(Repost from November 4th 2012)
In recent conversation, I was reminded of this blog post and thought to repost it. However, there is something i'm adding in at the end....
I remember when my younger brother John was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 16...I'll NEVER forget how i felt...fear and more than anything else, COMPLETE SHOCK!!! I had heard about people getting cancer all my life, buuuuuut I NEVER thought cancer would hit MY FAMILY!!! I NEVER thought that I would have to worry about about my own little brother's survival against this deadly disease...it always happens to OTHER people, buuuuut NOT YOU!!! Buuuuut I learned cancer can happen to anyone!!! It could happen to ME!!! It could happen to YOU!!!
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Recently, I have been seeing and noticing, a lot of people falling away from God. But I'm NOT just talking even about backsliding, buuuut just people IN GENERAL, changing! People of God, falling into deep sin...people that you NEVER thought it would happen to...Changing their standards, losing their convictions! It disturbs me, buuuut more than anything else, it SCARES me. I know that falling away and compromising is NOTHING new, buuuuut for some reason lately, i've just REALLY been noticing it...it just feels like its starting to hit close to my heart...annnnd it SCARES ME!!!
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I've been talking lately to several of my close friends and I said that when I see all these people, CHANGING, turning away from their FIRST teachings and convictions, the thought of marriage to someone honestly JUST SCARES ME!!! And I know I talk about it A LOT, joke around about it, and I know that I WANT to get married, buuuuut HONESTLY, the actual thought of MARRIAGE, at times, puts some FEAR in my heart!!! Its NOT a flighty decision...no matter the person...How do you know that the person you marry will never compromise? How do you KNOW that they will never backslide? You may think you know, buuuuut i've seen people that I NEVER thought would change, CHANGE! It doesn't matter WHO they are or WHERE they come from...you just don't know what will happen!!!
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As woman, we know that we are to submit, to follow, our husbands, I don't want to marry someone that will lead me away from God!!! I don't want that! I LOVE GOD!!! I LOVE this truth!!! I LOVE this gospel message!!! I LOVE holiness!!! I would rather be single for life than to marry a compromiser! You can't say that because a person is this or from here or their last name is this that they will NEVER fall...because i've seen it!!! But as I was talking to my friends, telling them some of my fears, they were advising me and as we were discussing, HOW does it happen??? What allows a person to compromise? WHY would a person turn away from God?
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I came to the conclusion that the TRUTH of the matter is that there is NO guarantee!!! We have to be careful and watchful, buuuuut there is NEVER a guarantee that a person WILL NEVER compromise or fall away from God!!! It could happen to ME! It could happen to YOU!!! It could happen to ANY OF US!!! None of us are PERFECt!!! We are ALL human!!! It is in our very nature to sin!!! It could happen to YOUR FAMILY! TO YOUR LOVED ONES!!!!
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None of us are sooooo spiritual and sooooo far above everyone else, that we become incapable of SIN!!! It happens when PEOPLE stop praying!!! It happens when STOP relying on God for their strength!!! It happens when people think that their knowlege and education is STRONGER than getting on their knees and seeking the face of God. It happens when people think that there is MORE annointing in their talent and ability then in their tears and a spirit of BROKENESS!!! It happens when PRIDE replaces HUMILITY!!! It happens when we start taking the Glory, instead of giving GOD THE GLORY!!!
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I was crying the other day just thinking about it! I told God I don't ever, ever, EVER want this to happen to me! And as I was thinking about it, and as I was praying, this song started going through my mind. Near, the Cross, near the cross...may we NEVER stray so far...keep me near the cross!!! i just felt like a gentle and clear way...God was telling me, just STAY NEAR THE CROSS!!!
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if you want to stay strong...if you want to stay true, if you don't want to fall, if you don't want to stray...just stay near the cross...near Calvary.. near His suffering....right by the brokeness of what God did for us! How can you comromise or backslide, when your on your knees at the foot of the cross!? You can't! Because, as long as your under Him on the cross...at the death of Jesus, there is blood...GOD'S BLOOD..... at the foot of the cross your bound to get His blood on you!!!! This blood will keep flowing down onto you...washing over you...purifying you! At the foot of the cross you'll be living your life continually with a spirit of repentance...
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"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)
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♪♫Keep me near the cross...near the cross...may we never stray soooo far...that I can not see what lies ahead of me♪♫ at the foot of the cross!!!♪♫♫♫
♥Mary Frances :).
*The day I wrote this blog I was at the gym and I felt this burden sooooo strongly on my heart. I remember I was on the treadmill and I just felt my heart breaking for this...no particular reason...I just felt this so heavy on me. I went into the bathroom at the gym, went into one of the stalls, put the music on my phone up as loud as I could, buried my face in my hands and just cried my eyes out. God I LOVE this message! I LOVE this truth!!! I don't ever want to leave...I don't ever want to change!!! Buuuuuut the burden that I felt wasn't just for ME...it was for others too...The next week at WCC...The WHOLE theme of the conference was, BUY THE TRUTH AND SELL IT NOT!!! I know it was NOT a coincidence!!! That same week I got emails from people, Mary, you have NO idea buuuut...did you know???? OH NO...I said...I had NO IDEA...All I know is that I was in the ladies room of the gym bawling my eyes out!!! It WAS GOD!!!! WCC choir ended the last night with singing NOT FOR SALE!!! When I heard the choir singing this, I couldn't stop the tears from falling...it summed up EXACTLEY how I was feeling!!!
Not For Sale
Verse 1
What happened to that Preacher, Who used to Preach so strong.
What happened to that singer, Who used to sing our song.
The Preacher's out selling Amway, That singer's now singing country.
They sold out what is right for what is wrong.
Verse 2
What happened to the church, That used to be on fire.
What happened to the voices, That sang in the heavenly chior.
Oh, The Church has now grown dead and cold,
The choir is silent, Cause nobody goes.
They sold out to the world and their own desirers
Chorus
This heart belongs to Jesus, Cause he saved my soul from Hell.
This heart belongs to Jesus, This heart is not for sale.
Not for sale, Not for sale, No way no sir.
Verse 3
Well a man from California, Called a few months ago.
He said boy with your talent , We can make alot of dough.
I said thanks for the offer it all sounds swell.
But I belong to Jesus, And I'm just not for sale.
Not for sale, I'm not for sale, No way no sir.
Verse 4
Well, If you're living for Jesus,Friend, They'll come a day.
That old Devil's gonna try to get you some way.
He'll try you, And temp you, with his lies straight from hell.
Just say I belong to Jesus, And Devil I'm not for sale
Not for sale, Not for sale, No way no sir.
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(You can find this song by Michael Combs on iTunes)
