Mountain View - Ruts By Tom Hovsepian
Writer Author Church On The Mountain
Christian Column
:
Inspirational
- Fiction No
My brother-in-law, Tig, told me a story about his recent elk hunting trip in Colorado. His hunting party was driving down a mountain dirt road when it began to rain. They continued traveling as the dirt turned to mud, and found that they had gotten stuck in the ruts of those that had gone ahead of them. At that point they had no choice but to go forward. No turning left or right because the ruts had become way too deep. He said they needed something to just pick them up and set them on flat, dry ground, enabling them to travel where they wished.
A couple of weeks ago I listened to the testimony of a man named Sy Rogers. He tried the “being good” routine... he was an Eagle Scout, went to church, played sports, and joined the military, all in an effort to find something that eluded him…. maleness. You see, Sy was struggling with his sexual identity. Finally resigning himself to what he thought was his fate, Sy decided to proceed with a sex change operation. In preparation he lived for two years as a woman until someone came and lifted him out of the rut of his female identity.
One night in his room, Sy met God. The encounter transformed him and all that the Lord asked of him was to “walk with Me.” No list of rules, or dos and don’ts…. simply “walk with Me”, and the rest fell into place. Sy was so overcome with God’s acceptance that he gladly joined up and was gloriously set free! That was 31 years ago and Sy travels the world telling people of the transforming power of encountering God.
Bill Johnson, Pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA, says divine encounters are the stuff that brings about transformation in our lives (a lifting out of the ruts, so to speak). Simply knowing about something will always be trumped by experiencing it for ourselves.
In the book of Romans we read that “it’s the goodness of God that brings us to repentance (change).” Charles Finney said it was like “liquid love” being poured over him. He was stuck in the rut of being a mean, feisty lawyer and it was God’s goodness that transformed him into one of the greatest revivalists of the 19th century. King David showed us that encounters with God were a necessary part of his life when he wrote “like a deer pants for the water brooks so my soul pants for You, O Lord. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (Ps.42:1-2) Encounters with the living God were the foundation of David’s vital and vibrant relationship with Him. Because he was accepted and loved he knew he could change. And as we encounter how much the Lord loves us, we like David, will gladly begin to be lifted up out of the ruts of our lives, living holy and free before our God. Why? Because love changes things, and picks us up and sets us on level ground.
Tom Hovsepian is a former pastor of Church on the Mountain, a vibrant community of believers in Crowley Lake. We meet at 9:30a.m. Sunday mornings. Call for more information: 935-4272 or www.ChurchOnTheMountain.org
Editor's Comment:
About the Writer Author
State:
California
Country:
United States
Email:
Paulafriedrichsen@live.com
Website:
www.churchonthemountain.org
Profile:
Click here!
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