For Which I am Apprehended – Part I

Our guest author today is Dorothy Caldwell – wife, mother, minister of the dance – and most of all servant of the Lord. Her testimony is also a teaching and to get the full impact – Part I will print today and Part II on tomorrow. May I suggest that you utilize your bible to follow along with her insightful words.

Key Scripture: “He must Increase, but I must decrease” – John 3:30(KJV); Philippians 3:12-14 (KJV) (see also John 3:22-36)
When I received Christ at the young age of six my motive at that time, although sincere, was driven by the fact that I wanted to partake of the wine and the bread (communion). My foundational teaching required that all who were to partake of the holy sacrament of communion must receive salvation AND be baptized. Looking back on it now I realize that it was set up (as I smile at Him). Unbeknownst to me the Lord was stirring a desire in me to know Him – drawing me in little by little. Although my motives were for one thing, God had another plan. I sincerely gave my life to Jesus and I have never been the same. The life that I have lived from that day forward has been, and continues to be, evident of His grace and Lordship in my life.

Over the years, with my heart running hard after Him, I received a lot of good teaching: sound doctrine that make up the monumental word foundation that I walk in daily in my life. Yet, there were some teachings that seemed good at the time, but were riddled with selfish ambition, pride, and arrogance. All of sudden I found myself battling with thoughts of success, prosperity, and me-myself-and I attitudes. Praise God for the Holy Spirit who truly brings us into all truth. As I walked with Him he brought revelation and truth into my life. I became aware more each day as I prayed and sought the Lord that this life in Jesus is so not about some of the self-indulgent teaching that was rampart in the body of Christ. Through prayer and study of the word I’ve come to the revelation that THIS life is ALL about Him.

Little did I know when I accepted Jesus into my heart many years ago that I had received so much more than just being able to take communion. As a matter of fact, I had actually given more than I probably bargained for… I had literally given my life to Him. My life was no longer my own.

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Corinthians 6:19-20

If you and I have truly made him LORD of my life…our body, mind, will, emotions, thoughts, dreams, visions, plans, purposes, ALL belong to the Lord. I’m turning 40 in a few months. And I’m telling you that when you start hitting key birthdays like 30, 40, and 50 you really start to evaluate yourself, your life and even others around you. You begin to weigh everything resulting sometimes with drastic changes. You begin to make resolutions, like drawing a line in the sand: vowing and promising to yourself, even to God, what you will and will not do. Some things I have looked back on and have had sorrowful regrets: things that can never be taken back and will forever be sealed in my memory. Praise God for healing and delivering me, but oh do I wish sometimes that I had a time machine (well, maybe not)…..but you get my point.

The longer you live the more aware you become of your strengths and weaknesses. Either they are discovered by yourself through trial and error (which was most of the time for me) or they have been aptly pointed out by loving family and friends in your life. In recent days I have found myself diligently seeking the Father for adjustments and corrections: asking Him to search my heart for motives that are not of Him. Which brings me to our key verse ~ “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

More on tomorrow… cipro dosage for urinary tract infection