God is Faithful, Good, Loving, and blesses His people!

Hi just wanted to post this thread as there are a few threads on the main page that keep reappearing and that bear some titles which dishonor God's Name and character and even appear as lies from Satan (One suggests that Job died without being restored and Joseph wasn't restored). Can you post how God has blessed you and been faithful to you whether in a trial or otherwise?

God has blessed me with a wife and four children, who love me, and that God uses to refine me into a man of God. LOL!

2 Peter 1:2-4 comes to mind -
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Lloyd

Just to add to the above here are the lyrics from my new favorite song from Matt Redman - Never Once

"Never Once"

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

:)

Brother,

God gave me a new heart that loves him. He is renewing my mind in the Word. He changed me from a failing student into a passing student. He has given me eternal life. And I have given him my life to do with as he pleases, and this brings me great joy and victory!

God has been bringing this scripture to my mind:

"Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set."

- Proverbs 22:28

this proverb speaks to me of the importance of our testimony of Jesus, and the same testimony of the great cloud of witnesses which surround us.

-Travis

Here is an old landmark of God's dealing in my life.

But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. (Revelation 2:20) The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations." (Revelation 17:4-5)

A year ago I was drinking from this cup of filth. I was captive in Babylon. I lay here in bed next to my wife writing this right now. A year ago I was laying in bed engaging in sexual immorality as she slept beside me.

I loved sports, movies, tv shows, pop fiction books, I loved so many things that I had played the harlot with. I did not love the Lord Jesus Christ. I loved the world. This is the root. It is spiritual harloty that leads to sexual immorality. First the Holy Spirit convicted me of how I played the harlot with my God. Then the Spirit convicted me of how I really wanted to make God my prostitute to get blessings, and gifts, and eternal life, It was all about what he could give me if I payed him lip service. I was utterly wicked, and I thought I was righteous. I deserved hell, I still do. I had to confess to my wife, I had to confess to God how I was holding the cross of Christ up to contempt, and as a result my witness was scattering instead of gathering.

I had to Repent of my Sins. And as I came to myself, and I saw the filth I was living in, the Pigs were all around me, I said I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN AND EARTH AND I AM NOT WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON.

The father saw me, a long way off, I was covered in filth. I was covered in my snot and my tears. I was helpless.

AND THIS IS THE GRACE OF GOD.

HE RAN TO ME FELL ON MY NECK AND KISSED ME.

He called me his son. He said that I was his child and that he loved me. He has given me his Spirit so that I will never go back to wallowing in the filth with those Pigs again, because he loves me, and I love him. It is now unthinkable that I would ever go back.

The forgiveness found at the Cross of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming. He is so full of Grace. I would rather die then do that to my God again, my hearts desire, my greatest love, never, ever, ever again. I know that nothing will separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Brothers, you who are in this filth, come to yourselves, Repent and see the filth you are wallowing in, the Father is looking for you, he wants to run out to you and scoop you up in his arms. Please God set the captives free. Oh come out of her my people, come out. Drink from this filthy cup of abomination no longer. There is mercy in My Father's Arms. He love us so much, so, so , much.

My Son has come home. He was lost now he is found. He was dead now he lives. My Son, My Son, has come home.

Blessings sister,

when we see Jesus...

Last night as I lay there the Spirit witnessed to me
the desire of the Lord to come to his people. And he is coming back soon, he is at the very gates. But he is waiting for the full number to be gathered in, for he deserves them all, he bought us with his blood on the cross. But what the Lord worked into my heart was the intense desire to see his beloved and our intense desire to see him.

"I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me"

- Song of songs 7:10

"so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."

- Hebrews 9:28

Love,

Travis

I think the love has to come from the death of Jesus on the Cross. That is the love of God for us who deserve death, but were given life, just as Christ was given life as he rose from the dead.

Jesus died for you. That is the love.

I know codek. I was responding to Jesus is God.

She was saying how all these momentary sufferings are light compared to the eternal weight of glory that awaits us when our Lord returns.

well, actually Codek, that is one thing you can believe about those phonies. If they have a wife and children, then to some extent God has blessed them. Surprisingly God blesses those who never seek for Him at all in some ways. The fact that they are still sucking air is a good sign that God has blessed them. He hasn't repayed them for their iniquity as He could. He is being longsuffereing with them that they might repent of their blasphemies.

