I asked
myself what Jesus did.
Jesus had again crossed over by
boat to the other side of the lake.
I asked
myself what the large crowd did.
A large crowd gathered around
Jesus while he was by the lake.
Interpretation:
I asked
myself why a large crowd gathered.
The news must have reached the
people that made up the large crowd about Jesus’ miracle in Gerasdenes.
Now they wanted to see Jesus in person. It would not surprise me if
there were people there who wanted to experience Jesus’ healing in their
own lives or to get to know Jesus. Because of the miracle Jesus did in
the man’s life, Jesus had made an impact and aroused the curiosity of
the crowd.
Implications:
I saw important implications for
my own life. As I have come to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Personal
Savior and asked Him to reign in my life, people around me have seen
something different about me compared to those who did not know Jesus as
their Lord and Personal Savior! This aroused their curiosity and they
wanted to know more about Jesus. I learned that people can gather around
me not because of what I can do but because of what the Lord has done
through me.
One person just the other day
was so interested when I told him how Jesus had healed me of my severe
asthma that he wanted to know more about Jesus and what Christianity is
about.
I praise the Lord that
yesterday, June 29, 2005, I had the opportunity to meet with him again.
He was Hindu by background and I got to share with him the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. I had just got of work and felt like going home because I
was so tired but felt I should call this person to see if he was still
planning to meet. He told me that he was waiting for me at a church near
campus.
When I met him I did not have a
Bible on me or a writing utensil but prayed to the Lord to help me share
the Gospel with him with what I had in front of me (3 folded newspapers
and one pamphlet).
I put two newspapers together
and shared with him how MAN and GOD were together in the beginning.
Then, I pulled the two
newspapers apart and told him that is what sin had done to our
relationship with GOD. Sin had separated MAN from GOD and now MAN and
GOD were apart and there was a big chasm.
Now MAN tried to do
everything he could to reach GOD by doing good works, etc but whatever
MAN did he still could not reach GOD. All his good works were falling
down the chasm. His good works were not providing a way to reach GOD. I
told him that you can do 99 good things and one bad thing which will
still separate you from GOD because GOD in His Holiness cannot allow sin
to enter His presence.
Then I told him that is how
religions of the world are. In all the religions of the world, people
are trying to reach GOD by their good works. They think if I do this and
that, it can give me access to GOD. I told him some think praying three
times a day will make them right with GOD, others think worshipping
idols will make them right with GOD but the bottom line is MAN made
religion and everything still falls in the chasm. All our good works we
do are like filthy rags to GOD, so that will not give us access to GOD.
So, I asked him if God should
ask you why should I let you into Heaven what would your response be and
to think about it.
I told him if your answer is
the good works you think you do, that will not cut it and GOD knows
that. Then, I mentioned to him because GOD knows MAN is trying to reach
Him but cannot, GOD decided to take it upon Himself to provide the WAY
to MAN. GOD loved MAN so much that He sent JESUS CHRIST into the world
to come and save MAN when MAN turns to Jesus for the forgiveness of
their sins.
I told him we do not get
access to Heaven because of anything we do but because GOD decided to
reach out to us in His mercy and grace through the promise of JESUS
CHRIST. JESUS died on the cross for you and shed His cleansing blood to
wash away all your sin so now when you come to JESUS CHRIST and ask Him
to come into your heart, He will forgive you of all your sin and live in
you and you can have access to GOD and heaven.
I told him when GOD asks me
why should I let you into Heaven, my response would be not because of
anything I have done GOD because whatever I do is not good enough for
you GOD because you in your Holiness cannot allow sin to enter your
presence but because I believe in what JESUS CHRIST did for me and am
covered by JESUS and His precious blood, so when you see me, you see
JESUS’ blood covering over me and JESUS in front of me, I can have
access to you.
Then I told him when MAN and
GOD were together and sin separated MAN and GOD, creating a huge chasm,
GOD in His love for us provided JESUS CHRIST to become THE WAY to reach
GOD.
