Hello beloved,
Well, today I set up a stone of remembrance. Two years ago, on this 19th day of August, Jesus Christ set me free from over ten years of bondage. I was severely addicted to narcotic pain killers; mainly Oxycontin. And it is no coincidence that it has also been exactly two years since I started on a daily Bible reading schedule. You see, “the Truth shall make you free”. I can say today that I have not missed a single day of Bible reading since I was delivered from my addictions. Not a single day. I am not boasting in this. I am simply stating that I would not be where I am today without taking in that daily Word. I have seen so many get saved and delivered, only to walk away from the Lord. They are on fire at first, reading the Word everyday. But, they get discouraged in some way and stop reading. Then, they just walk away all together. What a shame. If only they would grasp the importance of God’s Word.
Well, today I’d like to just share with everyone what God has done in the past two years. First of all, two years ago, I really had very little hope. I was born again and truly wanted to do what was right, but I couldn’t get rid of the desire to take pills. It was very scary to think that I had to do it on my own. I knew that my salvation was not through works, but for some reason, I thought that I was the one who had to quit taking pain killers. I didn’t believe that God interfered with our “free will”.
So, one night(August 18, 2005), I cried to the Lord like never before. I confessed to Him that I was an embarrassment to Him. I had trodden His name through the dirt. I felt lower than ever in my life. I was empty. It was a hot night at Truth Temple when I had met several others to pray for an event which would begin the next day. It was scary to see everyone around me so full of joy and I was so full of despair. I wept and cried before the Lord in total humility. I had never cried to Him, in this way, before. I truly emptied my self. I completely surrendered everything. I told the Lord that I understood that He would not deliver me and that He doesn’t do that kind of stuff. But, I asked Him, if He would just deliver me this one time. I felt like I was asking Him to break the rules of “free will” for me. I had no idea how messed up my theology was, but I was sincerely crying out to Him. Well, it didn’t make me feel any better. And, you should know that if you let your feelings control you, you are in big trouble. Though I left that night with a feeling of hopelessness, God was in the process of cleaning me out.
When I awoke the next morning, something was different. God had done it. He had set me free. The desire was completely gone. I was no longer addicted. And I would NEVER be addicted to anything again. My addiction had been replaced with a surrendered heart. I realized, that morning, that I was no longer controlled by a drug. Neither was I controlled by my flesh. The Spirit of God had come upon me. He had set me apart for something different. All that I had, I surrendered to him the night before. I repented. I truly repented.
Less than a week later, I was asked if two guys, I had never met before, could stay at my house. They were Pro Life missionaries. That might not be much to you, but I was borderline obsessive compulsive about having a neat house. I love those guys, but they were not exactly “neat”. But this house is not mine. Everything I have is now the Lord’s. That’s just part of the cost of following Him. God totally delivered me from most of my selfishness. I say “most” because I wouldn’t dare say that I am completely selfless now. I strive for that, but I definitely have my moments.
Within a month’s time, I had been let go from my job. Why? Because my job consisted of designing t-shirts with liquor and beer on them. I was advancing a kingdom, but it was not the Kingdom of God. I told my boss that I could no longer do the alcohol stuff. Well, I was demoted and given less pay. He told me that he was worried I might be getting a little too radical. Good advice, huh. Of course, he was a “christian” too. Then, I compromised, (like and idiot) and started doing the alcohol shirts again. I thought that the money was more important I guess. Then the Holy Spirit showed me my errors. I went back to tell them I could no longer do it anymore. They fired me. Needless to say, I now have a much better job. You see, beloved, you stand on God’s Word, and He will incrementally take you into the Promise Land and defeat all of your enemies. You try to do it, incrementally, and you will fall. Stand on His Word, beloved. Always. Regardless of what other Christians are doing. You, stand on God’s Word!
Well, I went from getting fired to being thrown into the fire. I went to an event in Wichita, Kansas with Operation Save America. I saw things that changed me forever. If you want to see miracles, then don’t expect them to come to your church. What I mean is that you shouldn’t go to church seeking miracles. They definitely will happen at church, but you’ve gotta get out of the four walls of the church house. Then, you will see these manifestations. Just one thing I saw was when over 50 people came to Pastor Mark Hollick’s church to protest us for going to their schools to give them the Truth. I’ll make this short, beloved. But, they didn’t know what they were getting into. That glorious morning, eight of them gave their hearts to Christ. Praise the Lord! I actually got to see, for the first time, a sinner repent and trust Jesus, right before my very eyes. I saw a seventeen year old, named Sylvester, give his heart to Jesus Christ. I’ll never forget him. He was the first person I ever had the privilege to lead to Christ. It was awesome.
Well, I went from Wichita, to Port Arthur, Texas, to help victims from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. I saw all of the devastation from the hurricanes, but I also saw, with my own two eyes, how God could use a natural disaster to humble people; that they would repent and call on His name. It was truly life-changing.
I’ve gotta wrap this up soon. I could write on this forever. Let me just say that God has blessed me tremendously since that day. I now have a wonderful wife, Paige. (aka: the most beautiful woman in the world) We are expecting our first child in February. God has transformed me.
But, just so you all know, I am not there yet. I still do ridiculously stupid things. But, thank God for authorities in my life that correct me from time to time. Thank God for the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
So, beloved; I know I have not shared much Scripture with you today. Today, I’m just setting up a stone of remembrance. You see, I’ve got to always remember this day. I’ve got to share it with my children. I’ve got to let them know the power of God Almighty. The power that set me free.
I’ll end with this scripture from Joshua chapter 4:
“4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
In Christian love,
Adam Tennant
Posted by akatennant 