I constantly learn about God and myself from my relationships with my wife and kids. When I tell my son, rather impatiently and irratated, that I asked him to clean his room an hour ago and its still a bomb, I think about how God has asked, or worse, commanded me to do something that I haven't done yet. I think of how He deals with me in that situation and then I try and address the situation with my kid in more grace and gentleness, like God dealt with me.

When I think of how Jesus' heart for His church is to be prepared in fine white linens and cleansed by His word I think of how I should be towards my wife, see Ephesians 5.

Codek, my testimony is that I was a party guy, looking for fun with sex and alcohol mostly and drugs to a much lesser extent. I was contantly trying to fulfill myself with what the world had to offer my flesh, and of course, it didn't satisfy.

I met my wife who was a believer. She was different and was that salt and light to me that pointed the way to Jesus. I went to her church a couple of times and heard the word of God spoken and got saved. I had grown up in the Anglican church but it had meant nothing to me. But when I heard the TRUTH I repented and believed in Jesus. He has fulfilled me unlike any other ever! I love Him because He first loved me. It would be enough for the rest of my life without the presence of His Holy Spirit in me, just to know that He died for me. The cross is the most wonderful sight. But He does more! He has indwelt me with His Holy Spirit. He dwells in me, Hallelujah. He is changin me day by day. When I turn aside and look to those old things He chastens me and forgives me and counsels me.

I say He satisfies, and He does but I still am weak in some areas. The desire to drink went away, along with the foul mouth (for the most part). Those areas He changed miraculously. Others I am learning to walk by the (influence of the) Spirit and resist the temptations that still draw me. He is faithful! When I fall and repent He forgives. Its like running in a race and you stumble and fall. While still down on your knees you look up at the judge to see if you are disqualified, "Don't bother getting up, your out". But instead He says, "get up, keep going, you are forgiven, you are washed, You are MINE".

I have gone through times of seeming quietness from the Lord and from the Holy Spirit, but only ever relatively brief. I cry to Him and He hears my prayer and answers me. I can't think of once when it wasn't because sin had marred His face. Even then, if I have repented He hears me and any seeming anger from Him or rejection is a lie fo the devil as there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Codek, you need to be IN Christ Jesus. Repent of your sins and put your faith in Him. Repentence is simply turning from your way to God and His way. Trust in His sacrifice on your behalf.

Lloyd

codek, I know what it's like to have many doubts about God and His love for us. For 22 years I denied His existence or love. I would have thoughts like, "If God exists and cares for us, why doesn't He just tell us with an audible voice or show Himself to us? Or if God created the universe, who created God?" etc.

From 14yrs old to 22 I got involved in gangs, drugs, and violence. I went in and out of jail and prison. At 22yrs old while in prison I had high hopes of getting out and marrying my current girlfriend and settling down with a family. It was not until that time that I started to have serious thoughts and questions such as, "why am I here on this earth? is this all there is to life? parties? sex? money? a family? a career? It all seems like vanity."

At that time there was an inmate who would preach on the prison yard for all to hear. At first I would mock him with my prison buddies. But as time went by I began listening more and more to what he preached and it began to make much sense to me.

I began to realize that I could have been dead a long time ago if it wasn't for the mercy of God. I had literally had bullets fly right by my ears. I had never been stabbed or shot though I came so close to it. I was not doing life in prison though I came so close to that also. And I was not dead yet and in hell though I knew I more than deserved it after all my rebellion against God. My conscience told me there is a loving and merciful God who had not yet given me what I deserved.

Around that time I decided to attend a prison church service. As I walked into the service there was a song playing with the lyrics, "My God is worthy, yes He's worthy, worthy of all of my praise....." At that moment I realized how worthy God really is of my full devotion and obedience. After all that He had done for me in giving me life, health, family, friends, shelter, food, clothing, etc, etc, etc. It was me that was so unworthy of any goodness from Him but He still had so much mercy on me.

At that moment I was overwhelmed and overcome with the thought of the holiness, love and mercy of God. I then broke down in tears and told Him, "God if you will forgive my vileness and rebellion against You I will serve you and obey you from here on out." At that moment I surrendered my life to Him and became born again. At first I thought I could obey God with my own will but soon learned that I couldn't because I was too sinful inside in my heart. And I learned that it was only through the cross and grace of Christ that I could be in right standing with Him, not by any merit or obedience on my part. And I learned that it was only by His grace that I could be transformed and grow spiritually day by day and moment by moment.

