The Wide Road To The Narrow

At the ripe age of twenty nine I was swiftly and completely delivered from every addiction I had picked up on the wide road to hell. In my despair I called on the name of the Lord and He heard my cries for help. I can testify that Gods delivering power is real. He is faithful to His word and He will rescue you from your enemy. (see psalm 18.) This started my journey on the straight and narrow, my new beginning in Christ. I was a new person, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I was so excited that I couldn't help but tell all my friends, co-workers, boss and of course my family.
One thing no one told me was that the whole world would come against me and despise me for such a good and beautiful thing. Man, I went around telling everyone that Jesus has set me free and He really is Lord. Who knew that was like rubbing the fur on the cat backwards. I tell you peoples claws came out, they started showing their teeth at me like angry dogs, I had that old devil so riled it was great. I didn't think it was great at the time cause I was losing friends, friends I had for over thirteen years. Every friend I thought I had at work looked at me like I had lost my marbles, but I didn't let it shake my faith. I thank God for the loving family I have. I am continuously encouraged on my walk with my Lord and savior Jesus Christ. At work I had to start respecting the people by not preaching to them all the time but I continue to be a witness. You now I even had someone at work write profanities about Jesus on my vehicle. What a world we live in, thank God I'm not of it anymore.
I get pumped up when I witness. I'm not always that good at it but I try. I can remember the feeling when you're about to get into a fist fight and the adrenaline starts pumping. That's what I feel when I start to witness. I don't always know what I should say but I just go with it. Not long ago I was confronted by this strange man in a park near my work. Now this guy used to bug me on my lunch break, you know the creepy kind of guy that just stares at you or follows you around like you're best friends but you don't even know him. I mean this guy would follow me around the park where ever I walked, I would have to get in my vehicle and drive away. The Lord told me one day as I was being very rude to him that He loved this guy too. I felt bad. So this day I decided I would witness to him. If he was like everyone else I witnessed to he would run for the hills not to return. Soon as he walked up to my vehicle I smiled a big loving smile and asked him how long he had been smoking. This opened the door for me to tell him about how Jesus rescued me and He could do the same for him. I wasn't the one feeling awkward this time, he couldn't even look me in the eye after that. I guess that takes care of the staring problem. I gave him some literature on how to get saved. Don't know if I will ever see him again, maybe next time he will be saved.
It still amazes me when I think of how I was dramatically changed. One week I'm boozing it up smoking dope, choking down cigarette after cigarette, chewing and spitting tobacco, cussing up a storm, lusting after women like I was still fourteen and never seen a woman before, angry and full of hate. The next I'm saved, delivered, forgiven full of joy and love ready to serve the Lord. I always thought that giving up my life for Christ would be a lot more difficult. I thought I would just backslide and I didn't want to do that to myself of God. I knew it said in God's Word that it's better to have never known Me than to know Me and fall away. I guess I always had a sense of fear of God. That's truly where wisdom starts. Psalm 111:10 says The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. Also see Ecclesiastes 7:12 and Isaiah 33:6 NIV. I felt I was better off living in my own filthy sin. But when you let go, I mean really let go and give everything to Jesus and ask Him to live inside of you and you mean it with all your heart. He is so faithful to do so. You know, when you have the helper right there with you living inside you there truly is nothing you can't do. The power of the Holy Spirit is so great I think Christians today over look that. Truly the Holy Spirit will empower you to obey.
If I ever get mundane in my walk on the straight and narrow the living Word of God will always pull right back along with prayer. Philippians 1:6 says, "Be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." The Word of God is so alive in me. It wasn't always that way though. Not until I accepted Christ and the Holy Spirit made it that way. Scripture that I had known for years and years as a child to an adult that I thought I knew, I saw in a different light when I was saved. The Holy Spirit seems to be revealing things to me all the time, it's very important to make sure we are always in the right state of mind and listening or we could be missing out on blessings. (See Deuteronomy28:2).
