Javis Sneed
I grew up in church and accepted Christ at a young age, firm in the knowledge that my salvation lied in the finished work of the cross. I was baptized, joined the church and grew in the knowledge of the Bible as an elementary/junior high kid.
In high school, having moved across town from my grandparents who played a large part in my church attendance as a child, I strayed away. By my junior year I was doing all the things I knew not to do, being heavily convicted, but I was far from the continuous renewing of the mind the Bible talks about. I let the sin win.
I became the worst possible testimony. I was drinking, smoking, sexing – living like the world, but would talk about Christ and the bible anytime the subject came up. Self righteously glossing over my sin, I would recite John 3:16 and convince myself and others that “believing” was something that could be done intellectually without any evidence or surrender to the Savior who suffered in my place on the cross. God forgive me for those still lost without Christ who I should have been leading by example.
Over the years the conviction grew, to the point where there was a time I thought I was gonna die if I didn’t change. I had a college degree, built successful businesses, was recording and performing music regularly, managing artists, buying and selling real estate – living the way I wanted to live – feeling dead inside. I had run for so long that even the pleasure I was so used to seeking wouldn’t work anymore. I was at a crossroads.
At the crossroads I chose life. In August of 2007 I rededicated my life to Christ – He took my desire for all the things I found pleasure in that were against His will, and replaced it with a desire for His Word. I spent the next year in long hours of daily study, the beginning of a firm conviction that the Final Authority for all things is the Inspired Word of God, the Holy Bible.
My life was spared for this moment in time, right now. To serve God, to be used in whatever way He sees fit, to love His creation and point them to Him, to plant a seed, to water a seed, to show His grace by living my life as an example of what kind of change God can make in the heart of His own creation. To glorify his name in word, thought and deed.
Will you accept Him and let Him make the same change in your life?
Mitzi Malcolm
I was born and raised in Florida (The Sunshine State), and I’ve had a relationship with God my whole life. My earliest memory of interaction with God was at three years old. My grandma Mary was a praying woman, we used to pray together all the time. She always kept a bottle of blessed oil in arm’s reach. My mom used to tell me, “Every time I picked you guys up from your grandma’s house, you were so greasy you almost slipped out of my hands”, lol. Needless to say, grandma would anoint not just our heads, but practically our whole bodies while she prayed for us. But for some reason, the prayers didn’t stop there. When I got home, I continued to pray. I can still see a picture in my mind of me kneeling down at my bed, praying. God was always so real to me. There was never a time when He didn’t talk to me, even as a little child He talked to me, all the time.
As I grew older, God’s voice grew louder. Of course, like most people, I went through a period of rebellion at a young age, but even through the rebellion, God was always near. I rededicated my life to God when I was 15 yrs. old. Since then, I’ve been through some ups and downs, tests and trials, and life changing storms, but God was, is, and always will be faithful to me. I struggled with depression, low self-worth, anger, bitterness and pride. For way too many years, I just learned to accept the fact that I could never measure up to God’s standards of holiness. My choice to believe the lies of the enemy really became a stumbling block in my life. I couldn’t ignite the flame that once burned in my heart for God because I could never understand how He could love me. A few months ago, I looked at my son, who is going through his rebellious stage right now, and the strangest thing happened. God said to me, how much do you love your son, and I answered, “with all my heart” Then He said, “do you love him in spite of his conscious decision of rebellion” and I answered “yes” The third question He asked was, “do you still desire to have a relationship with him even though he’s disobedient, rebellious, ungrateful, self-centered and full of pride.” I answered “yes, he’s my son and I love him no matter what. There is nothing he could ever do that would stop me from loving him and desiring to have a relationship with him.” That’s when God said, “now, if you feel that way about your son, imagine how much I love you.” Then He instantly reminded me of Romans 8:35-39 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. WOW!!!!!
So as I continue to serve Christ and grow in grace, I constantly strive to put God first in everything I do and to live a life that is pleasing to Him. I’m living proof that trying to intellectualize God and put Him in a box will really hinder His work in your life. After all, my life is not my own, and even when I can’t comprehend what God is doing, I’ve learned to trust in His sovereignty and stand on the promise of Romans 8:28 -And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
YOU!
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