So here I am about 14 years later, still learning and growing day by day. He has blessed me with a beatiful wife and two beautiful children, but I am nowhere near being rich or even middle class by American standards. We live in a one bedroom apartment in a ghetto area and I struggle to make ends meet. But God has been gracious in providing our basic needs. Most importantly, and for which I am most grateful, He has given us His own Son as a suffereing substitute for our sins. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."

If we want to know whether or not God loves us, we need look no further than that rugged cross where Jesus hung and bled. He offered up Himself on that tree for the vilest and chiefest of sinners such as myself. I want to forever be grateful for that amazing love and grace which He has demonstrated, no matter what my earthly circumstances are. Hope this testimony can be an encouragement in some way. God bless.

Here is a testimony from Pastor Tim Conway, titled, "A Catholic Partier's Testimony"

Link: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=72706213845

QUOTE: "It sounds like the prodigal son testimony. How did you feel the love because that's my problem, I'm not feeling the love. what is it exactly? I'm being serious."

Codek, don't feel like you are the only one. I have suffered the same problem all my life: not feeling the love of God. Growing up in a non-Christian authoritarian household where love was in very short supply made it real hard to ever believe that love was anything more than a word on a page or to be able to relate to being loved. I fully understand where you are coming from. I am only now beginning to believe God loves me at this late stage of my walk and life. Intellectually i know it doesnt make sense, cuz Christ died on the cross for us, but in my heart and soul i just wasnt experiencing it. Keep seeking, keep praying and waiting. It will come like you say, when the time is right.

p.s. i sense there has been some misunderstanding between you and Lkid on this forum but am not sure how to help clear up that misunderstanding...

Mr. codek, you must not have read the verse: "...as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee...." - Matthew 8:13

Dear Codek,

Please read John 3. Will text later on it. Think over the whole passage. Got to go.

Lloyd

Lkid wrote:Can you post how God has blessed you and been faithful to you whether in a trial or otherwise?
_____________

I had been raised knowing about Jesus through out my childhood but I never knew Him personally. For me being raised as a Catholic meant following a set of traditions that the church put into place and hoping one day to get to heaven. I can remember being about six years old and the nun in Catechism class told me that if I was a really good little girl and did everything that I was told to, followed all the rules one day if I was one of the lucky ones God would let me join His family and I would get to go to heaven. I remember a lesson I had about hell and satan and that if I was not careful I would forfeit my soul to him and never get to go to heaven or join Gods family. The one thing my mom did drive home with me was that hell was a really horrible place and I should do every thing I could not to go there. To be really honest I was terrified so as I grew older that was always on my heart. I really did try for along time to be as good as I could. I always helped my mother, did all the chores that I could, and I attempted to be a “good” girl. By the time I hit my teen years my parents where having serious marital problems and I began to rebel, I became disillusioned I think, here they were telling me to be good when all the while they were doing all these things that were not. My dad never could walk out in life all he professed to believe so sadly he just pretty much kept on living in his sin and went to confession. He just did not have it in him to be "good enough". More time passed and for a long time I was just living for self too. I had gotten pregnant in high school and then married and even though I was now attending a non denominational church and said a sinners prayer I still only had head knowledge of who Jesus was. I did not know Him as a person that I could cry out to, bare my heart to and walk with daily. As I began to see that there was never going to be any possibility in my being good enough, or doing enough of the "right things" I went through a time of depression and real hopelessness. I began feeling sorry for myself and struggled with self pity. I knew that there was sin in my life but I made excuses or fell back into old patterns of trusting and relying on self to get me through. I was still trying to be the "good girl" but failing miserably. My own marriage was now struggling, I was very sick and pregnant with my fifth baby. I was in and out of the hospital and trying to deal with a husband who had gone his own way for a time and four young children. If I am honest this was the lowest point for me in my life, I could not see any light at the end of the tunnel, but God had not abandoned me and over time He really began moving in my life. I came in contact with other believers who truly loved the Lord and shared His truth with me. They were honest and straightforward with me about my sin but always in a loving Christ like manner. I began reading some really wonderful teaching from the saints that really began to help me see His truth. One by one the lies of the Catholic church were made known to me as I searched the bible to know Him. I began seeing things more clearly and understood that I had been living a lie, that I had been deceived into thinking I could save myself by being good enough, by following the traditions of the church and of men, by saying a one time prayer, all of which was untrue. God opened my eyes and heart and showed me what a sinner I really was and He showed me how completely and utterly lost I was with out Him. I saw clearly that I never was a "good girl" and that I never could be one with out Him. I saw for the first time in my life how completely hopeless my situation was and I knew that I needed Jesus, but it was even more then that I wanted Jesus. I wanted to know Him, to sit at His feet and hear His voice. He had cared for me so many times over and over again in my life that I could not help but love Him. As I looked back over my life I could see HE had always been there, even in the darkest of times HE had been there and carried me through. As my desire to know more of Him grew so did the conviction in my heart about my sinful attitudes. I no longer excused my sin. I had finally come to a place when I knew with out a doubt that I was the sinner that nailed Him to that cross, it was me He was suffering and dieing for and I could not turn my back on that any longer. Faced with this knew understanding of my sin and my complete inability to do anything about it, I cried out and repented. I asked Jesus to forgive me, I repented of specific sins as He opened my eyes to them and I was baptized. After that things were different, I had a deeper desire to know Him personally, to walk with Him daily, and to pray and worship Him, and I had a knew relationship with sin too. I now saw it for what it was.

