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Obedience in the Moment

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The book of Acts, chapter 8, tells us one of the most miraculous evangelistic accounts in the Bible! It starts in verse 26: An angel of the Lord said to Philip, Go south on the road the desert road that goes south from Jerusalem to Gaza. So [Philip] started out When Philip arrived on the desert road, he found an Ethiopian eunuch reading the book of Isaiah.

But this man was confused – he needed someone to explain the Scriptures to him. So Philip described that Isaiah was actually prophesying about Jesus Christ. Immediately, the Ethiopian believed in the Lord, and asked to be baptized!

Thats a powerful story isnt it? Yet the Ethiopians conversion wouldnt have happened if Philip didnt listen – and obey – the voice of the Lord. No excuses. No hesitation. When the angel told Philip to go, he went!

God has amazing victories in store for us if we simply listen to His voice, and obey. So lets you and I spend time in Gods Word! Lets talk with Him in prayer! Then, when He prompts us to witness to our world, well be ready to do it!

What Really Matters

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A few winters ago my wife and I got a phone call from a ministry in our hometown. They were collecting used blankets and sleeping bags for the homeless. So we gathered up a bunch of sleeping bags to donate. Throughout our marriage we have always made it a priority to reach out to those less fortunate than us.

Reaching out and caring for peoples physical needs is good; Jesus often healed the sick! But He always shared the Good News. Whenever Jesus met a physical need, He also told people the Good News – meeting their spiritual need also. Our Lord knew that its vitally important for people to have a life-changing experience with Jesus Christ. Without a conversion experience, theres no hope for true, lasting change.

God tells us in Isaiah 40: “Surely the people are like grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

The Lord reminds us that the only enduring thing in the world is His Word — His Good News! As we reach out to help the helpless, lets never forget that without a relationship with Jesus Christ, nothing else matters. Reach out with compassion, reach out through community service, but never never forget to also share the Gospel.

Reaching Widows

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My wife and I know a woman in England, named Emma. She felt God asking her to befriend an elderly neighbor, who was a widower. It wasnt easy, because this old man was pretty arrogant and rude. Apparently, no one liked him. But at one point he became sick, so Emma visited him in the hospital. Over time, this belligerent man was softened by Emmas kindness.

One day, Emma shared with him about her relationship with Jesus Christ. Then she asked if he would like to receive Jesus, by faith, into his life. Without hesitation he said, “Yes!” That 84-year-old man died shortly after his conversion, but now hes in heaven!

It certainly wasnt comfortable for Emma to reach out to that elderly man. But God called her out of her comfort zone, and she obeyed. Imagine what would have happened if Emma hadnt followed Gods leading. That man probably would have died without knowing Jesus Christ.

In Luke Chapter 10, Jesus told His followers to first, love God “with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength,” and then, “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Is there a widow in your neighborhood, or community, whom you could befriend? It often takes so little to show them Christs love. And yet, as Emma can testify, your simple act of kindness can have eternal results!

A Family Divided

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Samantha was a woman who believed in one religion, and her husband believed in another. This wasnt a problem for them while they were dating and first married. But when they started having children, she began wondering how they would raise them. “What church should we take them to?” Samantha asked me.

I first recommended that Samantha read the Gospel of John. I said it would help her understand what Christianity is all about, and why its the one religion that offers forgiveness of sins and a relationship with God the Father.

I told her that all religions are not the same, so it was of utmost importance to raise her children in the Lord. I shared one of my favorite verses in John: “To all those who receive Him, who believe in His name, He gives them the power to become a child of God.” Samantha agreed to start reading the Bible, asking God to reveal Himself to her.

You know, its interesting that once couples have children they often start asking this type of question. Their spiritual antennas seem to be up, so to speak.

So as you enter into conversations with couples you know, be aware that they may have questions about religion. Your answers, prompted by the Holy Spirit, could lead them into a relationship with Jesus Christ!

An Eternal Impact

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Raul Vargas pastors a church in Costa Rica that has more than 10,000 people in attendance each Sunday. His entire extended family also knows Jesus Christ – all 70 of them! But Rauls life wasnt always this way. When he was a child, his home was filled with poverty and pain. Raul says his parents fought continuously, and gave little attention to him and his siblings.

Then one day, when he was 21, Raul saw an advertisement for a festival my team and I were having in Costa Rica. Something in his heart told him he had to be there. So Raul came, and when he heard the Gospel message, he realized that what was missing from his life was a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Today, 33 years later, Raul pastors the largest church in Costa Rica. He has reached tens of thousands with the Good News! Isnt it exciting to see how one life changed can impact so many more? Thats why evangelism is sustainable! The long-term spiritual impact goes much further than the one person you and I may reach.

So, share your faith today. You never know how many future pastors, missionaries, and evangelists are one step away from conversion!