Now, I took the 3rd
newspaper and the pamphlet and made a CROSS out of it and put it where
the separation and the dark chasm existed. I told him the CROSS became
the BRIDGE for MAN to get across to reach GOD.
I took the 1st
paper and walked it on the CROSS to show him, MAN did not fall in the
chasm anymore but was able to reach GOD when MAN decided to depend on
what JESUS did for him. I emphasized JESUS CHRIST and Him alone to save
us from our sin and reach GOD because of His grace. I told him JESUS
CHRIST became GOD-INCARNATE to reach us.
I wanted to emphasize to him
that it is by GRACE we are saved through FAITH and not of any good works
that we should boast!
I want to share the bridge
diagram with you here which I did not have to share with him in
animation format:
Being a Hindu, he told me that
he believed there were many manifestations of God but they were still
all gods and JESUS is a god to him. I told him, no, no, no!!! Religion
is man made. I even told him that the word Christian came to identify
‘Followers of The Way’ easily. At Antioch, ‘Followers of The Way’ became
known as Christians. They were Christians because they followed Christ.
Then, I told him
JESUS said, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the
LIFE; no one comes to the Father except through me.”
This means being a Hindu will
not save you, being a Muslim will not save you, being a Buddhist will
not save you, etc for only JESUS can save you.
He still had a lot of questions
and I told him that I cannot explain everything to him but just as Jesus
has answered my questions and doubts as I came to Him, He will answer
yours too. I told him this I do know that JESUS is real to me.
I told him that I was Hindu by
background and had severe asthma. I told him none of the Hindu idols
could heal me. I told him my mom was a devout practicing Hindu until she
gave her life to JESUS CHRIST after watching the Billy Graham Crusade in
1978. Then, our mom shared JESUS CHRIST with us and read Bible stories
for us. I still was Hindu by background but I was learning about JESUS
CHRIST. One day I said to myself if JESUS is the
same yesterday, today, and tomorrow as the Bible says then what
JESUS did then, He could also do now. Since I had severe asthma, I
wanted JESUS CHRIST in my life to heal me so I asked JESUS into my heart
as my mom prayed with me.
I told him JESUS CHRIST is so
real to me. Then, I told Him that I follow JESUS CHRIST because He is
real. I also shared with him to remember just because I became a
follower of JESUS did not mean I did not face any hardship or struggles
anymore for I did face them. But, I told Him that JESUS is there to give
me the strength and endurance to bear. He mentioned inspiration and I
told him that JESUS gives His peace.
I told him JESUS is real and you
can have JESUS in your life so one day you can meet GOD in Heaven. I
told him the only other option is Hell and you do not want that. I told
him it is exciting that you can meet JESUS face to face one day as you
become His. I told him that I can pray with him right now and he can
give his life to JESUS asking JESUS to come and live in him. I told him
that I will pray and he can repeat after me.
I also told him about Christmas
and Easter! JESUS came as GOD INCARNATE! JESUS died for our sin and
came back to life to save us!
I shared with him one Easter
afternoon, I felt I should go online and open a counseling chat room. I
told him a person came into the chat room and I prayed with her and she
prayed with me and gave her life to JESUS CHRIST. Then, I told him it
happened over the internet and I could not see the person at all like I
see you so wondered about it. I then told him how I had received a
letter in my mailbox from her. She wrote saying that she had become a
Christian in a chat room I had created for counseling and that now
because she became a Christian, her husband had come to know JESUS
CHRIST too!
I wanted him to see that JESUS
CHRIST is real. All the theological answers were not what made an impact
on him but testimonies. After I shared with him, he asked me is it that
simple to pray and then you become a Christian. I told him yes, when you
ask JESUS to come into your heart, He will make His home in you. Then,
he told me he wanted JESUS in his heart.
Then, he
asked, you don’t have to believe but just pray?
I said of course you have to
BELIEVE. You do not pray asking JESUS to come into your heart if you do
not BELIEVE in JESUS. I told him it is not like a mantra where you just
say things for the sake of saying it. No, it does not work that way.
