ONE HEARTBEAT AWY - PART 89

                                         ONE HEARTBEAT             AWAY

     PART 89


(copied from Mark Cahill's Book)


My high-school buddies look at my life  now
and tell me my life is so different now, they
hardly know me.

They can see changes on the outside, because
of what has changed on the inside of me - my
heart and my mind.  I changed my thoughts
toward God and He has been changing me
to what He wants me to be.

There are two distinct changes to repentance. 
Let me illustrate it this way: You're sitting on
your camel, baking in the sweltering heat, 
surrounded by the hot desert sand, the rest of
the caravan is stretched out behind you, wondering why you have stopped.  

As you scan the horizon, you come to the inescapable conclusion that this is not the direction you need to go. That's the first 
stage. Next, in stage two, you turn your mount around and make your way back through the muttering crowd .... repentance is not complete until you turn your mount around. 

 
Charles Spurgeon
said:   "A man may
hate sin as much as 
a murderer hates the
gallows, but this does
not prove repentance.
If I hate sin because of the punishment, I have not repented of sin. I
merely regret that God is just. But if I can see
sin as an offence against Jesus Christ, and loathe
myself because I have wounded Him, then I have
a true brokenness of heart.

Consequences alone, should not cause 
repentance. Offending God should make
me want to make drastic changes in my life. 
We should want to leave that sinful life behind 
us.
Do you?  
Do you want a changed life that will
glorify God?  
Do you want all your sins to be
forgiven?  
Do you want God to start preparing
you for a life in heaven for eternity? 

Charles Spurgeon said:

"To hate sin because it caused the brow of Christ
to be girt with the thorn crown, and the face of
Christ to be dishonored with the spittle, and the
hands of Christ to be pierced with the nail - this is repentance - not because I am afraid of hell, not
because sins brings pains and penalties with it, 
but because it made Jesus to suffer for me such pangs unutterable. "  
                                             
next post   25th February