Perhaps the one aspect that has lingered in the shadows during the time that I have been with Live Again is the heartbreak that comes with ministry. I have never spent time in prison as these guys have, neither have I done drugs in my life or been an alcoholic. I am thankful though that the Lord gave me a passion for those who have. My concern at the end of the day is not so much that they stop doing drugs, but rather, for their eternal souls. With that comes change that is through the Spirit and growth in Christ.
It is painful and sad when people reject the gospel because they are rejecting the very thing that gives them life and brings them to worship the Living God. It is also humbling in the same light that it is not the craftiness of our words that saves people but God Himself through this good news. I take comfort in Paul's words
"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Corinthians 4:1-4)
This passage beckons us to fall on our knees and pray that the Lord removes this veil that the devil has placed on their eyes. To give up on unbelievers in our continuous evangelism is like to give up on the power of God to save. In spite of the heartache that comes with them rejecting the Lord, our God is still powerful to save and we take hope in that.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Prayer Requests
Eddie - Please pray for his family, and continue to pray for his relationship with his wife.
George - He asks prayer for his dad´s parents. He was able to visit his family this week. Pray for his relationship with Christ.
Steven - Pray for his sisters who have been affected by his drug usage. He is thankful for his family and their support.
Anthony - Pray that God would continue to convict his heart. He realizes his sinful anger towards his wife, pray for God to change him and make him realize his need for a savior through it. Also, pray for strength for his family while he is in Rehab.
Christopher - Pray for his walk with the Lord.
Edmundo - He is thankful for a week of soberity.
George - He asks prayer for his dad´s parents. He was able to visit his family this week. Pray for his relationship with Christ.
Steven - Pray for his sisters who have been affected by his drug usage. He is thankful for his family and their support.
Anthony - Pray that God would continue to convict his heart. He realizes his sinful anger towards his wife, pray for God to change him and make him realize his need for a savior through it. Also, pray for strength for his family while he is in Rehab.
Christopher - Pray for his walk with the Lord.
Edmundo - He is thankful for a week of soberity.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Doxa
I am thankful that I can sit down and write about how God has been working at the rehab center in the past few weeks. I have had finals and projects due and so have not been able to do this. By His grace I got through them and now will be doing summer school and working.
David - I have known him for the past nine months and it has been a joy to see him grow in the Lord. I have come to be convinced that he is saved. He is married with children and was into drugs together with his wife. She is still doing drugs as well. David left two weeks ago and it was really awesome to see his committment to change. Instead of going back home to his wife where he knew he will get enslaved again to drugs, I was blown away by the decision he made to live with a friend elsewhere as he tries to convince his wife to leave the sinful life of drugs and alcohol. As much as he loves her, he fears to sin against the Lord more. Please be praying for David and his family.
Chris - I have known Chris for a while as well. He's a Christian and is in his 40's. I am so thankful for him and how the Lord is working in his life. He knows what a sinful life he has been living and is always hungry for the word of God. It's emcouraging that after the teaching he is comes to me and is already asking for the verses I am going to talk about the next week so that he can be studying them. This also keeps me on my toes I guess. One really neat thing is seeing his love for the guys there and the nature of his prayer requests. It is refreshing and a great encouragement to see one always concerned for the salvation of his children and of specific individuals at the center.
Alvin - Joined us about a month ago. This guy has seen life and been through a lot. God has brought him to live at the center in a broken state. The change in his openness and knowing that the source of wisdom and the answers he is searching for are in Scripture has been a testimony of how God is not done with him. It is neat to see how before we start a meeting he is open about what he has been thinking through during the week, or a discussion about a text in Scripture he might have had with someone, and now wondering what exactly God's Word says about it.
Fernando - This guy joined us two weeks ago. On his first day in the session he got into a heated argument with one of the guys there and I thought things were going to go bad but the Lord's hand was in it. He later came to talk to me and I soon realized his anger towards everyone, especially God. We prayed for Him during the week and what the Lord did was amazing. Last week I was teaching on 'A Biblical Perspective on Satan,' and he raised a question to ask an interesting question, 'why does God allow Satan to play around with us?' We talked about this until he was teary eyed as he could only but confess that the Word of God had gripped him on his sin. It was such a huge difference from the week before of this angry man wanting to have a go at anyone. Please pray for him and the Lord continues to work in his heart.
Thank you for your prayers.
David - I have known him for the past nine months and it has been a joy to see him grow in the Lord. I have come to be convinced that he is saved. He is married with children and was into drugs together with his wife. She is still doing drugs as well. David left two weeks ago and it was really awesome to see his committment to change. Instead of going back home to his wife where he knew he will get enslaved again to drugs, I was blown away by the decision he made to live with a friend elsewhere as he tries to convince his wife to leave the sinful life of drugs and alcohol. As much as he loves her, he fears to sin against the Lord more. Please be praying for David and his family.
Chris - I have known Chris for a while as well. He's a Christian and is in his 40's. I am so thankful for him and how the Lord is working in his life. He knows what a sinful life he has been living and is always hungry for the word of God. It's emcouraging that after the teaching he is comes to me and is already asking for the verses I am going to talk about the next week so that he can be studying them. This also keeps me on my toes I guess. One really neat thing is seeing his love for the guys there and the nature of his prayer requests. It is refreshing and a great encouragement to see one always concerned for the salvation of his children and of specific individuals at the center.
Alvin - Joined us about a month ago. This guy has seen life and been through a lot. God has brought him to live at the center in a broken state. The change in his openness and knowing that the source of wisdom and the answers he is searching for are in Scripture has been a testimony of how God is not done with him. It is neat to see how before we start a meeting he is open about what he has been thinking through during the week, or a discussion about a text in Scripture he might have had with someone, and now wondering what exactly God's Word says about it.
Fernando - This guy joined us two weeks ago. On his first day in the session he got into a heated argument with one of the guys there and I thought things were going to go bad but the Lord's hand was in it. He later came to talk to me and I soon realized his anger towards everyone, especially God. We prayed for Him during the week and what the Lord did was amazing. Last week I was teaching on 'A Biblical Perspective on Satan,' and he raised a question to ask an interesting question, 'why does God allow Satan to play around with us?' We talked about this until he was teary eyed as he could only but confess that the Word of God had gripped him on his sin. It was such a huge difference from the week before of this angry man wanting to have a go at anyone. Please pray for him and the Lord continues to work in his heart.
Thank you for your prayers.
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