Changed heart, changed motto

I want to share my old motto. In one sense, it's hard for me to admit. But in the most important sense, it is a true joy to speak of, and would even shout it from the mountaintops if possible. First let me say that I think it is so very critical for us to be willing to swallow our wicked pride, banish it actually, never wanting or allowing it to return. I still struggle with pride. It was the sin of pride that was first found in Satan. (Read Isaiah 14:12-14, Ezekiel 28:12-17, 1Tim.3:6) It is pride in me, and also fear, that keeps me from shouting to the heavens of all the evil things God delivered me from....all the sins He brought me out of. Hallelujah, praise God! But how can I praise Him if I'm too afraid to speak of His mercy...wonderful mercy on me, if I won't open my mouth about where I've been, and the sins I've come from? He deserves so much more than I could ever give Him. He is worthy of so much more than the little praise that I can offer. But what I am and what I have come from and the life that He now, by His grace, allows me to live is a testimony to Him! So, as I live this life, do I really want to hide my past transgressions against a holy God from the world when telling of them would bring glory to the One who is worthy of all honor and praise? And do I want to stay in fear of what people will think, say, and how they will react? I love to read the Psalms. And for the subject of my fear, this one is perfect. Psalm 27:1 reads: (NKJV) "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?". WOW, is that not spoken from Jehovah God directly to me? I've already admitted in a previous post of my tremendous fear of people. But God speaks so plainly to me. And Beloved, He speaks to you too. He knows your fears, just as He knows mine. But with His strength I will proclaim His goodness of all the ways He so graciously delivered me from my past, from all my sins that are now covered by the precious blood of Jesus Christ! How many other people in this world, who struggle with the sins that I've been delivered from, could be blessed by God if only I would be willing to let them know that there is HOPE in Jesus. There is FORGIVENESS and healing that is offered to the world through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Please read Isaiah 53. He did it all, suffered it all...all for you and all for me. Jesus DIED for your sins, for my sins. (Romans 5:8) If you are truly seeking forgiveness and salvation, just know that there are NO sins to great to be forgiven. God wants us to bring all of our filthiness and fall down before Him, admit our sin and our need for a Savior, and ask Jesus to forgive us. REPENTANCE! It starts with repentance! It starts with realizing our sin, sins against a holy God. (Romans 3: 10-18 and 3:23) Then acknowledging those sins and a need for His forgiveness, offered through Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:9 and 10:13) And Beloved, God loves to forgive, loves to save...even you, even me. Read 2 Peter 3:9. He doesn't want you to go to hell. And once He saves us, He leaves us here to do His work, for His kingdom, honor and glory. He wants ME to do His will. And how can I ever truly speak of His goodness and mercy in my life if I'm not willing to admit what sins He so graciously and mercifully delivered me from? How can others, who struggle with the same sins, ever hear of hope in Jesus if I don't proclaim it? But don't be mistaken, God will save whom He will save. It will just be that He will give someone else the tremendous blessing of being the one who was an instrument for another's salvation, a tool, if you will. It's one of many areas of life down here on this earth where we will be rewarded by Jesus, at the (Bema) Judgement Seat of Christ with crowns to cast at His feet. Another reward for our faithfulness to Jesus down here on this earth will be a greater capacity to worship Him in heaven for all time and eternity! So with that in mind, why wouldn't I be willing to speak always of all the things, and all the areas of deliverance that God gave me. God, please deliver me from such pride and wickedness, and such fear.
So here was my old motto: "I hate everybody and everything!!!" That was it, my life's motto before salvation. And I truly meant it with all my wicked, cold, hard heart. I said it every single day of my sinful life. Hate was a factor of how I lived. But God....BUT GOD...BUT GOD!!! Oh how I love those two words "but God"..saved me, changed me! (Ezekiel 11:19-20) Hallelujah, praise His holy Name! I was baptized 6 months after salvation. It was a time when our church wasn't doing baptisms in front of the whole body. There were only a handful of people present, most of whom were the family of a 6 year old boy, the only other person being baptised that night. God is good, and knew my fear of being in front of even one other person. But He gave me the strength, before those few, to speak of God's mercy and graciousness on my life. I was already so very aware, even 6 short months into my salvation, of the fact that He had changed my heart of stone. That's what I testified to before being immersed in the water! I still proclaim the Ezekiel passage, because He continues, day by day, to soften this once heart of total stone, and work it with His skillful, loving hands, into a heart of flesh! And this heart of flesh now loves to sing the praises of my great God and Savior. All honor and glory to Him, now and forever more!! Amen