As I am growing in CHRIST there are still struggles, some days are harder then others but HE is here with me. For me its still a process of daily submitting, and seeking to live my life unto the Lord. I often pray and ask God to show me those areas of my heart and life that do not reflect Him and He does. There are times when this is a painful process, when its even a lonely process. There are times when there just are not words to describe what is happening in the heart, but some how deep down I know that it is for my best and that it is because He loves me so much. In those dark times that I don't see things the way that I should, when self tries to justify, I seek Father all the more and ask Him to help me to view my sin as He sees it...inevitably I see a vision of my beloved Jesus on that cross, suffering and dieing and I know that I must repent! I walk in the knowledge and understanding of what He did for me even though I do not deserve it. I take comfort and joy knowing that He loves me and cares for me even when I don't “feel” it. I am learning that its not about me, but that it is all about “HIM” ! I am learning that I can walk in His strength daily and that I can by His power overcome and live as He has called me to!

Even in times of pain and sorrow I find my love for JESUS has only grown stronger. The more I seek HIM the closer our walk is. Daily HE reveals HIMSELF to me in tiny little ways, ways that most people might overlook or dismiss. I have been dealing with some struggle in my life just over the last month or so. Fear, and stress, as well as some health issues. My focus was on the things of this world, and it was becoming very over whelming to me. I began to allow the trails and tribulations to weigh on my heart and I lost sight of the LORD for a time. On one particular morning when I was feeling discouraged and stressed I spent the morning in prayer and just so needed to know that the LORD was there with me. We had been going through some terrible weather and it was raining outside again. Even though I had been praying I still felt as if the LORD was far from me... fear and worry over flooding had been on my heart and mind so I prayed and asked HIM for strength and to just help me through the day... As the morning passed I felt the need to pray again, I did not want to give into sin so I prayed asking GOD to just help me through, not to focus on the trails of this life but on HIM. HE answered my prayer as I opened my back door I noticed my rose bush was blooming, it was covered with big red roses all over it. This was GOD, it was HIS reminder that HIS care in my life is constant in every way. I had truly thought that this rose bush was dead, damaged from the winds and heavy rains of hurricane Irene but instead it was alive and thriving, in fact the plant itself looked even stronger having come through the storm then before. The leaves were bright vibrant green, there were new branches reaching upward, and huge blossoms everywhere. I smiled and knew GOD was with me, HE loves me so much that HE takes care of the smallest things in my life even with out my being aware. I stood out in the rain and took a picture to keep as a reminder of how GOD answered my prayer that morning. For others who look at the situation it was just a blossoming rose bush but not to me, to me it was GOD revealing HIMSELF, HIS love for me. Just like that rose bush had to go through the storm in order for the weak and dead branches to fall away and new life could grow... I see that I must go through storms, trails, sorrows and struggles too so that HE can deal with those areas in my heart that are weak and sinful and cause new growth in HIM! In this I learned that if my focus is on self, on the trails, on the world that I will be discouraged, I will find myself with drawing from HIM and alone, but if I keep my focus on JESUS I know there is real peace, real joy that goes beyond the understanding of this world. With GOD there are no “what ifs” anymore, there are only promises and HE has always been faithful and true. When I read HIS WORD I see this so clearly and my hope and faith is renewed. HIS care and provision is endless and awesome. GOD is loving even in the darkest of times because its our eternity HE cares about, its our life with HIM that matters not the things of this world. So this is my story, my testimony but its not finished yet, in fact I think there is still a long narrow path to travel with a cross to carry, the comfort and joy I have is knowing I don't make the journey alone...

