Bill's Ramblings

[COLOR=Blue]... One of the saddest things that I see in the church today are Defeated Christians. How in the world did they decide they were defeated? In the last three verses we are given a charge, by the LORD, Himself to go forth and to make disciples of men and women, everywhere in the earth. In verse 18 Jesus assures us that He has been given all authority and in the Gospels we find that Jesus defeated Satan on the Cross at Calvary and that all our sins have been forgiven.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Blue]... Now we know because of 1Pet. 5:8 that Satan is roaming about the earth, looking to thwart the plans of God and what better way to do so than to convince the saved man that he is unworthy? From the moment Eve handed that fruit to Adam and he decided to disobey God, none of us have been worthy. That hasn't stopped God from saving us and then using us for His Kingdom purposes. The very moment I accepted jesus as my Savior, God began to lead me into repentance and my life has not been the same since.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Blue]... Just recently my pastor began a series of sermons that brought me to my face before God, in repentance. It isn't that I did not know that I was sinning, I did. I was coming off a time of really being used of God to lead a number of people to the LORD and even while I was sinning, in my mind, this minor sin, God used me to lead an entire family to the foot of the cross. I was managing to harden my heart fairly well until the pastor began to tromp all over my toes in those sermons. Then I prayed and I asked God to make my exit from the sinful action as smooth as He could and He did. We often forget that the Old Testament is of value to us, but it is. 2Chron. 7:14 is a verse that I have never been able to and I never will be able to forget. If my people, which are called by my name will humble themselves I will hear them and will heal their nation. (Bill Taylor, off the top of his head.)[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Blue]... I was not defeated, I had turned my back on God but He had not turned His to me. It's, exactly the same for these Defeated Christians. God hasn't erased their name from The Book of Life, in fact He wants them back in His service. Satan only has as much power as we give him and not one bit more. If we will fall on our face before God, He will lead us into victory after victory, just as long as we are willing to follow Him.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Blue]... Please, if your defeated, stop trying to correct the problem and just turn back to God, He has already defeated the devil and without Him, you never will.[/COLOR]