Klingeman Ministries

Dear Friends,

I love being a Christian. It is a walk with a true and living God. I will never forget the day I was born again. I was transformed and the change that took place inside of me is hard to describe; I had true peace and an absolute trust in something that could not be taken away—something eternal. Something had obviously happened to me. My world had not changed but my perspective had, and I began to see things and react to circumstances differently. I loved the new walk I had just started.

Looking back, I didn’t realize that when I proclaimed my faith in Jesus Christ my spirit went from death to life. By His amazing grace, the Holy Spirit preformed the miracle of miracles and made me a son of God through a simple act of faith. I was set free from the cares of this world that night, but over time they began to creep back into my heart and mind. I would cry out to God. “Please, Please LORD DO NOT LET THIS BURDEN COME BACK INTO MY HEART!!” At times, the burdens this world deceived me into carrying wore me down. My desire to be a Godly young man would be weakened, and I would defame what I believed with all my heart by my actions. The shame of my actions began to destroy my desire to serve the God that saved me.

Jesus teaches that nothing is impossible to those who believe . . . so I believed and I never gave up. I kept walking and seeking to learn more about my Lord and Savior and how my relationship with Him works. In Mark, Chapter 4 Jesus teaches with a parable about a sower who sows the Word of God into people’s hearts. However, the cares of the world choke the scattered seed, the Word of God, to the point where there is not enough life in it to live and grow . . . it dies.

This parable helped me understand that my “walk” with God is a process. The process started when I chose to believe in the Son of God and a seed was sown in my heart. Simultaneously, the enemy started a process to destroy the seed. I was the steward of that seed. It was up to me to care for the seed and have faith that it would take root and grow. The seed did not take root and grow solely because God has a desire for me to be more intimate with Him and to know His plan for my life. I had to surrender my plans for my life and line it up with His will for my life. I had to choose to read my Bible, attend a good Bible believing church, fellowship with other believers, etc. I had a choice: expose myself to influences that could destroy or nurture the “seed” in me.

In the growing process I have made plenty of mistakes. I learned that God loves me in spite of my bad choices; He never stops loving me. He forgives me and I have had to learn to accept His forgiveness. I John 1:9 has been instrumental in my walk with God. It reads; “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I couldn’t live worried about making a mistake and when I did make one I had to stop beating myself up and accept His grace. Mistakes have damaging consequences and we learn from them. If you don’t learn, you will most likely commit the same offense again, and again, and again . . . Confess your sins, accept His forgiveness and walk on.

If you are in Him and walking with Him you have the strength on the inside of you to overcome all things. No matter what storm or weakness is staring you down. Today, I do not make excuses for my faults, nor do I beat myself up for them. I fall on the grace and mercy of the God that loves me. I spend time with Him and let His love illuminate my heart.

Nothing can stop the process of God’s love growing in you and through you except……YOU! There are so many things I want God to do RIGHT NOW!!! I believe them and want to receive them. I want to be different! I, though, am not the one who creates change. God over time has delivered things to his children, including me. I become frustrated when things are not changing before my eyes, but when I look back on my life I am amazed at the change that has already taken place. Giving my life to God is a daily walk of serving Him in obedience. I can only do my best; it is God who gives the increase. I cannot produce real change any easier than making a tomato plant grow and feed me right now in May. But God can make it grow and produce fruit.

God’s desire is to have your heart enjoy His love, peace, patience, faith, and so many other things through the life giving spirit you receive when you are born again. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will yield your free will to consider your life not your own and follow God’s lead one day at a time. He will show himself faithful. He will cause the seed in you to grow to maturity the more you yield to the quiet unction he places in your heart. He meets us right where we are at, right now.

Mark 4:26: “The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Sometimes we desire a harvest of different fruit immediately in our lives or a change in our own strength. God wants us to have the desires of our heart more than we do and He sees what we want. He is a good, loving Father. It brings Him pleasure to give good gifts to His children. THAT MEANS YOU! But real fruit that this world cannot steal only comes from heaven through spiritual fellowship, growth, and maturity with God. Real change that will stay forever always starts on the inside and manifests through and around us.

Trust God!! One day at a time. You don’t have the power to change the weather. But God does. You don’t have the power to change people’s minds or rescue them from destruction. But God does. So take time to take your walk with God to the next level. It is a process, don’t beat yourself up. God is not going to beat you up either. HE LOVES YOU! He made provision for you on the Cross. Enjoy your heavenly Father and enjoy the process of getting to know His love for you. God gets just as much pleasure in the journey to change as the change itself.

Enjoy being who you are. God loves who you are. He only has plans to make your life better.....If you will let HIM!

God Bless,

Travis