I'm going to be obedient
Ten years was a long time, but no one expected such a great change from Tim. At the reunion, Tim came into a room that was still somewhat fearful of the old bully. What the people found was a man of grace and charm, who extended a warm hand to everyone he saw. In a few cases, Tim apologized for his behavior ten years gone by. When asked what had made the difference in his life, Tim replied simply, "I'm a Christian now."
The Devil is our enemy. To hinder anything the Lord wants to do in and through believers, Satan will never cease to harass us. His goal is to destroy our lives and our testimonies, thereby making us weak and useless for God's purposes. Let me ask you this could a Christian become addicted to alcohol and do damage to himself and others around him? Yes, but could a Christian also practice moderation and shame the devil? Definitely. Did God create people that He knew would go to hell? If so, does that really change the way we have been called to behave and minister to those around us? Absolutely not.
However, there are some things that we do not know for sure. We have not been given the ability to look into the hearts of other Christians and know what motivates them. It is absolutely impossible for any of us to walk in the same shoes as those around us come to the same conclusions about the issues of life. But isn’t it funny how sometimes we still try?
I read an interesting story about Stephen Grellet, a pioneer evangelist to the lumbermen in the Rocky Mountains. He felt the Spirit of God leading him to a particular lumber camp to preach. When he got there, the place was absolutely deserted. He said, “Lord, I don’t understand, but I'm going to be obedient.” So he opened his Bible without a soul in sight and preached a full-length message. Then he pled for people to come to Christ. He said, “Lord, I don’t know what that was all about but Lord, I was obedient.” Years later, a man walked up to him in England and said, “I was the foreman at a lumber camp. I had come back to the camp to get an ax, and I heard you preaching. I stood behind a pile of lumber and listened. As you preached, my heart was strangely warmed, and I repented of my sin and gave my heart to Jesus Christ. I later witnessed to four other men. Now, all five of us are missionaries preaching around the world.
Christ is the changer of lives. He will give us a token that will attract people's attention. When others see the miracle of God in our lives, then cannot help but be touched themselves. God works through us to touch others. Open yourself to His guidance, and He will use you greatly.
Blessings,
Raj Kosaraju
Comments
Post a Comment