March 31, 2008
-
Do not condemn yourself, God loves you by Heather
I don’t know who this is for, but this morning after reading the Bible, God showed me an image. Lately He has been revealing where He was in my past. He gave me the image of a healing journey, and then showed me how he used new life to stop the progression of satan in my life.
Before I knew God, I spent many years in the occult. In fact, it was one of the things that my husband was very attracted to me about. When we had our first child, I tabled the occult, not wanting my kids to grow up only knowing the occult. My rationale was that they should be able to make a choice and I didn’t want them to be tormented in school because of their occult beliefs.
God showed me this morning that he used NEW LIFE (the birth of my son) to begin His work in my life that brought me to Him.
I praise God so much for His loving me so much to continue pursuing me when the last thing that I wanted at that time was to have any dealings with Him.
I was going to write this in my notebook to remember, and I had the distinct impression that I had to write this here for someone else to read. Please do not condemn yourself for your poor choices in the past. God certainly doesn’t condemn you, He just loves you and wants to open your eyes up to the tremendous love He has for you. You may think that He has not intervened in your life, but don’t be so sure. God intervenes in ways that you may not perceive. Ask Him where He was, and He will show you. It will be in His timing when He shows you, but never for one instant doubt that God is not there.
Have a blessed day,
Heather
Comments (22)
Greetings! In your message you indicated that you are using Bible Gateway to conduct your Bible passage research. That is a good resource. You might also find that downloading e-sword to your personal computer will greatly improve your efficiency. E-sword is free, extraordinarily professional in its design and execution, and when downloaded, works without the need to be connected to the internet. I personally rely on e-sword more than any other of my Bible software programs. If it were possible, I would love to encourage every Christian alive who owns a PC to also download e-sword.
Actually, I don’t give a blanket indicment to all charismatics. I have a number of books by Charismatics and as I’ve said in posts before, I think we can learn alot about how the Holy Spirit works from them. My Baptist tradition seems to fall into the error that since the NT was completed, His miraculous workings are done. Nothing is further from the truth.
On the other hand, when they go off, they really tend to go way off. And as I also said, there were many within the Charismatic movement who calls those who do to task. Just like with those within the Baptist side (I’d cite the “God Hates Fags” church), there are problems. The barking and laughing revivals come to mind.
Actually I once did hold a low view of the Charismatics, and it wasn’t until I read a 3 volume theology written by a Charismatic that I found myself having to change my perceptions of them.
Great post Mrs. Heather. Isn’t it amazing the love God has for us?! It’s so wonderful how He leads us to Him in such incredible ways that only He could have orchestrated.
I’m glad the Lord has been showing you new things…that is such a wonderful thing!
RYC: Thank you so much for your sweet encouragement comment about waiting for the right one in God’s perfect timing. And yes, I am truly grateful for such wonderful parents who love me and encourage me in that. It’s such a blessing, and thank you for being a wonderful friend to encourage me also!
Hope you’re having a wonderful day! =)
Love, ~Michelle
I once saw a tshirt a young man was wearing. It said: “The next time the devil reminds you of your past remind him of his future.”
That one quote on the back of a young guy’s tshirt has always been a good reminder for myself when I start beating myself up about mistakes from the past. God is so huge…so vast…it is so fascinating to me the different ways He deals with His children. : ) Good entry Heather, Take care now, ~Amelia
@FlamingBrain -
This is a very insightful response and I hope you don’t take me as interrupting your conversation. I think it is great and yet humbling when Adonai (L-RD, G-D) brings us to seeing others as he sees them. Hearing from others’ hearts is so precious. Shalom to you and I’m sure we’ll bump in to one another in the World to Come.
Heather, thank you so very much for posting this very personal dream and interpretation. The Holy Spirit of our Abba is so wonderful. Abba steps into our lives and helps us go from where we are N.O.W. So beautiful and yet there is fearful awe of His power simultaneously. I admire you posting your occult background and how He stepped into your life and helped you along the Path to Him through Jesus/Yeshua. Hallelujah. It is even a mirror of the Torah portion this week, Tazria (lit. conceived) which is found in Leviticus 12:1–15:33. Specifically where the offerings for childbirth and the dedication of the first born son are mentioned. Remember Yeshua’s mother performed these in complete trust to our Abba. “The sacrifices after childbirth remind us that the act of giving birth is itself a miraculous encounter with the Divine. It is not to be regarded as just ordinary life. Instead, the Torah grants the event sanctity and significance by requiring sacrifices. The new baby is a gift from God, and the mother naturally wants to reciprocate with a gift. She brings a burnt offering and a sin offering as her gifts to God, who blessed her with a child.” — ffoz.org http://ffoz.org/resources/edrash/tazria/the_sin_of_childbirth.php
Note: Of course there is no sin in giving birth to a child. Just that the pain of childbirth reminds all people to the Eden narrative.
Through your gift of a first born you were brought closer to G-d. I think it is wonderful.
This is truly a wonderful post (so many have said it, but I had to as well)!
God has blessed you, indeed! He has taken what the enemy determined for evil, and used it for His glory. You have wisdom that many of us lack – from experience. And while I would never wish upon anyone, some of the tragedy that you have faced, I am thankful that God saw fit to adorn you, a once broken vessel, with His beauty and love. (You are a beautiful soul. Spectacular, in humility.)
