Faith works by love
Here's another amazing experience I recently had in the Lord.. about ministering His grace to people..
I was returning from Perth on the train to Bunbury, about a 2 and a half hour journey. I walked down the carriage to find my seat number.. Sitting next to my seat was a bloke who looked like an ex bikie!
Immediately my flesh said "Oh no, I just want a nice quiet trip home" I had been up since 5 am and it would be 8-30 pm before I got home. I decided that my flesh WASN'T going to rule me, so I smiled at him and sat down. He just sat there.. I started to read a book. He started small snippets of conversation mainly about his car just blowing up! I would answer and thought.. 'maybe this is an opportunity to tell him about Jesus!' but nothing happened but then I clearly the Lord say.. "Just love him son, just love him" So I did. I held out my hand and said "Hi, my name's John!" He stuck his out and .. "Mines Mark!"
I looked him and thought about my days as a biker! but in my heart I just loved him and esteemed him as great price in the sight of God and went on reading... He talked a bit now and again about stuff in general and I responded, even though the stuff he was talking (and swearing) about wasn't really interesting. He mainly spoke about his days on the railways and I responded about mine. (I first worked on them when I came to Australia 30 years ago) It all went quiet for about half an hour and then he suddenly said "What do you do?" I said, "Well I have a couple of businesses (I was dressed in my suit) and I am also a preacher" He said "Oh sorry, I better stop swearing then!" I laughed and said it didn't bother me! (You gotta take people at where they are at) Jesus came to save sinners.. not the righteous.
Then suddenly he said.. "I have a question actually, I have a lady next door to me who keeps on about God and... so on and so on.." and the door opened and I told Mark about the difference between religion and being a Christian and how I got saved late one night in bed and for the next half an hour, Mark heard about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what to do to get saved.. He had questions, I had answers. It was a great time!
Then the door closed and I found that he was getting off at the next stop! I said 'see ya' and wished him well. He waved goodbye and got off the train.. (with the knowledge of God's saving grace in his heart)
No. I didn't lead him to the Lord there and then. That's the mistake a lot of us make. The Bible says.. "I have planted, Apollos watered but God gave the increase" There are times when you are a preparer of the ground (the heart of man) through your prayers. There are times when you plant or water the seed and there are times when you reap the harvest.. Read Mark chapter 4.. "The sower sows the word.."
LESSON: A couple of days later, I was thinking about what had happened and realised something. Jesus didn't tell me to talk to him.. (He has already told us what to do.. "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation..") He only told me to love him! At the time, I felt that he wasn't in a position to hear what I had to say.. Not everybody is ready you know! So I loved him and let it go.. Then suddenly, 30 minutes later, the door opened! The Bible says.. "Love never fails" 1Cor13. I choose to love the man, regardless of what I thought, or what he looked like.. and that 'God kind of love' opened the door to his heart and a way was made.
What would have happened if I had decided not to do this? Probably nothing! "God looks upon the heart of man" Our attitude is everything to Him..
As the apostle Paul says.. "the greatest of these is love" The two most powerful forces in the universe are at your disposal! They are faith and love.. As the scripture says.. "..but faith which works (is energised) by love"
Go out and love people and watch your faith soar!!.. Use your faith for someone to minister His grace to everyday. (He will bring them to you, just like He did Mark) "Lord, I believe you to bring someone to me to minister your grace to this day in Jesus name" Love people and watch what happens!
God Bless
John
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God Bless
John
www.johnreynoldsministries.org
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