The past few weeks, I have not been using the gift that God has given to me. Ever since my freshmen year of college God has revealed to me that He has given me the gift of boldness in evangelism. I know that evangelism is not a gift, but a command so that is why I see that boldness in it is what He has blessed me with. As I purposed to use my gift in the beginning of college to the glory of God, many people were raised from the dead and brought into Spiritual life and many blind eyes have been opened. The more I practiced evangelism, the more I saw my knowledge of it and passion for it grow. This summer, God told me to try out this youth internship at a church to see if it is really what He wants for me to pursue because I love youth ministry as well....or did. This has been an amazing summer and I love it, but God showed me that this is not for me at all. I have a burning passion, a pumping heart, an all out raw desire to tell people straight up the Gospel. So, because of my current position and my sinfulness in not wanting to pursue God with the gift He has given me this summer, I have not been sharing Jesus with anyone and I feel like I am dying inside. Sure I tell the youth about Christ in my life everyday and I live out a life that I feel sets an example and points to Jesus, but I do not pursue the desire of my heart to go seek and save THAT WHICH WAS LOST.
Anyway, I was riding back from one of the youth's house the other night and I decided to turn on the radio. The commercial that was on basically said, "You are not using the gift God gave you...and so on" At first I didn't think anything of it, then God decided to send me another message. Another commercial came on right after it and it stated, "God created you with a purpose....EVANGELISM....and so on" I know that this was God's way of slapping me upside the head and telling me, "People are going to Hell and you are just gonna sit there?! Get out there and do what I made you to do!"
That night, I decided to read some of the Word and God lead me to two different verses....1 Timothy 4:14a- Do not neglect the gift that is in you... and also 2 Timothy 1:6- Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
I now see that God wants me telling people about Jesus wherever I go...but even more than that, I am not satisfied sitting in this office and not going out there and SEEKING that which is lost. I can't stay cooped up here when I know I can tell tons of people about the law and grace of Jesus.
I have also come to understand that I have been lied to practically all my life by the church in that we are not called to go and tell people about the abundant, good, happy life they can find in Jesus as if just by adding Him on to their toys He will bring happiness. I have learned throught the Word of God Almighty that we are called to show people the filth of their sin in the eyes of a Just and Awesome God and then explain to them how they have broken God's law and are worthy of an eternity separated from Him in Hell....then explain to them how God paid their fine through Jesus, His Son so that they can have forgiveness and be washed clean and be seen as pure and holy in the eyes of God on judgement day.
If we do not tell this world of the judgment to come and simply give in to the modern day lies that many are telling about all this....ask Jesus into your heart to have a good life stuff, then we are thwarting the plan of God and creating false converts who don't understand the concept of a Holy God who cannot except anything but perfection.
I always though it was weird hearing all these people tell me that I needed to ask Jesus into my heart....I thought, what good is it? No one ever told me that I had sinned against a Holy God and that is why I was finding no satisfaction in life...because I was pursuing what is evil in His eyes. When I finally studied and realized that I had sinned against God Almighty and was in need of redemption, then I came to Jesus faster than anybody could beg me to! We need to stop trying to sell Jesus and just start telling people why they need Him. If people choose to live against Him that is their choice, but if I don't tell them.....God's Word says I am guilty of murdering them! I don't want to make an omnipotent God angry....I fear God almighty and want to revere Him....After all, He did save my soul from eternal damnation by being totally rejected, ridiculed, and crucified so that He could pay the debt that I owed to Him and raising from the grave to bring me justification. Praise God, who I am forever indebted to!
Anyway, I was riding back from one of the youth's house the other night and I decided to turn on the radio. The commercial that was on basically said, "You are not using the gift God gave you...and so on" At first I didn't think anything of it, then God decided to send me another message. Another commercial came on right after it and it stated, "God created you with a purpose....EVANGELISM....and so on" I know that this was God's way of slapping me upside the head and telling me, "People are going to Hell and you are just gonna sit there?! Get out there and do what I made you to do!"
That night, I decided to read some of the Word and God lead me to two different verses....1 Timothy 4:14a- Do not neglect the gift that is in you... and also 2 Timothy 1:6- Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
I now see that God wants me telling people about Jesus wherever I go...but even more than that, I am not satisfied sitting in this office and not going out there and SEEKING that which is lost. I can't stay cooped up here when I know I can tell tons of people about the law and grace of Jesus.
I have also come to understand that I have been lied to practically all my life by the church in that we are not called to go and tell people about the abundant, good, happy life they can find in Jesus as if just by adding Him on to their toys He will bring happiness. I have learned throught the Word of God Almighty that we are called to show people the filth of their sin in the eyes of a Just and Awesome God and then explain to them how they have broken God's law and are worthy of an eternity separated from Him in Hell....then explain to them how God paid their fine through Jesus, His Son so that they can have forgiveness and be washed clean and be seen as pure and holy in the eyes of God on judgement day.
If we do not tell this world of the judgment to come and simply give in to the modern day lies that many are telling about all this....ask Jesus into your heart to have a good life stuff, then we are thwarting the plan of God and creating false converts who don't understand the concept of a Holy God who cannot except anything but perfection.
I always though it was weird hearing all these people tell me that I needed to ask Jesus into my heart....I thought, what good is it? No one ever told me that I had sinned against a Holy God and that is why I was finding no satisfaction in life...because I was pursuing what is evil in His eyes. When I finally studied and realized that I had sinned against God Almighty and was in need of redemption, then I came to Jesus faster than anybody could beg me to! We need to stop trying to sell Jesus and just start telling people why they need Him. If people choose to live against Him that is their choice, but if I don't tell them.....God's Word says I am guilty of murdering them! I don't want to make an omnipotent God angry....I fear God almighty and want to revere Him....After all, He did save my soul from eternal damnation by being totally rejected, ridiculed, and crucified so that He could pay the debt that I owed to Him and raising from the grave to bring me justification. Praise God, who I am forever indebted to!
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