1 and maybe 2 testimonies....?

[Vigilantius]

1 and maybe 2 testimonies....?

Today and Friday, my wife took the kids and drove into town, (about a 25 minute drive). Both days, after she left, I got a stronge urge to pray for them. I wasn't sure what to make of it... so I just prayed for their safety
and that God would protect them on their trip. Both times, when my wife got back home she mentioned about barely avoiding danger.

Friday, there was a man that crossed 2 or 3 lanes in traffic right in front of my wife and she slammed the brakes and barely missed the other car.

Today, when she got back she told me how she had some crazy driver almost hit her, cut her off (she then honked her horn) and then he stopped in front of her, like he was going to jump out and do something. (She said he put it in PARK for a second or 2) Then all of a sudden, he put it in DRIVE and sped off in the other direction.

Now, I don't usually think this way... but maybe those strong urges to pray to God for their safety at the time she was traveling into town... maybe that was God telling me to pray and then God protecting them.... ugh, I don't know. Again... this type of stuff has never happened to me before and I don't want to jump to conclusions or anything. I think this is a possibility, but I am also willing to say that it may have just been a coincedence.

The experience I just described above... is this the type of thing that I should expect? (To understand where I am coming from with this question, please read below)

Let me just say that in the last 4 months or so, I believe that I'm finally walking with the Lord for the 1st time --- in my 10 years as a "professing" born-again Christian. The reason I'm talking like this is that I believe that I was a false convert for 9+ years. I "asked Jesus into my heart" (whatever that means) back in Oct 96. I never truly repented up until recently... I thought I did back then, when in actuality there were things (sins) that I was still holding onto. (Thank you, God for Way of the Master Radio!)

(Please note that I'm not try to toot my own horn here... I'm actually quite embarrassed about how I lived, acted, walked during my first 9+ years as a "Christian". I acted nothing like Christ and I'm disgusted with myself and feel foolish...

I now understand what it means to have a "personal relationship" with God.

[Abiding in His Word]

Oh, Vigilantius, your testimony and confession has made my day! Thank you for sharing such a blessing!

[Lookfortruth]

Awesome testimony We are all works in progress, and your honesty was very touching.

[Salty Skipper]

God is good. I think He's always "talking" to us, if we will just take the time to listen. What a great testimony to the power of our Lord!

[Be still]

God is good. I think He's always "talking" to us, if we will just take the time to listen.

[grace2all]

Vigilantius! Thank you for sharing your testimony.

God Bless and Aloha,
Janell

[crmann]

Vigilantius, I don't see it as blowing your own horn, but as sharing what God is doing in your life and praising Him.

Thanks..

[Morning glory]

Vigilantus you blessed me also!
Something good for you to read was
just posted in Whatever(almost) by
Triton titled Make a List. I believe you
will enjoy it.

[Marite]

Hi Vigilantius,

Great testimony, I've had the same things happen in my life, the Lord impresses me to pray for my wife, she works in an office, later come to find out it was false doctrine or the wife of a witch came to visit, you're not alone!

About those 9 years, were you seeking after the Lord, did you like to read your Bible?

The reason I ask you this, is Paul tells us before we were born again we were dead in trespasses and sins, EP 2:1, also in Rm 3:11, no one seeks after Him, dead people don't seek or read, ...so you were in sin, but were you seeking after Him, were you reading your Bible?

The New Testament teaches four levels of Spiritual growth;
Babies - 1 Cor 3:1
Children - 1 Jn 2:12
Young Adults - 1 Jn 2:13
Fathers - 1 Jn 2:13

What I'm suggesting is maybe you passed from one level to another, for some it's a gentle shift, hardly noticeably, one day you realize you haven't been doing the things you used to do, for others it can be cataclysmic, as if they weren't really born again before, God deals with His children as HE sees fit, ...if you were dead in your trespasses and sins, what were you doing listening to a Christian program?

1 Peter 1:23 teaches we are born again by the Word and the Holy Spirit, so what verse did the Lord use to call you, that's when you were born again.

In my own early years as a Christian I was taught to be "on fire" for the Lord, the Pastor encourged me to go for it! I taught Sunday School, the youth, an adult Bible study, a men's group, and played in the worship band! The Lord in His grace moved me out of that church in to a tiny little church of about 50 people, the pastor was a wise man of God and explained to me that I was trying to run without ever learning how to sit or stand! All that I had been trying to do in my flesh didn't work, but after I learned how to sit then the Lord taught me how to stand and finally I was ready to walk with Him.

As to your experiences with the Lord, maybe it's like if you had a son 2 years old and you bought him a baseball mitt for his birthday, he couldn't play catch with you, but, ...when he turned 6, he could actually catch the ball with the mitt when you threw it! I think it's like that for a lot of us, we are encourged to run before we learn how to sit, ...like, now you can hear God when He talks to you. And that's what it all about, a personal relationship with God, it's a dialogue not a monologue.

As I look back now I can see the differences in the two pastors, the first was a seminary school grad with a masters degree, always teaching down to me, telling me what I should be doing for the Lord, the second, ...an ex-biker who studied at the University of the Holy Spirit in the Desert, ...on his knees, ...who encourged me to get on my knees before the Lord and wait and see what the Lord would do for me!

Hang in there Bro, and keep on keeping on with the Lord, welcome to the family of God whenever you joined, were going home soon, Marite.

[kat]

Vigilantious....thanks for your testimony!! I sometimes question myself as well....I don't read my bible like I should...probably cuz I am on here too much....but some of my old behaviors are still there....but I am convicted.....so maybe I am ok...and just still growing in the Lord...???? I also wanted to say that I don't believe in coincidence....I believe God put into your thoughts to pray!!! THAT is awesome!!!