Testimonies

---

________________________________________
You can’t know true love in an “I” centred world
You can’t know true forgiveness in an "I" centred world
You can’t know true faith in an "I" centred world
You can’t know true hope in an "I" centred world
You can’t know true peace in an "I" centred world
You can’t know true happiness in an "I" centred world


In fact you can’t know any of the attributes of God in an “I” centred world.

I have been a Christian for nearly 42 years and have managed to lurch from one crisis to another never seemingly getting any better or any closer to the Jesus. True I have had my highs when I could almost touch Him but all too quickly I slide down the roller coaster into a deep valley, dark with despair.

This is where I was at, only last week, I always tried so hard but never had the closeness my heart desires. Strangely, however, it is in these dark times that my thoughts are directed towards answers that I believe could only come through the Spirit of God. It starts with a scripture that comes alive in my mind then as I ponder and meditate on that scripture I begin a dialogue in my mind that consumes every moment of free thought time.

This time the scripture was “by this shall all men know that you are my disciples that you have love one for another”

If this is the criterion for the world to know that we (The average Christian, the average church and the average denomination) are His disciples then it appears that on the whole we fail terribly. Wars, murders, martyrdom have been part of our church history right up today and even the way we hurt those who we should love and support because they are different or have a different understanding from us does not display that love. Why Lord Why.

“It is not what goes into a man that defiles him but what’s in his heart.
It is from the heart that all abominations come” “Do you want to see your heart?”

Scary thought Lord!

I will be with you.

It is still very scary.

Therefore there is No condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.

I am not here to condemn you but that through our journey you might be able to not only answer your own question but also see the way out in Me.

Yes Lord I’m ready.

The ground is parched and dry, thorns thistles and weeds seem to be everywhere.
Giant boulders and rocky places are strewn around in a haphazard manner. There appears to be no order, no plan, nothing but chaos. Paths lead of to the right and to the left many appearing to go nowhere. The stench is like nothing on this earth. I turn to run but He is there. I cry No Lord! This is not me!

He said “you are right it is not you.”
“But it is your flesh.”

The thorns, the thistles and the weeds are the plantings of the enemy. They choke the goodness out of you and the good seed that is planted in you.
Their roots go deep into the very fabric of your being poisoning your every desire to serve Me. They are the result of every act of disobedience, every act of sin, every time of rebellion.

The Giant boulders and rocky places are the hardening of your heart to protect yourself from further hurt. Like callous building layer upon layer over a scar.
Places where you won’t trust even Me to heal.

The paths of to the right and left are the patterns of your responses to any given situation. They are well worn but usually lead no-where.

The path felt rock hard beneath my feet I wanted to see or smell no more. I wanted to justify myself, to say it wasn’t me, but I knew it was. I could recognise the weeds and thistles I knew their names. I knew the hurt that each rock and each boulder represented. I knew each path and where it leads I had travelled them many times. And I knew the name of the thorn thistle or weed that each one ended up before. I was ashamed.

He smiled so lovingly at me a joy and a peace came over me as He lead me down the one path that I also knew would be the one spot that I need not feel ashamed to be with Him at.

“There! There!” I cried “Over There”.

In the centre of all this wasteland were a soft green grass, a spring of cool refreshing water and old rugged cross and two beautiful huge trees. The sweet, sweet smell that came from the trees dispelled the foul stench that I had left behind. I ran to the cross and clung to its base sobbing. There was no enemy here.
At my right grew a tree I knew to be the tree of salvation and on my left the tree of righteousness before God.

“This is My place. From the day you asked me into your heart I have guarded and protected this sanctuary for us. Never will it be over run or destroyed. The enemy has no place here for all eternity. Be of good cheer we have much to see and much to do”
His hand was gentle on my shoulder.
I looked up.
To my surprise everywhere I looked was green rolling hills.
Garden beds of the most exquisite flowers and shrubs were maintained in an immaculate way.
Trees strong and large bowing down with the weight of fruit hanging from their branches grew all around.
So many different varieties.
Trees that I had never seen before but I knew all their names.
The grass was so soft under my feet and as I walked I left no footprint. Every blade of grass sprung back into place as I lifted my foot.
A stream that sprung from a spring in the centre of the garden watered each plant and tree individually. I was amazed; I was enthralled, I was in heaven.
He smiled at the look of joy in my face and beckoned me to join Him at a large strong tree. He reached up and picked a large ripe fruit from the tree and handed it to me. I took and ate. Immediately I felt a surge, a flowing of love through my entire being. Never had I felt such love, I loved everybody and every pure and good thing.
He said “True Love not from an I centred world” I turned to look at His face and saw a puzzling thing, there right behind me was the same old rugged cross and the same two trees of righteousness and salvation.

