Howdy folks!
Yesterday, we had our first person to comment on one of the ‘Letters from Roscoe’ posts. Another ‘Christian in Training’ it turns out! It takes courage to be the first person to stand up and volunteer to be the first one to tell their story. Even in cyberspace.
The response I received to yesterday’s post was this:
“I accepted Jesus as my Savior in VBS many moons ago (around 50 plus yrs.). I didn’t really realize what that really involved. I grew up in church and continued in church taking an active part most of my adult life. It wasn’t until my son decided as a teenager that he had not been saved as a young boy and as a teenager, he knew for sure that he was feeling the Lord tugging at his heart. During this time with him, I began some soul searching. I knew I had been saved, but had not made Jesus Christ, King of my life. Together, my son and I were re-baptized. Today, I am loving my morning Jesus Calling devotions and my daily Bible readings. Every day I still consider myself as a Christian in training. Looking forward to reading more, Jim.”
I genuinely thank the reader for taking the time to contribute. It is a great story and touches on a subject that this Christian in Training often wonders about and was looking for a way to bring it up.
How do you know when you are really and truly saved? How can you tell when Jesus resides in your heart?
Do you just change immediately and become someone ’all charged up’ with the spirit like a ‘Moonie’ or ‘Hara Krishna’? I wouldn’t think so, but to listen to some of the testimonies I have heard over the years, some people would make you think that’s the way it happened for them, a sudden and profound life changing experience.
It hasn’t happened that way for me. I have to work at it. One day at a time. But once I started down this path and made the decision to believe I began to feel real hope, a real peace that I have not felt before. Yes, I did say I ‘made the decision to believe’. Once I start reading the Bible, every possible reason to not believe or doubt will come into your mind. Don’t listen to it, just keep reading. I have to tell the scientific, the logical, the always have to have proof side of my mind to just shut up! And when I do this, when I make this effort to bring God further into my life; I get a reward. Some verse, or some lesson will suddenly become clear to me.
I can feel that I am actually ‘being given’ understanding! A measure at a time.
A key verse for this was Matthew 13:12. (Now I read the ‘dumbed down’ version of the Bible, because it is easier for me to understand. And if I understand more of it, isn’t that a good thing? But I’m getting off point.) Matthew 13:12 in the NLT says: “To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”
Once I read and understood this message, more and more concepts began to make sense. The little mustard seed of belief is beginning to grow. This is what is happening to me right now. God is telling me to read the Word and when I let other distractions take me away from that assignment, I feel his disappointment. So I have to work at it.
Is this the way it is for you?
Sincerely,
Roscoe, Jim, Tip, Rodney or just Hey you!