The other day I ran across this testimony on Facebook from Jackie Hernandez. After reading this, I reached out to her for her permission to share her powerful transformation. Her story reminds me of a young girl I ran into several years ago. You can read about it here titled, “The Empty Offer“.
It is such a wonderful joy to read stories such as these, but there are so many more who need to have the saving grace of God wrought about in their lives. Be encouraged and share this with your friends and family who may very well need the same in their lives.
“Fb friends & church family, I’ve got wonderful news I’m so excited to share with you this morning! Last night around midnight of November 10, 2018, after getting off the phone with Pastor Aaron, the Lord used him to reveal to me the true state of my soul. For these past 2-3 years, I kept convincing myself that I was born again & believed that I was right with God. But I am here to tell you all & admit that I was not.
“I prayed & cried out to God, thanking Him for bringing me to the realization of this last night. I was deceived… I was fooling myself. I don’t remember a time when I came to a place of full & total surrender to Christ, putting my faith in Him alone & trusting what He did for me on the cross. I do remember when I came to the knowledge of some truth. I do remember having a willingness to turn from sin & I even stopped doing certain sins. I had some fear of God in me, I was zealous about warning others of hell, but, I remember never hearing what the Gospel was & how to be saved. I learned from people here on fb.. & always read that we must obey or we won’t be saved. That is how I tried reaching out to those who were lost (not knowing I was still lost myself) by telling them they had to obey.
“The mentality I had beginning in 2015-16 was, “I don’t want to go to hell, so I’ll obey God’s commandments”. I was trusting in my own good works. I stopped doing some sins, & started working for my salvation. I even tried keeping the Sabbath at one point! For those who have been friends with me on here since the very beginning & followed my posts, would know that I always talked about obedience & how that saves us! & always falling into the “sinless perfection” doctrine. I appeared Godly on the outside, I “talked the talked” but my heart was far from Him! We shall know others by their fruit, & I was bearing rotten fruit! & many times, I kept going back to a sinful lifestyle. Then when I thought I truly came to a place of Godly sorrow & repentance, I still did not fully trust in Christ. Yes I departed from some sins again, but that meant nothing! Anyone can stop drinking, smoking, fornicating, etc… but that does not save us! I was still living for self! Full of pride, vanity, selfishness, rebelling against God often, & so much more! I merely had a mental assent of the Bible. I accepted the Word as truth but did not allow it to have an impact on me.
“I came to know that it looks so similar to faith, that many cannot distinguish one from the other. Which I was not able to distinguish until last night! So after it being revealed to me that I was yet a sinner, living in darkness, in deceit, in rebellion against a HOLY God.. I realized I needed to get right with Him & be truly saved! I heard the Gospel, the true plan of salvation from Pastor Aaron quite a few times before. Thinking I’ve done all that already so I know I’m saved, never fully grasping it. The enemy really wanted to get me to believe I was saved, so I wouldn’t come to true salvation! But God had mercy on me!! No more guilt, & a total cleansing! He did not leave me to continue on this path of darkness & destruction. I am unworthy, I don’t deserve it. I was blind..I was lost… but God! He opened my eyes. Jesus found me! I finally have true peace in my heart & I am overflowing with pure joy! Praise His precious Holy Name!! :):)”
You can reach out to Jackie Hernandez on her Facebook page. Jackie is engaged to Aaron Brummitt of Repentance Cry Ministries.
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Peace and blessings and may the Lord be glorified, the church edified and hope given to the hopeless.
Jeremy B. Strang
Christian. Husband. Father.
Grace Upon Grace / Foothills of True Grace / Stay in the Boat
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