Family

I was not planning on writing a blog right now, until I listened to a song called Tear Down the Walls by Hillsong. It is such a great worship song, and one that we sang quite often the last time I was in Australia. The bridge goes like this, "For all Your sons and daughters who are walking in the darkness, You are calling us to lead them back to You. We will see Your Spirit rising as the lost come out of hiding, every heart will see this hope we have in You." Like I said, I was not planning on writing anything, but when I listened to the words I became emotional. I started crying and just having to pray. There are so many people walking in darkness here. I honestly believe that hell is a reality. Therefore, all of these people are going to hell and they are never going to get to experience the majesty of God in heaven like I will. My heart just crumbles at this thought. I go about so many days in my life back home knowing this same thing, but without the same intentionality. Part of me just wants to jump for joy at this bridge, the Lost will come out of hiding and see the hope we have in the Lord. Yet, only a fraction of them will. So many of the others will just walk away from the gospel message annoyed, saddened, angry, apathetic, or any mix of emotions. But they will never know Jesus like I get to! This thought destroys me! We are called to bring our lost family back home. In the states, I let people pass me by all the time who need Jesus. I know I am never going to be perfect at it, and I have come to realize that evangelism is not my spiritual gifting. But I am called, thus I must obey. It's the reason I'm here. Ministry is tough here, people don't just listen. It's not like what I hear about the people who are poor or oppressed in other parts of the world, who know this message is true. Australians think their life is fine, BUT THEY ARE WALKING IN DARKNESS. Nothing is more disheartening than sharing with somebody the light of Jesus and them rejecting it, or even mocking it. Even at that, ministry is so much harder with the people back home . . because we will see them again! I pray that I would not let my own stupidity and lack of ability to obey get in the way of Jesus. Pray for these people. Pray for the people around you. Pray desperately for opportunities to bring them back home. If hell is real to you, please please help people stay out of it. This is my encouragement for the night. Know that their decision is not in your hand's, it is in the Lord's. But it is your duty to obey, no matter the consequences and no matter their decision.
On another note let me tell you a few experiences. Yesterday, a lady on the tram next to me was crying on the phone. If you don't know, I get sick on the tram so I sit in the front by all the old people. I listen to two sermons every day, one on the way there and one on the way back (its an hour tram ride). Anyways, she was an old lady and she was crying and I heard God nudge me to ask her if I could pray for her. I was like no way! Believe me, if you were in my mind you would have heard "Please, God, Please. I really don't want to. It would be so much easier just to listen to my sermon and act like I love you, but not love your people." Seriously, sometimes I'm an idiot. So eventually, I decided to ask her. She didn't want prayer. Seems like a bad ending to the story right? . . She may not have wanted prayer, but God nudged me to love that woman. I don't know what it did for her life to have a stranger seemingly care for her. She did tell me thank you very many times and that I was a nice young man. Nonetheless, I obeyed, her decision is in God's hand.
I have had some great conversations this week. I talked with a guy named Michael who got so close to accepting Christ. We are pushing an event for the ministry here called Gutsy Love and it is all about real manhood. So we went through this little survey with him and shared the gospel with Him. I asked his reaction, and he was like "Yeah, I don't see any reason why that would not be true" (honestly such a blessing, reactions like that are far and few between). Then I asked whats stopping him from believing and he said "I guess nothing". In that moment I was ready to pounce and bring a brother to Christ. Yet, Satan showed up. Right after that answer, he got a call from his girlfriend and had to leave. Such a bummer! Pray our group runs into him again.
After that, I met a staff member named Damien. Went through the same survey and towards the end he said he was a Christian. Many times we have heard that answer but after asking clarifying questions, we see they don't really know the gospel. So I asked him, "If Jesus asked you why you should get into heaven what would you say?". Normally people say some bogus about good works. He said "Well, I guess if it was Jesus looking at me I would say . . Because of YOU!" I got a big smile when I knew we had met a Christian staff member! Pray that he gets involved with the Christian movement on campus to give them a mentor. Pray he would take a role of responsibility of his faith on the campus and be a light.
That is all for now! I love all of you. Above all, continue to lift us up in prayer!