If you have read my blogs for any length of time, you know one thing is certain. I LOVE God. I have this enormous, can't put it into words, gratitude for the message of mercy and grace that you only discover through Jesus Christ, my LORD and Savior.
Recently, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and lead a Bible study group focused on faith in Jesus Christ. True faith. The kind that makes you stand firm in the face of death come what may. I led a Bible study in my past where I witnessed girls transform before my eyes. This took place in a mere 6 days so there is no doubt it had nothing to do with me or what I said, the Holy Spirit certainly spoke through me those days.
So, here I've been, basically stand still in my writing. I haven't felt led to write, which of course has left me in contemplation mode. When I contemplate, I contemplate on God and the things of God. As I ponder, my heart speaks to Him. For me this is a form of prayer. It is open and honest conversation. I know He loves this forthrightness for He answers me when I take the time to truly get to the heart of things.
That is exactly what I have been doing these last few days. I need to prepare for my next gathering and I want so badly for my friends to 'get it'. I mean to really really GET IT. 100% faith in Jesus Christ. Now I kind of know the answer; the truth of the matter is it is the Holy Spirits job to speak to them, however, it is my duty to invite them to stop long enough to take a listen and to pray over them requesting that their eyes and ears be opened to all He has to say and show. Outside of that, it is them themselves that have the free will to decide if this venture into God's word is worth their time.
You can't claim to have the desire to know God and not continually seek someone who is in the word of God themselves. That doesn't mean attending Sunday service and getting preached at. That is not how you learn about God! It means truly seeking to understand what God authored through 40 devoted servants over the course of 1500 years.
It is not hard for me to believe the history that is told in the Old Testament. I often say I got to cheat my way to faith. Don't get me wrong. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that every person born has a measure of faith. We also have free will. How we use our faith, if we chose to use it at all is up to us. However, I do know that it is from faith to faith that we indeed witness glory to glory. So, I had faith. Honestly when it came to knowing if God was the real deal I had no doubts at all. That is because I walked with God as a child. I talked with Him, He talked to me. All of this is shared in You Are Worthy Too: The Proof is in the Pudding!
Regardless of my faith in God, I had not one iota of an inkling exactly who Jesus Christ was outside of being told that He was the Son of God. Knowing and understanding EXACTLY what that meant in my life, I was 100% clueless. I know that I am not alone in that truth. Those are the things I was talking to God about; "How do I help people get to where I was in my understanding to where I am now?"
I have been known to say that I wished I could just take everything that I know to be truth in regards to God and Christ and transfer that knowledge to others. This morning the first verse I read thanks to K-Love was this:
If I told you that didn't make me laugh out loud, I would be lying. This statement is written by Paul one of the 40 known authors of the 66 books found in the Bible. He writes in a style that causes me to hear him speaking to the crowd almost as if I were actually sitting in the room with him. I love Paul for who he is in Christ. I get him. I too see myself among the greatest of sinners for the crimes I committed against God before I came to know who I am in Christ.
This is why I find myself here, longing to be a viable laborer for the LORD. One who truly takes the time to not only nourish myself, but to find others who are willing to hear what I have to share. It's life changing news, yet so few find the time to seek the truth for themselves.
Recently, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and lead a Bible study group focused on faith in Jesus Christ. True faith. The kind that makes you stand firm in the face of death come what may. I led a Bible study in my past where I witnessed girls transform before my eyes. This took place in a mere 6 days so there is no doubt it had nothing to do with me or what I said, the Holy Spirit certainly spoke through me those days.
So, here I've been, basically stand still in my writing. I haven't felt led to write, which of course has left me in contemplation mode. When I contemplate, I contemplate on God and the things of God. As I ponder, my heart speaks to Him. For me this is a form of prayer. It is open and honest conversation. I know He loves this forthrightness for He answers me when I take the time to truly get to the heart of things.
That is exactly what I have been doing these last few days. I need to prepare for my next gathering and I want so badly for my friends to 'get it'. I mean to really really GET IT. 100% faith in Jesus Christ. Now I kind of know the answer; the truth of the matter is it is the Holy Spirits job to speak to them, however, it is my duty to invite them to stop long enough to take a listen and to pray over them requesting that their eyes and ears be opened to all He has to say and show. Outside of that, it is them themselves that have the free will to decide if this venture into God's word is worth their time.
You can't claim to have the desire to know God and not continually seek someone who is in the word of God themselves. That doesn't mean attending Sunday service and getting preached at. That is not how you learn about God! It means truly seeking to understand what God authored through 40 devoted servants over the course of 1500 years.
It is not hard for me to believe the history that is told in the Old Testament. I often say I got to cheat my way to faith. Don't get me wrong. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that every person born has a measure of faith. We also have free will. How we use our faith, if we chose to use it at all is up to us. However, I do know that it is from faith to faith that we indeed witness glory to glory. So, I had faith. Honestly when it came to knowing if God was the real deal I had no doubts at all. That is because I walked with God as a child. I talked with Him, He talked to me. All of this is shared in You Are Worthy Too: The Proof is in the Pudding!
Regardless of my faith in God, I had not one iota of an inkling exactly who Jesus Christ was outside of being told that He was the Son of God. Knowing and understanding EXACTLY what that meant in my life, I was 100% clueless. I know that I am not alone in that truth. Those are the things I was talking to God about; "How do I help people get to where I was in my understanding to where I am now?"
I have been known to say that I wished I could just take everything that I know to be truth in regards to God and Christ and transfer that knowledge to others. This morning the first verse I read thanks to K-Love was this:
Timothy 1:15, NASB): It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
If I told you that didn't make me laugh out loud, I would be lying. This statement is written by Paul one of the 40 known authors of the 66 books found in the Bible. He writes in a style that causes me to hear him speaking to the crowd almost as if I were actually sitting in the room with him. I love Paul for who he is in Christ. I get him. I too see myself among the greatest of sinners for the crimes I committed against God before I came to know who I am in Christ.
Paul titles himself as the greatest of sinners because of the things he did in life before he came to understand and know who he was in Christ. You see, prior to that, Paul, a Pharisee, was actually persecuting those whose faith was firmly found in Jesus Christ! He was actually present, influential and approving of the first recorded stoning of the believers in Christ Jesus. Paul was 100% devoted to God. He honestly believed he was doing God a favor by hunting down these believers in Christ Jesus. On his way to Damascus where he intended to persecute many more believers, all of that changed. It was then that Paul learned the truth of Christ for himself.
When you see yourself as the worst of sinners, and then discover the truth found in Jesus Christ, which includes the message of Love, mercy and grace, you become driven to share that truth with everyone in the world no matter their stature in life. You see the world and all humanity as God sees it and you just want all to understand the good news which is so good, it is often hard to believe.
I feel sorry for those that only accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior in a moment of emotion but then get caught back up in the ways of the world; never taking time to study and grow in faith. I am certain this is why Christ explains that even though many could be saved, they are lost because believers in the world are not working as they are meant to.
(Luke 10:2-3, NASB): Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
This is why I find myself here, longing to be a viable laborer for the LORD. One who truly takes the time to not only nourish myself, but to find others who are willing to hear what I have to share. It's life changing news, yet so few find the time to seek the truth for themselves.
I am going to continue to pray on how best to go about this desire of mine, to help others find their way to an abundant life for that is the promise of God Himself, a life of abundance now as well as eternal life in the end. It is also my prayer that you stay tuned to my future posts as I am certain as I pray, God will deliver! Until then know that I am praying over you, that your eyes and ears may be opened to the truths found in Christ Jesus.
Wendy, Mom of Many, walks with God
© Wendy Glidden 2016