God Knows How to Take Care of You - Enjoy

In the last blog, I mentioned a story in a devotional book. The story, “How to Raise Money for Missions,” was a real inspiration to me.
The author was asked to come to the New Jersey shore to speak at 3 churches. His friend, who invited him to speak, had to leave town on an emergency before he arrived.
I can tell you from experience, that is an uncomfortable position to be in. When he arrived at the 3rd church he was to speak at, he discovered that the pastor of the church was unable to attend, also. So, he had to run the service alone and then he was supposed to:
· Tell about his mission work
· Describe his needs
· And receive an offering for himself

As the congregation sang, and went through the form of the service, he became very aware of the fact that they weren’t saved. “There was sadness in their worship, routine in their service, a mundane flow of words and liturgy, form without substance. I shared the simple gospel instead of sharing about missions and taking up an offering.”
He said he couldn’t talk about missions to people who were not themselves saved, so he described the opportunity that is offered for everyone to have a personal relationship with God through Christ.

After the service, the people were angry. They came to hear about missions. They did not come to be “preached at.” Also, a few stopped for a moment to inform him that they did not agree with him that anyone could have a personal relationship with Christ. All this was done within 3 minutes of the end of his sermon, and the lights were turned off and everyone was gone.
He said to himself, “I really blew this one… “ He was flooded with a sense of guilt and felt like a total failure.
Well, there was one other person still in the building and he came to me and shook my hand. The missionary offered him a trade, “If you will drive us to lunch, I will buy. They went together to a hotel, and ordered a big lunch, then the man began to pepper Steve with questions about a personal relationship with Christ. He wanted to know if I really believed that one could actually have a relationship with God.

When he went to pay, the man said for him to put up his money, that he owned the hotel.
“When I left, I had a nice check in one hand and the keys to his 4X4 in the other hand (for our mission work in Mexico”). Later, the man called me and told me that he had come to Christ and was now going to a nurturing church where they preach the Gospel.
Maybe, just maybe , His preaching wasn’t such a failure after all.

I can so identify with everything that happened that I feel it as I read it. Somehow, one must work through all of this and share the gospel, and forget the hurt and disappointments, and then lead folks to Christ, no matter the setting.
Remember, Jesus Christ really is alive.
You can know him.
You can't control him but you can put yourself in a place where he comes by, like positioning yourself on a road where someone might pass by.
A blind man did that once, in Israel.
When Jesus passed by, the man began to call out, "Son of David, have mercy on me."
Other people shushed him, embarrassed by his actions. But he called even louder, "Have mercy on me."
Jesus, surrounded by a crowd, stopped, and asked for the man calling for him to be brought to him. "What do you want?" Jesus asked him. "I want to see," the blind man said. Jesus healed him.
What do you need? Hang out on His road and ask for help when he comes by. And he will come.
The question is, Where is the road that Jesus walks down , now?
He walks throught the pages and verses of a book- The Bible.
Go to the section called the Book of Luke.
Hang out there.
He is like the wind.
You don't know where he comes from and you won't know where he is going.
But like the wind, you will know when he is there.
Read the Book of Luke.
In the Bible.

Later.