I am proud of you, Heather. For all that you have overcome, for all that you are. I know God looks on you, and says, “Now this is a daughter, in whom I am well pleased.”
Great is your reward, my dear. Great is your reward.
its kinda funny, there’s a woman i know going throught the exact same role as your past. she is a rather young believer who just came to Christ but faced with a great deal of personal guilt, self condemnation and rejection. strange was she’s been having a lot of these dreams and she insisted that were from God, one of the dream she even claim Jesus was speaking and teaching her. however, the stuff she shared in the dreams were very counter-Scriptural, things which were clearly deception and not something the Spirit of God would say. we’ve been praying for her for a while, but hesistant to speak to her directly because of her sensitivity and fear of rejection and abandonment. but in the effort we were able to learn more about her past, and it was revealed she was involved with witchcraft in the past. it would appear her past would not let her go, spirits of the past continues to deceive her in condemning herself.
its actually quite common, just more visible in such a case when one has dealing with cults of witchcrafts and the likes. but quite a lot of people had a past prior to knowing Christ and in whichever form the oppression of that past would not let them go, even when they know Christ has forgiven them, they would not forgive themselves. such a healing may take a great deal of time to heal, a constant reassurance of the Word to hold our thoughts captive and reassurance of the Spirit to guard our hearts. if you would, please keep this person in prayer. my greatest concern for her is probably her unwillingness to acknowledge a need for healing and a time to stop serving and just let the Lord heal her.
Bless!
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2
Excellent post! God loves us so much. He knows what’s best for us. Let us be grateful for His amazing love.
Thanks for sharing.. God bless! =)
@sky_gel - Amen, I am grateful. Words cannot express how awesome it is to know His love. And a few years ago I wouldn’t be able to say that with conviction. Not only does He love us, but He heals us.
Heather
@stylish_e - I will keep her in prayer. Pastor Don often tells us that when we get saved sometimes our flesh is still acting in the old behaviors, although our Spirits are renewed. When I first started escaping the occult I brought my books and tools to church, and Pastor Don and the church members burned the items. It was essential that I rid myself of anything connected with my past. She may have things she is still holding on to that need to be removed. And as Pastor Don tells us, to keep filling ourselves with the Word of God which washes us. Does anyone mentor her? It is true that satan will not want to let her go, but that is something she should be made aware about, so that she can guard against that. But it can be done in a loving way that is not condemning. I will keep her in prayer.
Heather
@koldodi - Thank you for your kind words and sharing that the Torah portion for this week relates. Every now and then God is giving me glimpses of where He was in my past. It is exciting to me, because until recently I figured He was rather absent for many of those years. Now He is showing me exactly where he was.
Have a blessed day,
Heather
@thats_italian - I love that t-shirt idea. Heather
@princessmichelle90 - He sure does show us wonderful things, and I suspect that every day there are new things. He is so much more than we can ever think or imagine. I am still praying for you in this, but so proud of you.
Heather
@FlamingBrain - I am glad that your view has changed. Pastor Don was the son of a Baptist Preacher. I think that what is important is that God gets to do His will, and sometimes His will does appear as foolishness to man. But there are also those who imitate being spirit filled, those who have gone out on the deep end. Pastor Don told us that when he and his wife were newly saved, they walked into a church where all the members were speaking in tongues, but no explaination was given. They sat there awhile and then left. Any gift of the spirit can be used improperly, that is why there needs to be discernment and order – just as Paul tells us.
Heather
@craigwbooth - Thanks for that suggestion. Twice in the past I have tried to download E-sword and for some reason it did not function very well for me, but then again, I am a bit computer challenged.
Heather
RYC: I usually have human emotions, in fact I think I currently have the best balance of emotions of anyone I know. They just weren’t working that other day.
If you ever want to talk about anything, you can comment or message me.
Thanks, that was for me. God bless.
@wondering04 -
“Any gift of the spirit can be used improperly, that is why there needs to be discernment and order – just as Paul tells us.” Amen to that.
Good word, Heather! “There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ!” Romans 8:1
Heather, I don’t often respond to your posts…I do read them though, and especially loved the one about the Kings of Judah. I have my Bible all marked up to keep straight the “good kings” and “evil kings”, but your chart made it very plain for me…thankyou! I NOW FEEL ORGANIZED! I wanted to respond to this post because I agree with you that God intervenes in lives where we may not perceive. How true it is that His ways are not our ways. So many want to “put Him in a box”, confining Him to programs, methods, our ideas, etc. But thankfully, He sovereignly reigns, praise Him! I am glad you found salvation in Him. How marvelous that He keeps us and protects us from our past. It matters not what our past was after we are BORN AGAIN for truly, to know Him is to be kept by Him, washed in the blood of THE LAMB…with a new heart that is pure, white as snow! To know Him is to love Him, yes? Oh how I love Him! God bless you, sister. Serve Him with a heart full of love. ~jenny
@beautyfromashes88 - I am glad that my list of kings helps, it sure made things a lot straighter for me because some of the kings have such similar names that I couldn’t keep them straight. I am glad God found me, and so grateful that He kept pursuing me when I wanted to run far away from Him. I am glad His ways are not my ways because my ways did not work too well. I am so glad He is bigger than any box I can conceive. I do love Him, and my love grows more and more as I learn even more about Him. Praying your day is blessed.
Heather