My Personal Testimony:
The LORD
is My
SHEPHERD
Those of you whom we've had the blessing of having in our
home know something about me...I LOVE SHEEP!!! Four rooms in
our home have been decorated in sheep -- our kitchen (sheep & irises) &
family room (sheep & Amish), and formerly Caleb's room (sheep & farm) &
Lydia's room (sheep & Precious Moments). It is a rather unique
"collectable"...but WHY SHEEP???
'To whom much is given, much will be required....'
Whenever someone stands and gives testimony,
"But I was far worse than THAT when the LORD saved me...."
Dear friends, I am that "chiefest of all sinners". Not
because of a particular sin I was involved in, but because of
all the blessings and opportunities I had. I grew up in a
Christian home. I was in fundamental, conservative, Biblically sound
churches as long as I can remember. I was blessed with being
in Christian school, then Christian college. After college
graduation, I was blessed with a full-time position at THE
WILDS Christian Camp & Conference Center. I had made a
profession of faith at the age of 10; but honestly, I was
trying to "earn" my salvation all of those years!!!
Ephesians 2:8&9 "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of
God: not of works, lest any man should boast."
Somehow, I thought that I could DO the right things...act
like a Christian, walk, talk, dress like a Christian.... I
thought I had it down pretty good, too! But God looked down
and saw the truth: I was a goat trying to "blend in" in His
sheep herd. I had not placed my faith in the finished work of
Jesus Christ. I knew I was a sinner, but I didn't even believe
that God loved me, that He sent His Son to die for ME.
February 4th, 1990
I was literally wasting away. I weighed 120 lbs. less than I
do now...a whole PERSON! I was miserable. Then one Sunday
morning, we were being taught "Four Things God Wants You to
Know". The first was "My love for you will NEVER change." I
couldn't make it past that. I began to cry and could not
stop. I went home and began to pray...to pray repentance, but
also to pray with FAITH that I would be forgiven, my sins GONE.
Before then, it was like a "confession", but NO faith in
Christ's atoning blood cleansing me...removing my sin from His Father's sight
FOREVER!!!
I stopped crying, and a peace like I'd never known came over
me. I began noticing that God's Word MEANT something far more
to me than it EVER had before. The hymns were SO precious to
me. The "good works" that I had been trying to do -- in the
FLESH (and were actually "filthy rags"!) -- became REAL and
from the heart...for the LORD instead of for MY "glory". It
was a whole new world; I was a whole new creature!!
I shared my testimony with my pastor, Pastor Hill in
Brevard, North Carolina.
I wanted to know if I had just taken another "spiritual step"
or if I'd actually FINALLY become a Christian! When it came
right down to it, he asked me, as I was the only one (besides
God *_*) who knew my heart. And believe me, I KNEW. I saw
from inside the difference...the CHANGE.
PRAISE GOD!! I'm one of His SHEEP!!!!!
The following song is probably my favorite. I sing it as a
personal testimony at church and at churches I visit *_* I
hope the words speak to your heart....
Like A Lamb Who Needs the Shepherd
Music
Words & Music by Ralph Carmichael
Some words by Jennifer M. Seest
Where He leads me I must follow,
Without Him I'd go astray.
I have hope in each tomorrow
When I follow Christ today.
Like a lamb who needs the Shepherd,
At His side I choose to stay,
Trusting Him in joy or sorrow;
He will lead me all the way.
Life is like a winding pathway,
Who can tell what lies ahead?
Will it lead to shady pastures
Or to wilderness instead?
Like a lamb who needs the Shepherd,
When into the night I go
Help me walk the straight and narrow
While I serve Thee here below.
Tho' you walk through darkest valleys
And the sky seems cold and grey,
Tho' you climb the steepest mountains
He will never let you stray.
Like a lamb who trusts the Shepherd,
Pray for strength to serve each day.
'Til the end of life's long journey,
He will lead you all the way.
I want you, too, to "Behold, the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). Accept the
blood atonement for your sin offered freely through the
sacrifice on the cross of the sinless Lamb of God, JESUS CHRIST
the LORD! Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the
life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
(John 14:6)
~God Hath Provided the Lamb~
Music
Sing alleluia! God hath provided the Lamb;
O sing alleluia! God hath provided the Lamb.
Sarah was barren, but God promised Abraham:
"Lo, I will give you a son.
Your seed shall be as the sands of the sea;
through you I will bless every one."
Then God spoke to Abraham:
"Take thy son Isaac;
go into the mountains above.
There on the altar of sacrifice lay him;
give Me the child of thy love."
Sing alleluia! God hath provided the Lamb.
Oh, sing alleluia! God hath provided the Lamb.
Upon the mountains to the place of the sacrifice,
slowly they walked hand in hand
To lay on the altar the promise of Israel,
obeying God's command.
But there in the wilderness, lo, a voice thundered;
God spoke to His servant again:
"Take not the life of thine only son Isaac,
for God hath provided the Lamb."
Weary and wandering down through the ages,
oppressed and afflicted within;
No mere sacrifice given by man
could atone for the evil of sin.
God sent His only Son Jesus, Messiah,
to die on the altar of man.
Once and for all the atonement was made,
and God hath provided the Lamb!
Sing alleluia! God hath provided the Lamb.
O sing allelulia! God hath provided the Lamb.
O sing alleluia! God hath provided the Lamb!
Words and Music by Linda Almond
Copyright 1981 Criswell Music Press
Praises to the Lamb!!
He died at Calvary for my sin!
"And he is the propitiation for our sins:
and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world."
I John 2:2
--I Peter 1:18-21--
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
"But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
"Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
"Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God."
God bless EWE!!!!
And if you don't know that you are a Christian, a sheep in His
care, please read God's Plan of
Salvation for yourself!!! Or feel free to
contact me!
ALSO! If you are one of His sheep & have a sheep graphic
that you would like to share on this page with a link to YOUR
testimony, please
Contact Me!!!
Annie's 23rd Psalm Page *_*
*Adorable* sheep graphic by
Country Graphics by Camille
Sandy created this adorable sheep graphic
which I found at her graphics site
"Mouseworks Graphics" *_*
I am currently trying to relocate her site, as it is no longer at mymouseworks.com *o*
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