Philippians 1:12-14 ESV
“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
Some of you who know my testimony are aware of some of the
things God has allowed me to suffer in this life. Now some people today are
under the impression that it is not God’s will for us to suffer, but the words
of Jesus and of his NT apostles negate such a thought. For we are called into the
fellowship of Christ’s sufferings that we might become like him. And Jesus told
us that if we follow him with our lives that we are going to be hated and
persecuted for the sake of righteousness and for his name’s sake.
And when I was born into this world, the Lord placed me in a
family where he knew I was going to be abused. He knew that my father was going
to sexually molest me and abuse me physically and emotionally. And he knew I
was going to be emotionally neglected by my mother. For he is the one who put
me in the womb of my mother, and all the days ordained for me were written in God’s
book before one of them came into being (Psalms 139).
And both of my parents claimed to be Christians. I believe
my mother was, but my father definitely was not, not according to how the
Scriptures define a true believer in Jesus, which was evident by how he lived,
and by the words that he spoke. Yet God sent me into that home to live with
awful mistreatment from one who claimed to be a Christian. And my father was a man
who went to church gatherings faithfully for nearly all of his 86 years of his
life. And he heard great solid biblical preaching, and he even studied the
Scriptures himself, but he did not live them.
I believe, as well, that the Lord gave me the husband I have
been married to for the past 50 years, even though we have had our troubles,
too, and our marriage still is not where it needs to be. But I can tell you
from personal experience that God has given me the life experiences he has
given me, and he allowed much suffering in my life, and much more, including
much from pastors of churches, to make me into the person I am today so that he
could use me in the way he is now using me for his purposes and for his glory.
For I now feel some of what God feels, and I feel it
passionately, from experience. And so I am able to write about what his word
teaches from his heart and from his passion because of what he has taken me
through in this life. So, in 2004 the Lord called me to this ministry of
writing out what he teaches me from his word each day and to post it on the
internet. There are now about 8,000 of these writings on the internet in
multiple locations, some of which are going out to people all over the world,
and people are reading them.
Then, in 2011 he gave me the gift of writing songs, and
there are 185 of those, and then in 2018 he had me begin writing poems, and
there are about 250 of those – all on the internet in various places where
people from all over the world can read them and listen to them. And then in
2020 he led me to begin doing video talks on YouTube and on Vimeo where I just
share what the Lord is teaching me from his word as I am doing it live, i.e.
most all of these are not planned out in advance. And there are over 200 of
those now, too. And God is sending people to view them and to respond to them.
And all of this happened, I believe, because of what I have
suffered in this life, and so my life is sold out to Christ, and I do feel
passionately what God feels about the things he teaches us about. And my point
with the numbers is to show that what has happened to me in this life has happened
for a purpose, and it has served to advance the gospel through sharing my devotions,
songs, poems, books, and video talks with people all over the globe. But none
of the glory goes to me. It all goes to God!
But this is not a declaration of perfection, okay? I just
share what I am learning from my times with the Lord, and that he is teaching
me, but I am not saying that I have everything 100% right. I just know that
this is my calling in life, for now, and that I am being led by the Spirit, but
I am not claiming to be without error.
So, God allowed all of this in my life for good that he
might use me in the way he is now using me for his purposes and for his glory,
which is for the salvation of human lives. And when God wants me to do
something different, he will certainly let me know. But just as Paul suffered
for the sake of the gospel, so am I, and just as he asked for prayer, so am I.
But Paul didn’t run away and neither did Jesus. And who were Jesus’ greatest
persecutors? Those who professed faith in God and who were teachers of the
Scriptures.
So, don’t be afraid to suffer for the sake of the gospel,
and don’t believe the lies which tell you that God doesn’t want you to suffer.
Biblically, that just isn’t true. But he will also give us joy and peace in this
life. So it isn’t all suffering. But as Paul learned, the things we suffer in
this life, if we are surrendered to Jesus Christ, can make us into the people
of God he wants us to be so that we can be used to spread the message of the
gospel to the people of the world.
No Less
An Original Work /
March 19, 2012
I can do no less
than praise You,
Lord, for all You’ve
done for me.
You died for my sins
to save me,
So I would be set
free.
I adore You! Lord, I
praise You!
Jesus, Savior, King
of kings!
You provided my
redemption.
Your grace has
pardoned me.
I can do no less
than serve You.
Lord, Your witness I
would be,
Telling others of
Your love,
And why You died on
that tree.
Tell of how You gave
of Your life,
So from sin we’d be
set free,
So we could worship
You forever,
And live eternally.
I can do no less
than love You,
Lord, for You have
first loved me.
You gave of Your
life so willing,
Because You cared
for me.
Turn from my sin!
Obey freely!
Live for You each
passing day.
Read Your word, and
follow Your lead,
Lord, as I humbly
pray.
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