the sea in boats. For others it’s a time of recollection and reflection accompanied by tears for brothers and sisters in arms that were lost and also with rejoicing of those still here who made it back home. Burial plots in cemeteries are visited, flowers are left and moments of mourning are experienced.
There’s celebration of many kinds and emotions galore. Fireworks are seen as many gasp from their bursting display of phosphorus colors. For myself I have experienced many of these things but not all. Yet, I want to reflect on what took place 6 years ago and also share with you what took place on this July 4th.
Six years ago to the day, I acknowledged Someone for who they are, have been and had become to me. Now as a backdrop to this day, if you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you stop reading now and go here [click on me] so you may get caught up so that what I will continue writing now will make sense.
July 4, 2009, I acknowledged God as Lord. I didn’t actually know what this meant for sometime to come, yet everything in me knew to say it and furthermore to acknowledge Him as that. He was Lord. To me, to say, confess, profess and acknowledge God as Lord, was quite the natural thing as if I always knew to say it. Like someone coming home after being away for a long period of time, they rejoice to say, “I am home at last!” When I acknowledged God as Lord for the very first time it was like a coming home at last.
I will express it like this as I knew it to be this back then. The Bible records in 1 Corinthians 12:3 these very words, “So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.”
Now knowing God by Him making Himself known to me on July 3, 2009 in a most personal and intimate and powerful way, I would go so far as to say, the following day culminated in the conclusion of what God would do in me and through me in transforming me into one of His children as it were.
From a crying out to Him in need, to an intimate moment that would have an everlasting affect on me, God would solidify it by the Holy Spirit or Spirit of God at work in me and by admission of Lord through me, that God is indeed Lord.
The fact that such a thing took place in me and through me without me knowing what the “Bible” had to reveal concerning it is quite extraordinary and further shows there in no way would ever be in and through me any contradiction to the Bible as I would never or could ever conceivably say that Jesus is accursed.
July 4, 2009 was the cherry on top. That day was the moment that my experience with God who I later came to know as being Jesus was proven to be real, true and factual as what I experienced was biblical fact!
I look back on those two days and I am still amazed and in awe of them. With what I have been shown now and what God has revealed to me concerning Himself, I am thoroughly persuaded beyond doubt that on July 3, 2009 I received the Holy Spirit, I was “born-again” into the eternal family of God to belong to His house forever and on the proceeding day being July 4, 2009 I in a sense by God’s Spirit was cemented forever to the heavenly things and also to the Creator God of heaven and earth and all these things and the revelation of Himself to me, would continue to unfold in my life henceforth. How awesome is that?!
NEW BEGINNINGS ON JULY 4, 2015
Now to share with you what took place on this July 4, 2015. One could say it started out like any ‘ol day yet that would be a mistake. I woke up early at my alarm going off at 6:00 a.m. and after about ten minutes of not wanting to get up, I leaned over to my computer chair and grabbed my phone to read in Kyle Idleman’s AHA.
I continued reading till about 7’ish and went to wash up and then head to make breakfast for the entire household as I heard that my mother was up.
I sat down to eat breakfast after cleaning up and as I ate I spoke to my mom about heaven, hell, the lake of fire, God’s purposes in Christ, Satan’s agenda and how it all plays out like a captivating courtroom drama. I spoke of God’s grace and His peace. I spoke of opportunity to know Him through His Son Jesus and not to fall into the trap of focusing on His “wrath” as so much of the world does but to rejoice in His grace in which is readily available to all in Jesus Christ.
Several hours later around 3 p.m. my mother and I went to a BBQ at my aunts house. As we sat at the dining room table my aunt and uncle’s pastor spoke to my mother of everything I spoke to her about hours before like a recording. It was quite the wonderful thing as it was confirmation to me that I spoke of Him and spoke of Him well and that God already had it situated that my mother would hear these things not once but twice for good measure.
Now my mother was not a believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. However, I have prayed for my mother since I have come to know God in such a profound way back in 2009 and my aunt and uncle along with their pastors have been praying for her, and that adds up to 6 years from my behalf and three or so years on my aunt and uncle’s behalf and with the last two months of intrigue into the things of God taking root and manifesting themselves in my mother and especially the last week or so even on this very day, I am most happy beyond proper words to articulate my great joy to say that my mother of her own admission and understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and her confession that Jesus Christ is Lord and her belief in her heart that God indeed raised Him from the dead, before a group of witnesses my mother received Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. Halleluyah!
It was a joyous moment filled with hugs, kisses, smiles, tears and much thankfulness to God.
Out of all the things the Lord God of heaven and earth has divinely inspired me to write the last five years, this surpasses them all as it has been a moment in the making for many, many years.
Thank you Father God for calling your daughter on home. She was lost but now she is found. She without you was dead yet now she is alive in Christ. Praise the Lord!
I look forward to what extravant things you have in store for her. Her testimony will cause heaven to rejoice and the earth to tremble! Amen [so be it].
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