Traveling Toward the Unknown
Good evening to our scattered sisters!
Shine the light of Christ so that others may see! How glorious is our Father and great is His love to give His Son for us that we may have the way to eternal life if we lose our life and seek Him. We're all on a journey in Christ and every day we travel one day closer to our destiny, let us use each day to the glory of the Lord.
In our life, we physically travel for the Lord and oftentimes we aren't even positive where we will be going...it's the unknown. We all have that (unknown) in our life as we don't know if we will have tomorrow and if we do, what will happen then. None of us even know what the next minute will bring and to live in peace and joy, regardless of what the next hour brings into our life, we must be totally surrendered to our Savior and trust Him in all things.
We were originally heading south and were going to spend some time in Texas but through a lot of thought and prayer, we decided to head back up north a bit and work our way east. We never have any 'strange' things leading us, it's just a mutual agreement that we come to through and to God be the glory.
What a glorious thing to be used of the Lord. There are times I'm too emotional over it all and feel so unworthy to be able to be a partaker of giving this precious word of God to the lost in some of the most unique situations that we could have never pulled off ourselves.
God is faithful and gives us just what we need for encouragement doesn't He? Just recently we've had communication with someone who is being convicted of backsliding and we pray they push through the trials ahead of them. There's another one that we knew was a part of a wicked group, reached out and is seeing through their false ways. More and more we see the 'pharisee' and the 'publican' mindset in this life and it's like the Word coming true before our eyes.
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. [12] I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. [13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:10-14
Brother Jim brought up an example that we saw in real life. We were on the corner holding signs and a group of religious people walked up to us (of who we already knew about). The contented over the truth of God's Word yet when a new-ager covered in tattoes, smoking a cigarette walked by, brother Jim gave him the gospel and he agreed saying 'I know what you're saying is true'.
When we stand outside religious places, they yell 'grace, God is love, God loves the sinner etc.' they get mad when we try to correct them but yet the beggar and the rough looking guy who just got off his Harley, will look down to the ground and say 'I know I'm in sin.'
Those same religious people will yell obscenities and rude remarks yet those of the lower in society will say 'keep doing what you do.'
HERE is an audio from a while ago of brother Jim witnessing to a Mennonite who drives a buggy. They call them old order Mennonites and I share this because they don't want the word of God, most all act like pharisees. We're planning on heading to a place where there will be large groups of such anabaptist types and they hate the message of truth just as much as the worldly evangelicals.
Brother Jim and I were that publican and today we are thankful to be able to minister to them. God will use you and what you were in the past, to minister to those who will come into your life.
It's unknown how the person in front of you will receive the good news and it never seems to fail that most often it's the one who doesn't look or act anything like someone seeking the truth of God. I just said this recently that we speak the same way to the person who lives in a vehicle like this....
...as we do the person who's last name is worth multi billions of dollars. True story from last year, we spent several days in a row, with brother Jim discipling a man whose family is so rich I can't even fathom it, sitting in a public place on hard plastic benches, drinking cheap coffee and going over the word of God. Sadly, he resembled the rich man that Jesus spoke of as he turned away :-( My point is, this man diligently sought us out and surely seemed to want to forsake all and strive to enter through the straight gate, but he's further away than the beggar that just told brother Jim 'I love you man" and agreed with the gospel.
The unknown...always before us and we have to be prepared for whatever comes. To the lost, the unknown is scary. To the saints of God, the unknown is all in the Father's hands and whatever He allows, we are good with. God's Word equips us for every situation, amen? If we build ourselves upon the foundation of Christ and through true repentance, the Father makes us a new creation and we are then no longer powerless, we have the strength of Christ to overcome all things.
You all have had to overcome many things to get to where you are today, amen?! And the unknown before us is just fine with me because our Savior is leading the way. I told a sister a long time ago that I see faith as walking through the pitch dark and putting your foot out to step, knowing that our Father will have something solid under it to walk upon, we just have to step and trust. I pray you all are stepping out in faith, trusting in the Father who sees and knows all things.
I love this verse in 1 Peter 3:5
For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
The context is a godly woman adorning herself not by external but by the internal workings of the Holy Spirit, transforming her into a meek and quiet spirit that might win her husband and what does it say?
'Who trusted in God.' Godly women of old who trusted in God, look at what their lives were like back then. I want to follow in the footsteps behind the faithful sisters who walked before, obeying the Lord in all things and now worrying about the unknown before us.
Speaking of the unknown, we are here heading into our parking spot, unknowing what it's like for the night.
This morning brother Jim witnessed to a walmart worker who had two hooks for hands. He was gathering up and pushing carts into the store when brother Jim chased him down to give him the gospel.
He was very receptive and seemed thankful to have a job, working hard at it. It was very encouraging to brother Jim to see a man such as that, working hard when we constantly see beggars on the corners, who are strong and able bodied to hold a job yet they choose not to.
Brother Jim had to do some repairs on the van tonight when we pulled in, he's way under the van.
While I was in the store, I was scouting out women to see if I might get an opportunity to witness when I came around the corner and saw a woman trying to reach up really high for something. I asked if she needed help and when she turned to look at me, her mask popped off her face and she was so concerned with that, that she thanked me and said she could get it. I gave the bell ringer at the door, a gospel card and she eagerly took it and asked me 'where is it from?' I think she meant like what church or something so I explained who we were and that we teach people to test themselves as the man made religious places are deceiving people. She said 'Oh I hear ya.' I encouraged her to forsake all that and follow the truth in God's word. She said "I will, oh I will' and slid it into her coat pocket. We might want to stand on the rooftop and yell for all to hear but the simple conversations or just the handing out of the gospel can be just as powerful and sometimes more meaningful.
I don't know what tomorrow brings and I don't care as I'll deal with it when it gets here and all through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Strive on faithful sisters, be strong, keep encouraging the saints and hold fast to the truth.
Love to you all,
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...