I am sitting here in the hotel thinking about all the souls that have been won during the last few months of travel. Each one holds a special place in my heart. The stories of these brothers and sisters have of their lives make the day they received Jesus as special to me as the day I asked Him into my life.
I thank God for the opportunity to be a soul winner. Being obedient to the great commission leaves little room for the zeal to leave your life. Each day is faced with opportunity to see Jesus’s love all over us and change us in miraculous ways. Lately I have been studying the love God has for us. Then my husband comes to me and tells me something on his heart. He said, “Lisa if people would serve God because of His love and who He is instead of serving God because they are afraid of going to hell their salvation will last.” We need to allow ourselves to love him for who he is friends. How do we do that? We start by asking Him to make his love real and personal to us. We study His character, His compassion, and love found in His word.
Once we recognize He loves us and His compassion for us only then can we truly receive and grasp ahold of the promises He has for us in His word. There is nothing we can do to make him love us more. He just does!
As I pray for those precious souls today, I am reminded that trials are going to come. Be encouraged that there is nothing that can happen to us that He can’t do something about! We are going to face obstacles and things we don’t like. In my spirit the word “steadfast” is sounding the alarm. I want to encourage them just as the word declares in James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
There is an excitement and an “easy street” that comes when you first start your walk, but soon after the enemy comes and tries to steal all that joy, he throws some snares your way. It is like driving on a newly paved highway with the perfect weather, the best music playing and then boom you hit this big pothole. It rattles your entire car, then suddenly there are all these little annoying bumps that you just keep hitting. You think to yourself “where did this come from? “It is so unpleasant, and it can really test your patience. It is an interruption to you.
What do I mean when I say steadfastness? When it seems the very ones who helped you or led you to this great saving knowledge of Jesus have fallen short, or said something that rattled you remain loyal to Jesus anyway. We can have a love and admiration sometimes for people and forget that they are human. Our faith must only remain in Jesus, He is the only one who can’t fail us. Our friends, pastors, parents of like faith battle a flesh body and may not live up to who we need to be in sometimes. You may look at us and think “wow, that isn’t like them.” Don’t allow our failures and mishaps make you lose faith in who God is in those times. You remain loyal, be firm in your belief, be determined to continue in faithfulness to Jesus. Never adopt the attitude that this is too hard and let what someone else is going through or doing move you away from Jesus.
I read a story on Kingdom Generals from FB. It inspired me. It read:
R.A. Torrey was one of the foremost evangelists of his day. He was a great man of prayer who went around the world proclaiming the message of the gospel and helping men receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He struggled with a topic of Divine Healing. Due to the ministry of John Alexander Dowie. Dowie was a great pioneer of the healing message. Yet he was brash, aggressive, and would openly thrash and humiliate anyone who disagreed with his doctrine. Torrey saw open feuds between Dowie and the great Evangelist D.L Moody. He decided to stay away from the topic all together. Yet something continued to draw him to it over the years. He began to see people healed in his own meetings.
Towards the end of his life, he felt the need to respond to what he was seeing and published a little book called “Divine healing.” Within the writings he said, “Does God heal in answer to prayer today? Does He really heal people who are beyond the skill of the physician and beyond all human help? Does he work miracles today? To all these questions I reply, He does. Not only does the Bible teach it, but experience demonstrates it.” Would Torrey have seen things in a different light if he had not encountered Dowie? Only God knows the answer to that question. Regardless of the action of other ministers that were hurtful, Torrey decided to go with that God’s word has to say on the matter, and he left the legacy of faith proclaiming that God saves, God fills with Holy Ghost, and God heals. Let’s all do the same!
I am unsure of the author of the story, but it encouraged me. Let us all do the same!!! Hold steadfast my brothers and sisters. Don’t let anyone make you doubt God’s word. You need to know it and stand firm on it. If you see those you look up to go through something and maybe not handle it the best they could, I encourage you to pray for them. Don’t tear them to shreds but earnestly pray for them. When we are weak, He is strong! Be steadfast and remain loyal to Jesus. Don’t let another’s actions sway you. Don’t let your trial sway what Jesus has done in and through you. You will have victory, and you will have trials, we won’t understand sometimes. It does not change who He is, what he has done and if you stand what He will bring you through. Stay faithful even when it hurts. Trust God!!!!
Stay active in winning the lost and sharing your testimony. So that you will not end up in captivity. Walk in love always! Scripture says if we are idle and don’t stay active, we will be the first to go into captivity.
Amos 6:1,4-7 (those who are idle and don’t stay active are the first to go into captivity themselves.) First into captivity or exile (feasting and lounging will come to an end)
If you want to be dangerous to the devil, change and be part of helping world.
Rom 12:21 overcome evil with good (One scripture tells it all of how to do it)
Walking in love is the highest form of warfare you can do.