quote:

ORIGINAL: conrack50

I am including you in my prayers.
Believe in your heart that you are saved. The devil wants you to doubt, he gets enjoyment out of anything we doubt concerning the Lord.
I know it's hard, but don't give the devil any satisfaction.

God is our Savior, our grace and most precious Heavenly Father.
Without Him, we are nothing.

If you are concerned, get into the Book of Psalms and just read. God will let you know on his time table what he wants us to do.
Prayers to you,
Connie Lou

quote:

ORIGINAL: sparkleingsnow



Dear Father, I lift up AboundinginHisGrace to You. Father, You know his heart. You know if it was with a sincere heart that he asked to to be his Lord and Saviour. Give him assurance in this. Give him peace, your peace. Bind any attacks from the enemy. Lift him up Lord and help him to grow in You. To focus on loving You and Your love for him. Thank You Lord that You love us so. Thank You that You made a way. We love You Lord. In Jesus name. Amen[/quote}



What a beautiful prayer Sparkleingsnow wrote!!!!

I am new to writing on forums and this makes me nervous but I find comfort on this forum because of peoples faith in God. I too have struggled and continue to struggle with my flesh,the world and Satan.Your story is my story,also.Ugh!!The best part of our stories is that 'we serve an awesome God who loves us more then we can ever imagine'.He will help us to accept his comfort ,love and forgiveness.

quote:

Some Christians (but not all) stop at the Saviour part because they just want to be saved and nothing more and they miss so much blessing, peace and fulfilment in their lives as a result.-- Author unknown.

quote:

ORIGINAL: TorchHeart

Conrack's right. This sounds a lot like the devil trying to toy with your mind.

I've read your posts on here, AboundinginHisGrace. If you are half as good a Christian as your posts make you sound, then you are better than me by MILES! In fact, I think your faith in God could serve as a model to other people (maybe that's what the devil doesn't want???). Its strong, and that's good.

Don't believe in the lies that you aren't saved, pal. You dedicate your life to Christ. You serve Christ. You believe in the promises of Christ. You BELONG to Christ. I feel certain that you are saved.

You have my prayers.

Lord, I ask you now to look down upon your servant, AboundinginHisGrace. Be with him at this time in his life when he is having doubts about himself and his relationship with you. Lord, I thank you for the strong convinction in his faith that you have gifted AboundinginHisGrace with. It is truly a blessing to see someone dedicate themselves to you in such a manner. Please remove from him this spirit of uncertainty and doubt, and replace it with a spirit of confidence in himself and in his relationship with you. Let him see the good that his strong belief in you has already brought about in his life and in the lives of those who he's come in contact with. Show him your mercy, and remind him that he has already been saved by his belief in you and in his acceptance of your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, as his personal savior.

May this struggle that he's going through only aid in re-enforcing his desire to continue to seek a deeper and more meaningful understanding of your wonder and glory, Lord. Protect him from assaults from the devil and his minions on his belief in you and in the salvation which Christ won for all of us who believe in Him. Remind him that he was forgiven of his past transgressions, and that the devil cannot use these against him, so that he might have peace in his life regarding these manners as well as his salvation.

Lord, all of us are sinners, and all of us experience doubts. We have all fallen away from you at one time or another. Still, because of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, you don't forsake us, but instead take us back when we go astray. With this in mind, I pray with humility and confidence for AboundinginHisGrace, and ask that you grant all of this for him. I pray this in the Great and Mighty Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Amen.

quote:

Ephesians 6: 10-18

The Belt of Truth is your defence against the lies of the enemy. God’s Word is a filter to differentiate between truth and lies. (see Ephesians 1:3)

The Breastplate of Righteousness is your defence against the enemy’s accusations. Jesus took your sin on Himself and you are now righteous in God’s eyes. (see 2 Corinthians 5:21)

The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace is your defence against retreat. Your peace comes in knowing that you have everything you need in Jesus. (see Philippians 4:19)

The Shield of Faith is your defence against doubt and guilt. (see Hebrews 10:22)

The Helmet of Salvation is your defence against confusion and wrong thinking. (see Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 10:5). They rob you of your assurance of salvation.

The Sword of the Spirit – the rhema (or spoken) Word of God. When God says it and you speak it out, the Holy Spirit cuts through the darkness like a sword.

-- Author's name not known.

quote:

I have my weaknesses and fault trust me.