As a newborn baby christian there was so much to learn and I was so hungry for it. I devoured so many teachings and books. I think one of the most important things I learned about was forgiveness. Unforgiveness will just plain haunt you where ever you go. The biggest problem for me wasn't forgiving other people for what they had done to me in the past of for persecuting me in the present. It was unforgiveness towards my own self.
The devil knew how to play his cards and he was letting me have it replaying my past over and over. If you yield to his voice in the slightest he'll take you down boy. I heard him telling me how horrible of a person I was for doing something very wrong and I believed him. Of course what I did was very wrong and I should be the one on the cross for it, but I have been forgiven of all my past sins. I would shutter at the thought of my judgment before God in that sin, then I would catch myself and correct it.
"No devil the Word of God says I am forgiven the Blood of Jesus has washed me clean. My Father in heaven said he wouldn't remember my past sins, they would be hidden from Him in Christ." Thank the good Lord Jesus for carrying our sin that we couldn't.
Now that I have forgiven myself I can enjoy life again, isn't life fun full of twists and turns not knowing what's ahead. And we don't have to worry if we trust in the most High God. He will make our path straight bless God. Now days if that old stupid devil tries making me feel guilty about my past I thank him,yes that's right I thank him for reminding me how beautiful my Lords love is for me.
"Wow satan your right I should have gone to hell for that, good thing God sent me Jesus a long time ago. What love and favor God has for me thanks satan you made my day." I can just here that defeated devil hollerin mad saying bleepedy bleepin bleep!! I had em now I lost em, bleepin bleepers!!
Another area God has perfected, well I mean helped me in is my work ethic. After being hung over a lot and smoking way too much pot all the time, I wasn't the most high performance worker if you know what I mean. I was downright lazy and sluggish. In the past I would be ready to hit the door running after work. Now I am willing to go the extra mile and then some. My attendance has improved almost 100%. I actually work my fingers to the bone most of the day now. Not saying I'm the hardest worker or even the smartest but I try. I don't look for compliments from my supervisor or my boss cause I know I ultimately work for God. I try to be a light in a dark place.
Sometimes the devil tries to make it really hard for me by antagonizing me through the guys at work. I have to keep my eyes focused on Jesus big time so I don't slip up. Every now and then I trip up but Jesus is always there to catch me. I imagine myself on this narrow path wide enough for me to walk and Jesus right in front of me and I'm nipping at his heals. I must keep my eyes on Him or I might get lost again.
I still consider myself as a baby christian, I have so much to learn and a lot of growing to do. I study my bible every single day and do a lot of pondering on the early disciples. They did some amazing things just as Jesus did. Healing people, raising the dead, and casting out demons. Jesus said as believers we would do the same things but even greater things would we do. I don't always see that today unless it's on tv or I'm reading about it in a book. We are considered the body of Christ. Then why aren't we doing the things Christ did. some christians pray in tongues like the early christians but not all. What makes us different from the early church? I believe in the whole Word of God myself even if I haven't seen anyone raised from the dead. Maybe if we believed God's word without wavering we would experience more miracles.
I truly believe in the healing power of Jesus. I was supernaturally healed as a boy growing up. One summer I was staying with my great aunt and uncle in southern Iowa. My cousin and I were being boys wrestling and fighting when I heard a loud pop in my upper back. I was paralyzed to a point where I could barely move. I had a pinched nerve in my back and was bed ridden for most of the day. My great uncle who was once healed be the Lord in his back came to me. I was laying face down the only comfortable position without pain. He asked me where it hurt and I told him. He began praying for me and when he went to lay hands on my back it let out a loud pop louder than the first. He had barely even touched me. I mean his finger just grazed my back when it let out that popping sound. That's how I know it was a miracle from God. Instantly I could move without any problems. I think he was more shocked than I was.
God's Word says that we will lay hands on the sick and they will get better bless God. He is no respecter of persons what He has done for me He will do for another. I can't stop rejoicing in the Lord. This straight and narrow path is the path of righteousness and I am lovin it. Hallelujah I'm free Glory to God Heaven here I come.