Yesterday, while the rest of the country seemed to be losing its mind, I saw several Facebook posts from friends expressing feelings and opinions about the current situation. Many were angry. Some were upset. Most of are trying to just accept it knowing that this world is not our home and we know how this will all end so nothing to fear in the meantime.
I conversed with some, one in particular, who became a friend of mine through my favorite cousin. I got to thinking about how several years ago, we got into a spat over a certain high profile TV preacher (no one local, so Highlands peeps relax ;-)). At the time I was reading this person's book and found it to be greatly comforting given the circumstances of my life at the time. But she and some of her acquaintances were warning about false prophets and considered him to be one. We stayed ill at each other for a little while but eventually got over it and never spoke of it again. That's generally how mature people behave--mend the fence and move on! Life is too short to hold grudges.
Fast forward to the last few years and the Holy Spirit has shown me that she was right! I started to ponder why it took me so long and then I heard Him speak:
You weren't ready.
And immediately 1 Corinthians 3:2 came to mind:
"I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready."
At the time, I had gone through something very traumatic that caused me to turn my eyes back toward God. But because I'd been away for awhile, I was once again a spiritual infant and still nursing on the Word. I needed to hear positive things about the Lord--how good He was, grace, forgiveness, positivity, etc. I wasn't ready for the fire & brimstone that shows us the evil in the world and how the enemy uses even seemingly good things to aid in our destruciton.
So what does this mean? Should we not warn others when we know they're in danger? Of course we should! The Bible instructs us to do so. And I have a good number of friends--great, God-fearing, well intentioned people that feel the weight of the lost on their hearts. Many of them are gifted in how to speak to others and some don't even have to speak at all--the Holy Spirit just emulates from them and you just KNOW they walk with the Lord.
And I'm not saying this to try and correct ANYONE ELSE'S method of evangelism because I do believe whole heartedly that He uses different ways to reach different people. (Let me be clear--John 14:6 says clearly: Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." But obviously we all learn about Him through different avenues.) I am only sharing what He spoke to ME.
But unless we are one of those people that always knows the right things to say to every different person, when we start to meet with conflict or resistance to someone we are trying to witness to or to disciple, the solution is simple:
PRAY
Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show them the truth. He will. He certainly showed me!
Be blessed
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