Thank You, Scott!

It's a cold day today. I have a fire roaring in the fireplace. You know, it's an interesting thing to try and build a fire. You have to do it just right. If you start with a little kindling and get a little fire started, you can smother it by piling too much wood on top and it will go out. Made me think....
Years ago, I was a total legalist. My passionate nature had latched onto the concept of "works" and I dove in head first. Before I even knew what was happening, I was weighed down with a lot of restrictions. Wearing dresses all the time, hair in a bun, and eating a super strict diet. My husband was along for the ride as we dumped $800 worth of our favorite music in the dumpster because it had drums in it and removed our wedding rings because we were accused of idolatry. We went nowhere & only saw other people in our little church clique. My heart was heavy and dull as if the weight of my own sins had settled onto my shoulders. As soon as I gave up something as fellow study-group members suggested, there was another thing they expected us to change. The list of requirements was never ending in my quest for holiness. One night, I cried out to God in total despair as Peter did, "Lord save me!"..."If you can't save me, then let me die, because I can't go on living like this. I'm totally worn out." Several weeks later we attended a concert by the Heritage Singers. During the concert, a certain young man named Scott Reed stepped forward and spoke very passionately about Jesus and how He IS the way, the life, the truth. Nothing theologically profound, but his words caught my attention and while other members of our study group indignantly stood up and left, my husband and I sat transfixed in our seats. The young man continued to share some simple, yet wonderful truths. He said we can't work our way to Heaven and that Jesus paid it all so we could be saved. Deep in my heart, buried beneath the scorched embers of my own efforts was a little flickering flame of faith. As I sat listening, something changed. As the days passed, I kept remembering the testimony I heard during the concert. I had to check it out in the Bible. Low and behold, I could not disprove the message of salvation I had heard. That little flame of faith was fanned by the winds of mercy and became a fire so hot, it began to consume the embers of works, the list of requirements was reduced to ashes. Today, my faith is still on fire, thanks to the simple testimony of a young man who loved Jesus. Jesus knew the Jews were tired. Their leaders had heaped so many requirements on them- they were spiritually burned out. Jesus came teaching freedom, rest and joyful living saying "Come unto me, all you who are weary and I will give you rest." When I turned away from my works and back to Jesus he took the weight of sin & guilt from my shoulders, carried that burden to the top of a hill where it was nailed to the cross. Thank you for sharing that truth, so long ago Scott! Check out his website at: www.dwellministries.com He's an amazing vocalist/recording artist!!