Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity of stepping again out of my Covid comfort zone and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in a local city, and at a socially acceptable distance with mask in hand. I reasoned, I am either going to die of old age, some other sickness, ailment or Covid but preach the gospel I must. Father knows my name and is in control of my times. Both my coming into this world and going out is ordained by him.
Father was gracious and stayed the rain. People were out and were in need. We saw peoples of every nation and tongue and led two souls to the Lord in a prayer of salvation.
This morning, I am sitting at my desk preparing for work, my heart is breaking as I recall the faces we met and the needs of the hour. I recall three young girls between 15 and 16 years of age sitting on a bench . As I spoke to them on a 1-1 about their soul state and eternal destination, one was listening, one laughing and the other cold and indifferent. I shared as if they were my own teenaged daughters and ministered the gospel of the lord Jesus Christ through my mask…. but one laughed. I remember too when I was at school when the school mam said something serious, I would invariably laugh. I realise full well it is a nervous laugh, but the picture of the three sitting on a bench this morning is stark in my mind.
One of the things I said to them was that at the final judgement seat (no pun intended), they won’t have each other to depend upon, each man will have to give an account for what he or she did whilst on earth and how they received the good news or not. The listening girl said she knew the Lord but wasn’t sure if she had received him. She wanted to receive him and with her permission, I led her through the prayer of salvation. The others didn’t accept. I left her with the responsibility of ensuring she at least shares again with her friends or with someone what happened today. Before leaving I counselled the other two not to leave it too late.
One listening, one laughing, one cold and indifferent. Is this not the picture of the world we see as we go out sharing the good news. The bible tells us that “Today” (the day you hear the gospel message) is the day of salvation. It also says that it is appointed unto man once to die, but after death the judgement.
Those young girls could have been my daughters. I preached and ministered to them with love and as if I was their own mother. One listened, one laughed the other was indifferent.
The bible says that a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasures bringing forth evil. Every idle word that men speak, they shall give account on the day of judgement. By our words and actions we shall be justified and by our words and actions we shall be condemned. Matthew Chapter 12. As evangelist we will experience different levels of reception but still we do of his good pleasure and set our faces like flints.
May God have mercy on our generation. Jesus said the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonas .
Jesus is the word of God and is the message of hope and salvation that we preach on the streets. We preach not ourselves. There will always be the one that listens, the one that laughs and the one who is indifferent nay even hostile.
Continue to go and preach the word, instant in season and out of season (ie even in Covid climate) at a legal and acceptable distance and with love.
Evangelist Linda J
15/7/2020