“Why are my trees in heaven?” I asked.
“Who said we were in heaven” He replied.
“But where else could I be?” I asked
“You are in your heart” He replied
Now I was really puzzled.
“How can this be I had just seen my heart and it was nothing like this.”
He smiled again, and sat down on the grass, His hand patting the ground beside Him.
“Come and sit with Me” He said.
I needed no second invitation.

I sat there for what seemed an eternity; my mind was racing, bulldozers, forklifts and several 10 ton trucks to clear my old heart and replant it with my new heart. Then He said
“You don’t understand do you”
I looked at Him and He was smiling
“No Lord I don’t” I replied
“Listen carefully and I will explain” He said.

“A certain man had an old dilapidated car. All his time and money was spent trying to keep it on the road but it was never enough. No matter how much effort and money he spent it never preformed as it was meant to. He was never satisfied. Yet in his garage was a brand new car, fully optioned with everything he would ever need. Absolutely nothing to pay ever yet he never drove it. How foolish was that man? Yet how like so many of my children?”

“The human heart is desperately wicked, who can know it. Ever since Adam fell it has controlled mankind, it loves to control and will fight to maintain that control. Just like Jacob stole Esau’s birthright so does the human heart. It will use deception, guilt, religion, greed or any number of strategies to enforce its position in your life. Its aim is to keep man’s spirit from taking up its God given position. It has no difficulty until a man accepts Me, but as soon as he does there is a constant battle within that man. Sometimes the heart will play possum pretending to be dead, biding its time until in a moment of weakness it strikes bringing guilt and condemnation upon its victim and once more excerpting its authority.”

“How my children have been deceived, robbed of the fullness of life that I have provided for them because they believe they can tame their hearts. They try so hard, become so religious, make up new rules and invent new ways to hide their true selves behind masks. In the end though there is only emptiness and failure. For nothing born of the human heart is eternal.”

“They just don’t understand how wicked their hearts are, they believe in the innate goodness of man yet there is none righteous no not one. They hold onto their “rights” not knowing their “rights” are from their human hearts. I don’t give rights but power.”

“Understand this, the human heart resides in the temple of pride and the pillars of that temple are independence and greed and both these pillars are fed by the “rights" that they hold so tightly too”.

“The human heart is the playground of the enemy, every chain; every cord and every tether that he uses to snare or constrain my people are anchored in their hearts. Fear resides there, hurt resides there. There is a record of everything you have ever owned and lost in the heart. Nothing is forgotten and everything is used to justify its control over the spirit of man.”

“My hearts like that isn’t it Lord”

“Yes it is”

“What hope is there then?”

“I died to give you hope”

“Let’s look at your new heart that will give you hope and encouragement.”

“Ok Lord that sounds good”

“Your new heart is like the car in the garage, it is top of the line, fully optioned. It has everything you will ever need or want and it is designed just for you. Your personality is embedded in it. Best of all it is Our temple a place where you will be in perfect relationship with The Father, and The Holy Spirit.

Because your new heart is created with God’s Law written in it, when you live out of it, you cannot sin. Everything that is birthed out of this heart is eternal and not subject to judgement.

Your new heart is connected directly to the throne of God, the river of life flows from the throne right through your heart. It is a place of power, a place of holiness, a place of love.”

“That’s great Lord, but how can I live there when my old heart is always forcing its dominance”

“It has to be judged and sentenced and that sentence has to be carried out.
There can only be one sentence, death.
The only questions are who will judge it? Who will sentence it? And who will execute the sentence?

You choose, will it be you or Me?”

“Can I do that Lord?”

“Of course you can I never ask you to something that is impossible for you”

“Then How?”

“I led you out of Egypt many years ago, since then you have been in the wilderness. Are you willing to cross the Jordon into the promised land?”

“Yes Lord”

“ok and congratulations you are on the other side of the Jordon”

Remember the Children of Israel, when they crossed over they had many battles to fight. So have you, but I will be with you and I will give you a battle plan for the fight. If you are strong, courageous and obedient the battles will be yours.

You must be ruthless, do not listen to the pleas for mercy; do not listen to your old hearts bleating. Do not judge something as worthy to be kept or it will come back and bite you just as it did to The Children of Israel.

Above all only fight the battles that I direct you too, and be careful to follow my strategies that I will give you.

Be patient, you will have the victory.

Don’t forget be utterly ruthless leave nothing, take no prisoners, no spoil, ground everything into dust and then call for my consuming fire to burn it up.”

Let the battle begin

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE