If the persecution started and you were taken from you home and put on the chopping block for the whole world to see. Would you denounce your belief for the sake of not being persecuted today? If not, do you go out and spread the words of your beliefs on an everyday basis? If you do not go out and spread the word, are you denouncing your belief to a certain degree?
Feel free to share your thoughts…
This question was posted on a social group of which I am a member. I started writing my comments and the Holy Spirit just kept going. I am sharing what I wrote with you. When I got done I realized it is rather long, but will bless everyone who takes the time to read it.
I believe if we do not share Jesus with those who are among us every day, especially when we sense the Holy Spirit saying to do so we are in a sense denouncing, scared or ashamed of our belief to a certain degree. Such as Peter who was a God-fearing, loyal person, zealous for the kingdom of God, but as we know in a crunch he denied Christ 3 times.
I believe Peter learned a valuable lesson that day and he grew from that experience in leaps and bounds because he later said "I am writing all this for the purpose that you "stand fast in the grace of God." Stand fast in the grace of God. Not by might, nor by power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter had learned that lesson the hard way.
Let’s say your best friend, your sibling, cousin, parent or coworker is not a Christian and today driving home they get in a car accident today and died. You know they would go to hell because they did not believe that Jesus Christ is there savior. Well what if you had been bold enough to talk to them on a certain occasion when you felt the urge to do so, their heart would have been softened and they would have believed, yet because you were not bold, SCARED and ASHAMED you did not and that person died not knowing Christ and was not saved.
Years ago I felt an urgency to speak with a lady name Kate at work about Christ. So I began to try on breaks and each time I did she would change the subject or just totally ignore me. I felt an urgency to try one last time and did not because she kept rejecting me. Then 2 days later I walked into the bathroom at work and found her passed out on the floor. I tried to talk to her but she was incoherent. I ran and got my supervisor who called 911. She died there on the floor. I felt so bad, sort of like Peter did.
That incident has always stayed with me. I know she did not receive the Lord when I talked to her. I then realized that after she rejected me my attitude toward her was not one of love and I did not go back as the Holy Spirit said. Oh my goodness once I saw that I felt bad, really bad. That changed my life. I repented and forgave myself and I am learning to heed the voice of God whether it is comfortable, convenient or whatever. I am also learning that when I rely on the Spirit much more is accomplished.
A couple of years later one Saturday morning I got an urge for a coca-cola and heard the Holy Spirit say to walk to the store and get one. Well I had a car in the drive-way and it was like 98 degrees outside and it not a short walk. So I kept putting it off. Then I head the Holy Spirit say” get up and go now” and it did not sound gentle. So in reverent fear I got up and started walking not know why I had to leave my car in the drive way and walk in all that heat. Then suddenly I was walking past a patch of bushes and from behind me I heard someone say “hey, hey you wait up”. I turned and saw this woman who looked like an absolute mess. I could tell she was high and was not sure what she wanted so I kept walking. Then she said, “hey, you a preacher ain’t you?” So I stopped and told her no not really, but I am saved. She said, “I just left the crack house, I have been there all night. I am there almost every night. This crack is destroying me but I don’t know how to leave it alone. I need help.”
Oh my goodness I realized now why I had to walk to the store. We kept walking and talking and I asked the Lord what He wanted me to say and do. I told her that God could deliver her from the drugs if she really wanted it. She said yes. By this time we had reached to store. I told her that I could pray for her and that God would deliver her. She said “right here?” I said yes but if you are uncomfortable we can go behind the store if you want and we did. I prayed, she accepted and God delivered. I gave her my number and she called me about a month later. Tears of joys flood me as she began to thank me for being obedient to God and said that she had not used drugs again since that day and was in a church and felt better than she had ever felt in her life. This is another incident that has stayed with me about being obedient to voice of God.
A few years later I was visiting my home in Miami and was in Winn-Dixie when a man I had gone to school with called my name. I turned to see who had called me. I did not recognize him at first, it had been years and he looked like life had drugged him through the mud. Standing there I specifically heard the Holy Spirit say “tell him this is his last time”. Well I knew what the Holy Spirit was talking about. So I told him that I was saved and the difference the Lord had made in my life. I could tell he was trying to brush me off but did not want to just be rude and walk away. Then I asked him if he had ever accepted Christ and he said no. I told him if he wanted to he could do it right now. He said no. Then I told him what I heard the Holy Spirit say to me that this was his last chance to do so. I said I will pray with you right now or we can go outside to a quiet place or to my car if you are ashamed and he still said no. I walked away so hurt because from what I heard I knew he was on his way to hell. I got the Miami Times that Thursday which is a weekly black paper and was looking through the obituaries and there he was. He had died that same evening not long after we spoke.
I mention this because people we know are dying without eternal life everyday. All of are in a sense are called to be martyrs. If we love the Lord like we say we do, then we must love with the same dying love Christ had for us. We must speak and tell others about Christ, offer ourselves to Christ be mouthpieces, hand holders, shoulders and knees even without the gun to our heads but because Love compels us to.
Prayer is a powerful force in the lives of our unsaved relatives and friends. People often get discouraged when praying for the salvation of loved ones and begin to wonder if their prayers ever really help. Yes they do! I could give you stories, but I have kept you long enough. However, God has called me to form Save My Love Ones Prayer Ministries International were we pray for our loved ones. Those saved and unsaved. If you have a family members, friends, coworkers, spouses, parents or whoever whom you know are unsaved I invite you to submit a prayer request to http://savemylovedones.ning.com or http://www.savemylovedones.com with their names and we will pray for their salvation and you can join us as well as we pray.
God bless us all,
Angeline
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment