Post by ejuliot on Aug 29, 2006 12:20:30 GMT -5
On Sunday the Lord really stretched me. Lis(my roommate) and I went to our normal church in Santa Barbara and the pastor taught on two passages of scripture concerning John the Baptist:
Luke 3:7-9 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire...
Luke 3:16-18 "John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people."
And..
Luke 7:19-23 "And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come or look we for another? When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come or look we for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."
He then said that John the Baptist had a wrong idea of what the saviour was come to do because he thought that the saviour was come to bring judgment upon the people. So when John the baptist sent his disciples to Jesus, Jesus corrected him by telling him what he came to do (heal people).
I was shocked because he did not believe that what John said was true about Jesus bringing judgment. I wanted to leave so badly but the Lord moved me to speak to him after the service. I was so scared but I spoke to him and the pastor said that he got his interpretation from some evangelical commentators!!!!!!!! I would have never in my right mind have corrected a pastor but the Lord stretched me and I stepped out in faith. Lis and I are now praying to see if we should find another church.
After this Lis and I went down to the beach and baptized each other. Neither of us had been baptized since we had been saved so this was an act of obedience.
Then we had to catch a bus back to school. Normally the buses are run by school employees but they were city buses this day. So it was Lis and I and an unsaved bus driver. I was so nervous but I knew I needed to speak to him. the Lord gave me supernatural boldness and I preached the gospel to the bus driver. It turns out that he had been lusting after some girls the day before and his conscience was bothering him. I spoke about the 7th commandment and he knew he was guilty and needed to repent. It was a divine appointment because his heart was prepared for the seed of the gospel. Please pray that he would repent and cling to the saviour and that he would be delivered from his sins.
All glory to God!
Luke 3:7-9 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire...
Luke 3:16-18 "John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people."
And..
Luke 7:19-23 "And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come or look we for another? When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come or look we for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."
He then said that John the Baptist had a wrong idea of what the saviour was come to do because he thought that the saviour was come to bring judgment upon the people. So when John the baptist sent his disciples to Jesus, Jesus corrected him by telling him what he came to do (heal people).
I was shocked because he did not believe that what John said was true about Jesus bringing judgment. I wanted to leave so badly but the Lord moved me to speak to him after the service. I was so scared but I spoke to him and the pastor said that he got his interpretation from some evangelical commentators!!!!!!!! I would have never in my right mind have corrected a pastor but the Lord stretched me and I stepped out in faith. Lis and I are now praying to see if we should find another church.
After this Lis and I went down to the beach and baptized each other. Neither of us had been baptized since we had been saved so this was an act of obedience.
Then we had to catch a bus back to school. Normally the buses are run by school employees but they were city buses this day. So it was Lis and I and an unsaved bus driver. I was so nervous but I knew I needed to speak to him. the Lord gave me supernatural boldness and I preached the gospel to the bus driver. It turns out that he had been lusting after some girls the day before and his conscience was bothering him. I spoke about the 7th commandment and he knew he was guilty and needed to repent. It was a divine appointment because his heart was prepared for the seed of the gospel. Please pray that he would repent and cling to the saviour and that he would be delivered from his sins.
All glory to God!