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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/1647879-Guide-to-Atonement
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by Claude
Rated: 13+ · Book · Inspirational · #1647879
This is a book I started writing about me, faith and God.
This book is about painful experiences that I endured during my pre-teen and teenage years, illnesses that I have had and how I applied God's word to these experiences and illnesses. In God's word we can find answers. We can find faith. We can be healed mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally. I hope that by posting my book online I will be able to help others who have had similar experiences. And I hope to finish writing this book.
March 30, 2010 at 4:11pm
March 30, 2010 at 4:11pm
#691826
Before we can receive God’s blessings we have to know what is available to us and we have to believe that we are worthy to receive them. So often we cheat ourselves out of His blessings because we are plagued by the misconception that we have to be perfect people. God didn’t make any perfect people except for His Son, Jesus. No matter how hard we try to ‘do good’ and to ‘be good’ we are going to mess up.

Romans 3:22-24 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

God is rich in mercy. He is kind, compassionate, and helpful. God is rich in grace. His love and mercy are free. He is the God of love and peace.

I have seen devout men and women of God get out in left field. No one has said that life is easy. Sometimes we get caught up in how life is unfair or how people are unfair and we feel self-pity. “Why doesn’t everyone treat everyone with love and respect? Why is there war and prejudice? Why don’t people treat other people the way they want to be treated? Why do I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb because I try to live my life as a Christian? Why do people persecute me because I have morals and values and standards that I set for myself and my life? Why do I feel like I won’t fit in and I won’t succeed in their dog-eat-dog world?”

I can definitely relate to this. When I was in school I was called a Jesus freak and a bible lover. As a teenager I was left out of the ‘in’ group. As an adult I found myself having to work twice as hard as everyone else because the others would single me out and work against me. But that’s okay. I learned how to keep records of precise times and events, lists of when and what I did and copies of my work. God expects us to do our best. But he doesn’t expect us to be doormats. Even Jesus got mad when He called the scribes and Pharisees whited sepulchers.

Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites? For ye are like whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

Stand up, people. What comes after self-pity? I know. I’ve been there before. Defeat. We allow our minds to defeat us. We lose sight of what we stand for and what our main goal is in life which is to be the best child of God that we can be. And our second goal is to win people to Christ by witnessing and by example.

What happens next? We say something wrong. We do something wrong. We get so caught up in whatever our situation is that we fall wayward. We get out in left field. Then we try to rationalize what we have done and deceive ourselves because we took our lives out of God’s hands and tried to do it on our own.

Next, come guilt. We beat ourselves up. We think that we are so bad that God will never love us again. We think that we are not worthy of His love. We give up because we don’t think that we are good enough for God any more. Then the devil has won. And we have lost until we realize that God loves us and is willing to forgive us of our sins.

I John 1:8,9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

All that we have to do is confess our sins and asks God to forgive us. When we do He will be faithful and just to forgive us. He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. What a powerful love that God has for us, His children. How eager God is to forgive us and welcome us back into His arms. In Luke 15 we read about the prodigal son. Jesus gives us examples in parable.

Luke 15:4-7 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninty and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Not only must we seek forgiveness from God we must also forgive. We need and desire God’s forgiveness. We need to forgive each other. God expects us to treat one another with the same unconditional love, tenderheartedness, and compassion that He so freely gives to us. It is so easy to hold a grudge or to remain bitter or angry for days, weeks, months, and even years after someone has done us wrong, It hurts so deeply to be done wrong by our friends and loved ones as well as by our peers that bitterness and anger are easier to face and deal with than our true feelings.

Matthew 5:44-48 But I say unto you, Love you enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

How do we achieve spiritual perfection? How do we feel worthy of His most gracious excellence?

I Corinthians 2:9-14 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

We have the spirit which is of God in us. We no longer belong to this world or the ways of this world.

Romans 8:5-7 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

God will reveal things to us through our spirit that carnal people will not understand.

Ephesians3:16-20 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height. And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

Our ways aren’t their ways any more. They are God’s ways. You can not expect a carnal man to understand why Christians act out of love instead of selfishness. You can not expect a carnal man to understand why you will endeavor to be honest no matter what the consequences are. You can not expect a carnal man to understand why you pray for someone who has done you wrong instead of acting out of spite and revenge.

Romans 12:17-21 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

You can not expect a carnal man to understand why you are not materialistic and that your riches are waiting for you in a better place. A place where there is no strife, no turmoil, no anger, no hate, no sickness, no dying, no sadness, and no loneliness.

Matthew 22:36-40 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

LOVE. When we love someone else, unconditionally as God loves us we reach that plateau of spiritual perfection. LOVE. God is love. We have God, in Christ, in us. We are full of love. It has to show. In I Corinthians the apostle Paul tells us about charity, which is love.

I Corinthians 13:3-8a And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind, charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth:

That beautiful, pure, powerful love dwells in us. We have God’s Spirit in us and as such we want to love, to help, to pick-up the broken hearted. We want to share God’s love and His Word so that other people can experience it, can live it; can have the peace of mind and heart that comes from being a child of God.

In your walk as a child of God, you will come across those who say, “I am a Christian.” But they do not treat you with the love that you know they should possess. Do not let what other people do cause you to falter by the wayside.

Some of us will have family members who will ridicule us because they are carnal. Pray for them. They do not and will not understand until they become children of God. Be an example. LOVE. It gets really hard sometimes because as Christians it is sometimes hard to find a comrade at work or at home or at school. Use God’s promises and know His love.

God wants for His Word to be heard all over the world. There is more than one way to witness to people. Standing up for what you believe in is a way of witnessing to people.



February 20, 2010 at 5:26pm
February 20, 2010 at 5:26pm
#688113
As a child I was taught that if you get sick it is because you did something wrong. I was not taken to the doctor like most but forced to look into myself and strive to be the best child of God that I could possibly be. In my quest to surpass sickness and tragedy I knew that the only way to be the best that I could be was to educate myself by studying the Word of God and to train myself in the admonition of the Lord.
At the age of nine I started my biblical studies on how to be the best child of God that I could be. I have found that in order to receive God's blessings, His healing, His peace; we must believe that we are worthy of His love and we must believe in Him like we believe that every morning the sun comes up and every night there are a moon and stars. When you learn to believe in God whom you can not see then you will receive healing and blessings in every aspect of your life that you can see.

Matthew 9:28,29 And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him: And Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto Him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

When I was nineteen years old I worked at a doctor's office part-time and went to college full-time. It is against my nature to lay out of work. I went to work sick one day. My coworkers and the office manager noticed that I could not hear them if my back was turned and I staggered and stumbled when I walked. The office manager asked me what was wrong. I told her that I had a terrible ear ache and it was messing up my equilibrium. She asked one of the doctor's to examine my ear. One of them did. he said that I had the worst ear infection that he had ever seen and that I would probably develop scar tissue from it. He had the office manager take me immediately to see an ear specialist sixty-two miles away. On the way there we prayed for my ear and sang praises to God. When I saw the ear specialist he said that I didn't have an ear infection and that there wasn't any sign of me ever having an ear infection. I was healed.
Not only does God want for us to pray and to believe, He also wants for us to pray with supplication and thanksgiving. What better way is there to show faith in God and His healing and blessings then to pray with thanksgiving. We should sing praises unto God and show our gratitude.

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.

We must have faith like we believe that when we inhale there will be air for us to breath.

Matthew 9:20-22 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him and touched the hem of His garment. For she said within herself, if I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned Him about, and when He saw her, He said, daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.And the woman was made whole from that hour.

In 1994 I was diagnosed with endometriosis by two different gynecologists in two different towns. Both of them said that I needed to have a hysterectomy, I was twenty-four years old. I had two sons. I wanted to have a daughter. I asked my preacher and his wife to anoint me with oil and pray with me for my healing. I was healed. I had a daughter when I was twenty-five.

James 5:14,15 Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of Faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

When I was sixteen years old I was vaginally and anally raped. I have told this to only three people until now. I told no one when it happened because my daddy being the man he was would have said that it was some how my fault. My faith in God kept me going but I had to forgive my assailant to be healed. Being such a horrific tragedy for me I had seizures for a year both in my sleep and when I was awake. When I had seizures in my sleep I would wake up paralyzed and unable to speak. I would feel only a stabbing pain in my right side. When I had seizures when I was awake I would slip into total darkness and lose consciousness and then my body would stiffen like a board until I regained consciousness.
The last time that I had a seizure I was at my preachers house. I felt the seizure coming on and I went outside to be alone. I didn't want to frighten anyone and I would have been embarrassed. There were a lot of people there. My preachers son sensed that there was something wrong with me and followed me outside. He took my stiff body into his home and laid me on the couch. The preacher and other members of the church who were there anointed me with oil and prayed for me. As I regained consciousness I could hear them praying and feel there loving hands on my head,arms and legs. As I write this to you tears stream down my face both for the tragedy itself and for the love and prayers and faith and power that healed me. That was the last time that I had a seizure of any kind.

Mark11:24,25 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

God's word is so plain. God's love is so magnificent. He is our heavenly Father. Our spiritual daddy. He is always there for us if we just let Him. Where there are two or three gathered in His name there He will be in the midst.

Matthew 18:19,20 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Praise God. Through the blood and the stripes of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus we are healed. I often think of a song of praise that I learned when I was a child. 'We've got a great, big, wonderful God. We've got a great, big wonderful God.A God who is always victorious. Does so much for all of us. A great, big, wonderful God. We've got a great, big wonderful God. We've got a great, big wonderful God. A God who loves every one of us. Watches over all of us. A great, big, wonderful God.'
February 20, 2010 at 4:39pm
February 20, 2010 at 4:39pm
#688109




Guide to Atonement
by: Claude Clewis
February 20, 2010 at 4:36pm
February 20, 2010 at 4:36pm
#688107
Sometimes terrible and heartbreaking things happen to us and/or our loved ones. We start asking, "Why?" Our minds become cloudy with negatives and our morals and values that we once held so close to our hearts start to slip. We start to forget. We find ourselves in sin We find ourselves drowning in guilt and doubt that God could ever forgive us or love us again.
I am going to show you how to forgive yourself and why you should. I am going to show you how much God loves you and how willing and able He is to forgive you. And, I am going to show you how to become the person that you were and still are underneath all that worldly baggage. For those of you that are new in Christ, I am going to show you God's magnificent love, mercy, and grace. There is no greater joy and peace within then what we find in the ministry of reconciliation.
February 20, 2010 at 4:29pm
February 20, 2010 at 4:29pm
#688105
Knowledge of God's word empowers us as Christians. Knowledge is the foundation for our beliefs, morals, values and actions. For every action there is a consequence. For every consequence there is either negative or positive feedback. I am going to show you how to deal with the negative outcomes from our actions; and in some cases, lack of action.
We can not carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We can not carry the weight of our sin conscience on our mind. I am going to show you and explain to you biblical passages that will empower you to live in peace and harmony with joy. All scripture is from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

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