GOD is with me always!!

God Bless
maryjane

Hi Codek,

Hope you got a chance to read John 3. Here are a few things to think about and pray about.

Nicodemus was a religious man. He thought he understood God and was living according to His will and knew the way to eternal life. But Jesus told him unless you are born again (From above) you cannot see the Kingdom of God. Jesus told him, the prominant teacher of Israel, the Pharisee who knew the law and the prophets etc, that he couldn't see the Kingdom of God.

Next Jesus told him unless you are born of water and the Spirit you cannot enter the Kingdom of God. He didn't mean heaven. I am in the Kingdom of God now. All who are His and about His work are in His Kingdom. We can see it and we can enter it and serve Him in it.

I think this is your problem. You have done religious and spiritual things, good things, but you can't see the Kingdom of God because you aren't born again or born from above.

How are you born again, how is your spirit made alive and how do you enter the Kingdom?
John 1:12 To all who receive Him He gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husbands will, but born of God. God is sovereign and does choose people. He chooses to make you born again when you choose Him. When you receive Him.
It isn't difficult because Jesus used the example of the jews in the desert when the poisonous snakes came into the camp to demonstrate how easy it is to be saved. The jews complained, God sent snakes to chastize them. They were sick and dying. God told Moses to make a snake (their sin)out of Bronze (Judgment) and put it on a pole (the cross) and to instruct the jews that if they got bit, they were simply to look to the pole and they would be healed.

That is all there is to salvation. Look unto Him and be saved. He was lifted up so that we could simply turn from our own way and look unto Him in faith and be saved.

Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else.

1 Cor 15:55-57 ​“O Death, where is your sting?
​​O Hades, where is your victory?”
​
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lloyd

Dearest Codek,

He loves you! He loves you! Oh how He loves you! I love You, too because He has filled my heart with His love. It's been a long, long road of doubts, fears, and failures. I finally know His love. It's worth the journey. It's worth the fight. Did I mention HE LOVES YOU?

QUOTE: "
Lkid, Your testimony was AWESOME. I love it when its not in christianese. Thank you, once again.

"I have gone through times of seeming quietness from the Lord and from the Holy Spirit, but only ever relatively brief. I cry to Him and He hears my prayer and answers me. I can't think of once when it wasn't because sin had marred His face. Even then, if I have repented He hears me and any seeming anger from Him or rejection is a lie fo the devil as there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Well that's great for you but seriously, it doesn't work for me, trekker, and a host of other people. It's not relatively quick or we wouldn't be having this discussion period."
******************
Huh? I think you got me mixed up with someone else Codek. I was not the one who wrote the paragraph in parenthesis above. I havent given any of my testimony on this forum. not sure who this post was from...

Dear Maryjane...

- This was GOD, it was HIS reminder that HIS care in my life is constant in every way.

-HE loves me so much that HE takes care of the smallest things in my life even with out my being aware.-

-but if I keep my focus on JESUS I know there is real peace, real joy that goes beyond the understanding of this world.-

-the comfort and joy I have is knowing I don't make the journey alone...-

AMEN SISTER!! & thank you for sharing your testimony!
Bless you & praying for you.
Shalom,
browny

Quote:
Well that's great for you but seriously, it doesn't work for me, trekker, and a host of other people. It's not relatively quick or we wouldn't be having this discussion period.

Trekker has stated that that is not his case. You are associating him to your experience, but he says that is not the case.

If you aren't saved then of course you've experienced this! If you aren't saved then you are not under the loving care of the Father. God is many things to me: A Father, Jesus is a Brother, a Friend, a Counselor, a Teacher, a Helper. But unless He is your Savior He is none of those things. He must be your Savior first Codek, then expect the blessing of His presence in your life.

Someone else in another thread shared with you the verse Romans 8 about how all things work together for good to those WHO LOVE HIM, WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. When you choose to love Him then all things, the bad you are in right now and all things good and bad in the past and all things good and bad in the future will work for good in your life. But they won't until you surrender your life to Him.

Quote:
I couldn't be saved if EVEN IF A GUN WAS POINTED AT MY HEAD right now.

That is simply not true. Satan would love for you to believe that, but it is simply not the case. You can be saved when you humble yourself, release the past hurts that you think are God's fault (Which certainly aren't) repent of your way and put your faith in Jesus Christ.

Lloyd