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ORIGINAL: AboundinginHisGrace

Ok, this is going to be hard to explain, but let me try. Ok, I had christian parents that have always taken me to church and shared the bible with me. I went down when I was 8 years old (not sure if I was saved or not), I cannot remember that much, I do remember the next day telling everyone at school I got saved and another guy and me led one of our classmates to Christ. Things were going great, then we moved when I was in the summer of 7th grade year. So I started at a new school in the 7th. Well I got into the wrong crowd. Drugs soon followed (nothing major, no addictions) I continually went to church and still believed the same way I did, I just didn't live the life of a Christian always, I would kinda go back and forth. I went down again my senior year due to doubt and confusion about my salvation, nothing much changed still was living worldly to a degree but still went to church Sunday morning/night Wed. Then my Soph year of college I started serving the lord I went down the alter and quit smokeing cursing etc. During Highschool eventhough I was doing all the sinful things, there was still a desire to serve the Lord I just fell short. Anyways, Life went on I was living my life more as a Christian, got married everything was going pretty good, then we kinda fell out of church just going on sunday mornings then my wife and I seperated and during that time I started serving the Lord fully my wife and I got back together and we are living the Christian life, but I still do not have peace. I am serving the Lord with my whole heart now. I share the Gospel, reading my bible daily, attend church regularly, and my lifes desire is to serve Christ with all my heart. I can honestly say my ultimate desire is to serve the Lord. I have give prayed hundreds of time, Lord if I am not saved save me If I am saved I am yours, but I still cant seem to have peace. I am not sure what it is. I just need your prayers. I do not know what is up, I thought it might be God calling me into some ministry position, but I do not know, I have told God that I am willing to do whatever it is He wants me to do, but I just need to know what it is You want me to do. So I just need your prayers and input if possible. I just can't seem to get peace. I believe I am saved I just do not know when I got saved so satan uses that against me, but I have had doubts about salvation my whole life due to this. I even got baptized after my wife and I got back together because I wasn't sure if I got saved after the 2nd time I went down, it felt like God was leading me to do it, so I did. I just want eveything to be in order and I want to serve God and I am, but I still just don't have peace.

quote:

ORIGINAL: URForgiven

quote:

ORIGINAL: AboundinginHisGrace

Ok, this is going to be hard to explain, but let me try. Ok, I had christian parents that have always taken me to church and shared the bible with me. I went down when I was 8 years old (not sure if I was saved or not), I cannot remember that much, I do remember the next day telling everyone at school I got saved and another guy and me led one of our classmates to Christ. Things were going great, then we moved when I was in the summer of 7th grade year. So I started at a new school in the 7th. Well I got into the wrong crowd. Drugs soon followed (nothing major, no addictions) I continually went to church and still believed the same way I did, I just didn't live the life of a Christian always, I would kinda go back and forth. I went down again my senior year due to doubt and confusion about my salvation, nothing much changed still was living worldly to a degree but still went to church Sunday morning/night Wed. Then my Soph year of college I started serving the lord I went down the alter and quit smokeing cursing etc. During Highschool eventhough I was doing all the sinful things, there was still a desire to serve the Lord I just fell short. Anyways, Life went on I was living my life more as a Christian, got married everything was going pretty good, then we kinda fell out of church just going on sunday mornings then my wife and I seperated and during that time I started serving the Lord fully my wife and I got back together and we are living the Christian life, but I still do not have peace. I am serving the Lord with my whole heart now. I share the Gospel, reading my bible daily, attend church regularly, and my lifes desire is to serve Christ with all my heart. I can honestly say my ultimate desire is to serve the Lord. I have give prayed hundreds of time, Lord if I am not saved save me If I am saved I am yours, but I still cant seem to have peace. I am not sure what it is. I just need your prayers. I do not know what is up, I thought it might be God calling me into some ministry position, but I do not know, I have told God that I am willing to do whatever it is He wants me to do, but I just need to know what it is You want me to do. So I just need your prayers and input if possible. I just can't seem to get peace. I believe I am saved I just do not know when I got saved so satan uses that against me, but I have had doubts about salvation my whole life due to this. I even got baptized after my wife and I got back together because I wasn't sure if I got saved after the 2nd time I went down, it felt like God was leading me to do it, so I did. I just want eveything to be in order and I want to serve God and I am, but I still just don't have peace.

