happy!

Originally posted on July 19, 2008 – by Andre Piet

From a site visitor I received the email below. Some details have been changed for reasons of privacy.

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Hello André,

By this I would like to express my joy. About half a year ago I came across the sites that speak about the all-reconciling God. We are (still) in an evangelical congregation, with much personal interpretation of God’s word and much attention for talents and gifts, visions and miracles. Laying on of hands and stepping out in faith is ‘hot’ (only drinking poison or picking up snakes, you don’t hear about that ; ))

We were very burned out and had already once left the Reformed congregations, so what does faith still amount to then? My husband held fast to the accomplished work of Christ and had no desire for all kinds of emotional-social expressions or other humbug. I myself thought that this was necessary, in order to give God’s Spirit more room. Blockages had to be cleared away and our marriage became increasingly strained because we did not approach that ideal picture of an evangelical couple.

Stress, an empty marriage, a daughter of 22 with a life-threatening illness, who also no longer wants to go to church, and all this despite ‘deliverance’, broken curses, anointing of the sick and casting out demons.
Yes, yes, ‘the devil had us firmly in his grip’.

So I was fed up… no longer knew what to believe in, a god-image as poor as could be, and yet… Once, when we came to faith 15 years ago, we were convinced that God’s plan concerned the whole world. So many texts underlined in the Bible, but due to lack of teaching this ended up in a forgotten corner.

In my emptiness I prayed to God for a Bible study. I had already read a lot, but what makes us joyful…?
That God is GOD… and that HE is!! – that makes joyful! and that explanation I found then.
I read 4–5 studies about this GOD (at first with reserve!), but then with an overwhelming joyful heart.

My husband at first reserved, then convinced; all burdens for our marriage fell away (the normal temperament differences are now no longer sins!). Daughter of 18, who loves the Lord greatly, suddenly saw why she was drifting away, now speaks with everyone about the God in whom she may believe, with many ‘unbelievers’ at her work and with her friends from church. “I no longer keep my mouth shut for anyone, this is what everyone hopes for,” she said recently. Even if the church does not run with it…

Other daughter of 22 is now full of confidence. “It does not matter how my life will unfold, I am in God’s hands,” she says. Wonderful!!

My husband felt free to take up his old profession (love) again, since church attendance has become less relevant. Previously we felt obliged never to skip, and to contribute in our devotion and tasks and good works. Because of his work he is not home every weekend. When he is home he serves his family, and is no longer grumpy because there is still so much that ‘must’ be done for the church. On board he enjoys mp3 studies and the Bible.
(…)
In our circle of friends there are those who receive this best news with joy.
(…)

Greetings,
….

Delen: