Through the Fire #5 - Kicking the habit
My testimony how Jesus delivered me from smoking addiction,
There are some things we don't like to
talk about, and those are our
failures in life.
I want to talk about this one, because
it was a problem to me.
When I got back-slidden and I went away
from Jesus, one of the bad things I did -
I started smoking.
And I regretted it, but I smoked for 12 years,
10, 12 years, the time that I
was away from the Lord.
But when I came back to Jesus, I wanted
to stop smoking with all my heart.
The other sins that beset me were easy
to set apart - I just stopped doing them.
But people, I could not stop smoking,
I could not kick the habit.
And I had tried so many times in my life
before that to stop smoking, and then I
was desparate to stop smoking because
here I am, I've come back to Jesus -
- I've repented with all my heart, and I said,
"Lord, I want to serve you with all my heart,
but I got this stinking cigarette."
And I smoked a pipe and all kinds of trash,
but I couldn't stop smoking, and it ate at me.
I didn't have confidence to pray anymore
because all I tried, I just could not.
It was a demon that was in me, the
smoke was -- it had me.
And it affected my life as a Christian, as
a disciple, because I'm dedicated to
Jesus, but I can't kick the habit.
And I cried to God and said,
"Lord Jesus, please help me, I want
to stop smoking."
And the more I prayed and the more I
cried, the harder it became and I
couldn't stop smoking.
It was just like an insurmountable
problem to me.
Until one day I gave up and said,
"Lord, I love You, and You know my heart -
I want to serve You with all my life.
And if I'm going to die smoking, that's
fine with me, but you know I love You
and I want to follow You with all my heart.
And I got my eyes off the smoke
and my eyes onto Jesus.
It was about a day or so later, two days,
I cannot remember, I walked into a
collegue's office and he said to me -
"Jan, why do you smoke?"
I said, "Man, I hate it."
He says, "Well, who don't you just stop?"
I said, "What do you mean?"
He says, "Well, take that cigarette and tell it -
I don't need you, I don't want you, get
away from me."
It sounds silly because I tried to stop smoking
so many times before.
I walked out and over to my office, and
I sat there and I took this packet of
cigarettes and I said - "You're not my
boss anymore, Jesus is my boss."
I put it down and I never smoked again.
The smoke left me, I didn't stop,
that smoke demon left me because I
got my eyes on Jesus.
Where previously if I tried to stop smoking,
I just had to put away all tobacco products
from me, and if people smoked close to me,
then I got the craving.
I had no craving!
I had no withdrawal symptoms.
I never craved for smoking again.
Previously, I'd stop smoking for a few days,
then somebody smokes a cigar in front of
me, and then I could be, like, puffing,
inhaling his smoke.
It was gone!
The smoke had left me.
My Friends, Jesus sets us free, but when we've got
our eye on our problem, then our problem becomes
big, HUGE - it becomes bigger than Christ.
When we set our eyes on Christ to glorify Him
and to satisfy Him, then these other things
fall away like dirty rags.
And I thank God not just for delivering me.
Just saying, "Lord, please deliver me from the smoke,
and puff it goes - no.
He made me suffer, because we learn from
what we suffer, and I suffered.
What I also learned from this is that many
Christains are hypocrites, and
I was a hypocrite.
Because they think, well, I've never sinned and
I'm better than that guy - I was like that.
But I had to come low to realize that
I'm nothing, man.
And that it is all about Jesus!
I had to be addicted to that thing to realize only
Jesus can set me free.
It is not about anything else but about the
Lordship of Jesus Christ, putting Him first
in our lives, and then He delivers
us from everything
The other thing is it's not because you don't smoke
that God loves, it's because your are pure
in heart.
It doesn't bring you closer to God if you can
attain your own holiness, no.
It's obedience that matters in the sight of God,
and I had to learn first that I could not make myself
acceptable to God by stopping smoking - I couldn't!
I couldn't help myself!
But when I handed it all over and I said -
"Lord, I love you any way," He
delivered me because He loves me.
I'm nothing, My Friends -
Jesus is everything.
My testimony is about Jesus and what Jesus has
done for me and what He will do for you
if you trust Him - it's not about me.
Me?
I'm a failure, but Jesus has picked me up
and Jesus can use any old vessel that makes
himself available to Christ.
But we must come with a pure heart and submit
ourselves to Christ.
You don't need to kick the habit -
it will leave you by itself.
Just get your eyes on Jesus, My Friend.
May Jesus Bless You.
finalcall07.com
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