Under His Control

Lately God has been emphasizing to me the importance of sharing His Word, and the truths it holds about Him, with others. Maybe its because the number of lost souls isn't growing smaller, maybe its because He's recently put me among unsaved co-workers, maybe its to teach me to rely on Him more as He calls me to step out of my "Comfort Zone", or maybe its simply because He desires to draw men to Himself. Whatever the reason may be, its something I can't ignore. Especially when God keeps reminding of His calling every time I turn around. First through the Missions Conference, then through several songs He brought me to listen to, then in some messages I've listened to online, then in a book I have been reading recently, then in some conversations with several seasoned saints and finally tonight in Pastor Walters message! When God wants us to learn something He keeps bringing it before us until He's sure we got the point! ;)

I guess the reason I'm telling you this is because I want you all to pray for me about it. I know, I know...we all say that we need to witness more and that we want to be more effective for Christ etc. That's great. But I'm getting sick of saying that and then proceeding to...doing nothing! I want to be making a difference in the areas that God has placed me in! God has really been causing me to see the needy people around me and its sort of hard to ignore His prodding when everywhere you look you see someone who will spend an ETERNITY in one of two places. Heaven or Hell. I'd especially appreciate your directed prayers for someone that God has specifically been telling me to talk/give a tract to and well...I've been chickening out and need your help through prayer. (And just for the record...I still don't understand how come I get scared to share the greatest rescue plan with someone who will surely face his doom without it!)

God has been trying to show me that He has placed us here on earth for two reasons. 1. To Glorify Him. 2. To bring men to Him. Most of the time when I do a check-list on how I'm doing in those two areas, I...umm...well...lets just say...I think I've humbled myself enough for one blog post and don't need to keep sharing my faults. Seriously though...Whats the point of keeping up your relationship with God if you aren't accomplishing anything for Him? Did He come to earth, live here, endure temptations, suffer on the cross, go through complete and utter separation from His own Father, finally die and rise again so that we could be saved and then proceed to live our lives the way we want and according to our own agenda? No of course not. And I think most of know that. Ok...so my next question is "What does He want? Does He want us to come to the knowledge of Him and then continue to be in His Word, continue to confess our faults, continue to get back up and continue to be in communion with Him?" YES!!! He does. But I believe there is more to it. What good is our relationship with God if all we're doing is keeping the joy, peace and fulfillment, that God gives us, as a secret all to ourselves? One of God's main purposes for keeping us here on earth after our salvation is to be sharing Him, and what He has done for us, with others. Psalm 64:9 "And all men shall fear and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of His doing."

I mentioned earlier a book that I have been reading and I want to share some things from it with you. (BTW- I'd HIGHLY recommend this book and if you're interested in finding more out about it, just let me know.) Anyways, the author was really stressing the important role that the Holy Spirit has in our lives 1. The Holy Spirit enables us to fulfill Gods commandments 2. The Holy Spirit gives us specific power to be His witnesses 3. The Holy Spirit leads us to prepared hearts. "Because we are weak, sinful creatures, we are totally inadequate for the assignment of the Great Commission. Yet God, through the Holy Spirit, makes us adequate. The willingness to obey, the ability to obey and the fruit of the obedience are the products of the Holy Spirit. It is my conviction that any Christian who truly is Spirit filled will have a desire to see men and women come to know Christ. They won't be able to help it. Since the Holy Spirit came to glorify Christ and to guide us into all truth, it is fair to conclude that He will glorify Christ by using us to introduce others to Him. The Holy Spirit gives us both the desire and burden for those without Christ. That's why a prepared, yielded heart is the first step in effective evangelism. Simply attending an evangelism seminar or workshop will not make you a more fruitful witness for Christ. Granted, you'll be more knowledgeable, but we need supernatural assistance to be both obedient and fruitful. The Holy Spirit will only guide submissive Christians. If we are determined to do Gods work in our own strength we can expect our results and not Gods. Before we seek to act on Christs behalf we must first be sure that we are surrendered to the control of the Holy Spirit" The author then pointed out the passage in Acts 1:4,8 "Vrs 4-And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. Vrs 8-But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." The author goes on to point out that Jesus commanded His followers not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the Holy Spirit to come into their lives. In other words, it would have been futile for them to even attempt to represent the interests of their Lord and Savior without the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit"

Ok...so I got the message that the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in witnessing, but I, in my natural rebellion, was still trying to excuse myself from what God was asking me to do. I was telling God that I wasn't exactly gifted at witnessing because I'm not really the outgoing type (that may surprise some of you who know me to be rather talkative, but I really do have a hard time going up to people that I don't know and striking up a converstaion. Mrs. Huber does an excellent job at acting like she has known a person all her life and that just amazes me) Well, that rather pitiful excuse of mine went out the window when I read what the author had to say next. "The early saints of the church were not effective in evangelism because of their outgoing, gregarious personalities. Some of us make the tragic error of communicating, indirectly or directly, that only outgoing people can be effective in initiative evangelism. That is NOT true. The Holy Spirit is not held hostage to working through certain personality types. Bold witness is the result of the filling of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian who has the responsibility to share Christ, and we all do, also has the power available to do it! That's why it is so important to begin each day by asking God in prayer to lead you to those He wants you to talk to about Christ. Then expect God to do just that!"

Theres no way around it. Theres not a single one of us that is exempt from His calling. God has placed each of us in specific areas, with specific people to tell them specifically about Him. But..."Until we recognize the importance of the gospel, evangelism will just be a duty to us-(Pastor Walters)" And that's what I want you all to pray for me about. Pray that as the Lord convicts me to share Him with others, I will see Him hanging there on the cross, with His side torn and bleeding and a crown of thorns on His head. Pray that I will see His nail pierced hands and feet and feel the agony of my Savior as He took on the sins of the world. Pray that I will remember the Calvary scene and how, with His incredible love that I will never truly understand, He asked His Father to forgive His murderers and saved the man dying by His side. Pray that I will remember how He took a deep breath and then cried, "It is Finished!" and it truly was. He paid such a great price for me, how can I think that sharing what He has done for me is just a duty? Its a privilege...one that I don't deserve.

"I have received my all from God. Oh, that I could return my all to God." (David Brainerd)

Thanks for praying,
Chrystal