I took the time to highlight in your post what I see as your stumbling block. Do you see the pattern?

It is the same stumbling block we all trip over...ourselves. When we take our eyes off of Jesus, then we struggle in our own power and we become focused on ourselves and what we are doing, instead of resting in Christ and in the knowledge that He is in control and will work all things together for our good. This is faith. Not knowing the future, but trusting in a God who does.

I know you to be one who knows and loves Jesus, remember your first love. Our peace is not in what we do, our peace is Jesus Christ Himself, He is our peace. Delight yourself in Him, abide in Him, trust in Him, depend on Him, for He is able and He is willing and wanting to work in and through you that which will bring you the fulfillment you desire.

I pray for you along with the Apostle Paul...

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

I second that Amen!

Peace

quote:

ORIGINAL: sparkleingsnow

I always believed in God, and what Jesus did on the cross. Where I doubted was within my self. Had I really accepted Him with my whole heart? Yes I had, I had just moved away from Him and got out into the world. Now I stand on this promise. "For by faith are ye saved."

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

I did this. Did you? If so stand on this promise.


Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Another promise.


John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Your His precious child.

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

He loves us, He forgave us, by His grace we are saved.

John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

And no one can take us out of His hand.

This is only a start of course. If your like me, satan loves to attack with doubts like "but what if I'm not really saved?" Now I refuse to give him space. I dismiss these attacks right away before they can take hold. I stand on God's promises.
God bless

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Original: believinginmercy

The best part of our stories is that 'we serve an awesome God who loves us more then we can ever imagine'.He will help us to accept his comfort ,love and forgiveness.

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Original: Abounding in His Grace

That is what Satan says to me "Do you have enough Faith", "Are you really fully trusting in Jesus". So I start doubting if my faith is sincere etc. But I know that I believe God sent His son and Jesus became sin (my sin) and died for me, took my place and was raised from the dead and I repented and turned to Him. But Satan can still some how make me wonder. Don't you hate Satan. That is where he gets me in confusion and doubt. Even when I recognize it I still fall into it.

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ORIGINAL: Liveloved

AboundinginHisGrace,

I'm praying for you. And as I listened to you, two things stood out from your post. You speak of serving the Lord and your eyes are fixed on you. He doesn't want your service. He wants you. He wants your love. It's not about doing. It's all about relationship and knowing Him. He wants to know you and His desire is that you will want to know Him back!

So my counsel for you is to seek to know Jesus. His promise is that if we seek Him, He will be found. I have been a seeker of Jesus for many years. I have found Him. And I am found in Him. But that does not mean the seeking ends. I want to know Him more.

Read Paul's words in Philippians 3 especially verses 7 through 14. Ask the Lord to make these thoughts real to you.

Enter into a love relationship with Jesus. I find the best way to do this is through reading the gospels and praying the Psalms. Each thought in the psalter is a prayer, speaking God life into you, helping you know God and yourself more and more. The psalter leads us into truth and truthfulness. And that is the place of knowing Jesus.

If you seek Him, He will be found by you, AboundinginHisGrace. Your name says it all. Bless ya, LL

quote:

I understand what you are saying. I need to focus on Him and not me. I have given my life to Jesus, but I tend to focus on doing and not just relaxing in His grace.

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ORIGINAL: AboundinginHisGrace

Thank everyone so much for their input. I have prayed and will continue to pray about what you all have said. I do feel a lot of the burden has been lifted. I know that if I believe in what Christ did for me (not because I earned it or deserve it) that I am a child of His. I know satan is going to try to get me to focus on myself and my desires and failures and make me doubt if I am Christ's or not, but I know that I am His because I have Faith in Him and what He did for me. I need to allow God to use me instead of trying to do things to please Him, I need to please Him by letting Him do things through me. He loves me the same no matter what and all He wants is for me to rest in Him and trully trust Him and His plan and just let Him lead my life. It is wierd that I knew all this all along but I haven't applied it to my life the way I should have. satan really knows how to get to us. But I know what I am facing and how to face it. I just rest in Christ and I can have the peace that passes all understanding. I just want you all to know that I love you and I really appreciate your words let me rephrase that Christ's words that you shared with me. I pray that non of you have to go through what i have been through. But we live we learn. I know that I am His. If I have ever said anything hurtful to any of you I apologize may God bless your lives and your Homes. Thanks again for your help.