Friday morning, we left on our trip to visit a family from the chapel we attend. The Halls live in a fairly remote spot in a unique home. After getting to know this wonderful family through church,we were invited to their home to spend the day. This was to be the beginning of a very interesting day, to be sure.
Sara had woken up early that morning from a frightful dream. In her dream, she was forced to proclaim her love for Jesus and her dedication to Him while being threatened with death if she was truly a follower of Christ. In the dream, she was willing to take a stand and be persecuted, and even killed, for the sake of the Lord Jesus. She awakened with this thought fresh in her mind and was troubled by it. She didn't mention the dream until something scared her later that day.
I wish to preface the rest of the events of the day with a background of what God has been revealing to us lately. We have always had a passion for lost souls and for evangelism. We started and run an evangelistic meeting for children after school hours, meeting at a local school. We pass out tracts and talk to people about God and their need for salvation. We wish to see everyone come to know God through salvation, but often feel that we are not doing enough. We have not known God's leading specifically, and for my part, I am guilty of not seeking His will with enough fervor.
I have recently read a book called "the heavenly man" which is the story about a Chinese man who endured prison, beatings, electrocution, and many tortures that would make you weep to just read about them. Even through great times of struggle, this man proclaimed Jesus to his captors, fellow prisoners, and everyone he met, whether they wanted to hear it or not. He never gave up on this quest that God led him to. He never feared what men could do to him, but rather obeyed God at all costs. I have been challenged by this book and you have not seen the beginning of what God will do with His people that will be wholly committed to Him.
I am sick of myself. God has broken my will and I have had to pour out myself in brokenness before Him. I have not just been lazy in my witness, as I liked to think. It is through the counsel of a dear friend, and from holding each other accountable that we have been able to admit to each other that we needed to repent. I had always considered myself just scared to witness to some people, and thought it was "something I need to work on"
Refusing to obey God's command to preach the gospel, to share our faith openly and regularly, amounts to a disregard for God's will. I have been standing in the way of what God has for me, and I had to repent of the sin of disobedience to the Lord. After praying and repenting, weeping and pouring myself out before God, I realized that I can no longer sit on the sidelines and wait for people to come my way. I prayed that God would give me a vision for what He wants ME to do. I don't honestly care at this point who else is doing what, but I MUST commit myself to this work of saving souls. I welcome all who will join me, and there is much work to be done, but I warn you it scares me to death, but not nearly as scared am I of that as I am of the idea that God had work for me to do that I would disregard and deny. I will not be ashamed of the gospel any longer. I know that seems like an emotional response and that I may be a zealot, but if we honestly search our hearts and seek the Lord, we cannot come up with any other verdict.
When God calls us to do, and we refuse, we are ashamed of Him. We are not willing to be persecuted, abandoned, and live without fear of men. I think the fear of man is what keeps us from realizing what we should be doing. The fear of the Lord, the realization that God will judge us one day is a sobering thought that we need to dwell on. God did not save us so that we can sit around and sing and have suppers. He saved us so that we could tell others. If we will not stand up, then the rocks will cry out. If we choose to disobey, then God will use someone else, but do we want to be on that side of God? Do you want to be the one God raised up to use, that refuses to follow his master and king? I don't want to be there, and I hope the fire that is burning in my heart spreads throughout the world.
This fire will go on, there will be those who follow God's leading, stand up and be counted among those who will follow "to the ends of the earth", but that may be getting ahead of myself. Next post will be about what God has specifically shown me I should be doing NOW!
Here I am at the end of my time and I didn't get back to the Halls or our trip, or even what scared Sara, seems I will have to finish that story next time.
Mark