Praying just words without belief becomes words if you do not believe
what you are praying.
Then, he said I do not mind
having JESUS in my heart for who does not want JESUS in their heart.
JESUS is a god to me. I said no, no, no!!! JESUS cannot be a god to you.
JESUS has to be the only WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE! JESUS has to be
real in your life. The Bible says, you should not worship idols. You
cannot follow JESUS and still worship idols. JESUS does not want you to
worship what you create. JESUS is the CREATOR and we are the CREATED. We
need to worship the CREATOR and not idols.
Then he
says to me if I become a Christian, what happens back home when they
find out I changed from Hindu religion to Christian?
I told him if JESUS is real to
you, you will not care what people think. When you have JESUS in your
life, He will become so real to you that you can stand up to your family
and others because of your love for JESUS. I told him it will not be
easy and I heard of Muslim families where the person who became a
follower of Christ is thrown away from the house because they gave their
life to JESUS. I said, but you know what, they gave up their family too
because that is how real JESUS became to them. Lord, provided Christian
families to take care of them. I told him the cost of following JESUS
and it would not be easy. He understood it.
I told him when we die we can be
with JESUS in Heaven and also see those who have given their lives to
CHRIST when we see Heaven. He asked me how it can be if our bodies die
down here. I told him that our bodies here do die and decompose but when
JESUS CHRIST comes back, He will give all of us new bodies so we can be
with Him in Heaven. He took it all in understanding.
I asked him again if he wanted
to ask JESUS into his heart. He told me he still had doubts and was not
sure about everything but said something profound: He said, if I believe
in JESUS, He will take my doubts, build my faith for only He can.
I told him, yes, JESUS will help
you grow in your faith. I reminded him I have been a Christian for 20
years and had my questions and doubts through the years but JESUS has
helped me through them and he will help you too! I told Him Jesus still
helps with me issues. He was now ready to accept JESUS into his life.
PRAISE GOD!
I told him that I would pray and
that he should repeat after me. He told me to go slow and not have long
sentences. I said ok and prayed with him and he repeated after me,
giving His life to JESUS CHRIST, the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.
I told him now ‘you are a
Christian and one day will see JESUS face to face in Heaven.’
I told him he may feel something
or may not feel anything after praying but not to go by feelings because
JESUS promised not to leave us or forsake us. I told him JESUS will stay
with you and not let you go. I told him he has the Holy Spirit in him. I
told him there is partying in Heaven and they are rejoicing right now
celebrating because you gave your life to JESUS CHRIST!. I told him the
Bible says there is rejoicing! Thank you JESUS! I gave him a big hug and
told him that he is now a brother in CHRIST.
I gave him some literature
including a New Testament Bible and told him that I would get him more
and plug him into an International Ministry through Allegheny Center
Alliance Church, having someone call him soon since he lives close to
the church there and know how the Lord has used ACAC in people's lives.
I ask you
now dear friend, will you gather before Jesus?
Dear friend, a large crowd
gathered to see Jesus because of the impact Jesus made. A Hindu person
seeking Jesus gathered, setting foot in a church because he heard about
the impact Jesus made in my life. The result was him gathering before
Jesus as I shared with him the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Friend, you can
too gather before Jesus and help your family and friends gather before
Jesus as you make yourself available to Jesus.
Friend, Jesus used me as his
vessel not because of my ability but because of my availability. I was
praying to Jesus in my mind as I began talking to the person. It starts
with gathering before Jesus, being taught by Him, and learning from Him
through His Word, prayer, and His Spirit working in us and through us in
different ways including allowing others in our lives to teach us.
It is our availability and not
ability that the Lord is glad to use. So, please never think you cannot
make an impact for the Kingdom of God! Every person who knows Jesus
Christ as their Lord and Personal Savior can make an impact. An impact
for Jesus is an impact. Doing a simple thing for our love of Jesus such
as passing out a Gospel tract in Jesus Name’ can make a tremendous
difference.
You don’t
think so?
I did not think so too once
until Jesus knew what I was thinking and answered my question for me.
Every Monday night outside the
William Pitt Union facing Forbes Ave, a group of brothers from different
churches pass out Gospel Tracts to students and non-students passing by
to reach them with the love of Christ. Those who want to talk, they make
themselves available.
After getting of work, I decided
to sit on that side talking to friends of mine. Then, I decided to run
to catch my bus but missed it. Our Lord had other plans and He intended
to answer my question there.
I was
thinking, do passing out Gospel Tracts really work?
Jesus answered my question right
there after a few minutes. I was sharing all the styles of Evangelism I
had learned, but one of them felt I was putting down what they were
doing. I told him that I was not.
Another student who was passing
out Gospel tracts asked me how he should witness to a Hindu. I told him
why don’t we role play where I act the role of the Hindu and you can try
to witness to me. We did that. In the role play, he asked me about my
faith and then said here take this tract and read it. That’s all he did.
He made himself available to give me a tract in our role play. He was
young and was afraid he may say the wrong things to people but I assured
him the Bible says not to let anyone think less of you because you are
young! I told him you can spread the Gospel. I shared with him about
Timothy and Paul. He said so I am little Timothy huh and I told him yeah
you can look at it like that.
What does
it have to do with anything!
It has everything to do with
what happened yesterday at church. You see the Lord showed me on Monday,
June 27, 05 that tracts given in the Name of Jesus do work. A person had
received a Gospel tract close to Hillman Library and walked towards us
and left. Then, he came back with questions wanting to know about Jesus.
They called me to tell me that he was Hindu and that I should talk to
him. I shared with him my testimony and he wanted to meet again to talk
about Jesus. It is that meeting we had scheduled yesterday where he
became a follower of Christ.
It started with someone else
giving him a tract first. We do not know how many links went by in his
life but the final link is when he gave his life to Christ! All the
links were important. He had gathered to hear me after he became curious
about Jesus in my life.
Friend, you can make yourself
available to as you gather with Jesus. What helps me a lot in campus
ministry is my own time with Jesus spending time in His Word and prayer!
Also, I have had opportunities to listen to countless of ministry
programs, pastors of different churches, etc. We cannot truly be
available for others if we are not available to gather before Jesus! It
is His strength we need to work in us and through us so they see Jesus
in us and decide to check Jesus out!
May you always find time to
gather with Jesus and spend time with Him!
“Gather
Around The Healing, Emancipating Redeemer!” (G.A.T.H.E.R)/”Will
you gather before Jesus?”
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I love you so much. Thank you for loving me so much! We are
sorry for our sin. Please forgive us and help us. Thank you Jesus for
dying for my sin and coming back to life to save me! Thank you for it is
my availability and willingness to love those around me on campus that
you have used to change lives. Thank you for the mission you have put in
my heart to counsel broken hearts with the love of Christ and to reach
students with your love Oh Lord my Jesus, my Savior! There is none like
you! I can search for all eternity long and find there is none like you.
Only you can move the mountains and part the waters. You Oh Lord know
what we face in our life. You Oh Lord know all about how much ability we
have but you are excited to use us in our availability when we gather
before you Jesus and learn from you. Help us to find time to spend with
you Jesus in your Word and prayer. Let us not be legalistic in the time
we spend but help us to focus on our quality time with you than the
quantity for quantity means nothing to you if we are doing it just for
the motions without our heart in it. Thank you Jesus there have been
times I only spent 5 minutes quality time with you and you still taught
me then and I learned from you. I thank you Lord the more time we have
with you, the more we learn from you and we can share it with others
too. We give our lives to you Jesus and ask you for your help. We
acknowledge you as our Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus for
being our Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus you have heard our
prayers and answered us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
Pray this
prayer if you want to come to Jesus Christ and let Him work in your
life. This is a similar to the prayer the person at church prayed.
Dear
Jesus, I do not know everything about you. I still have a lot of
questions but I heard how you heal people. I need your spiritual healing
and need you to transplant yourself into my life. I am so sorry
for my sin. My sin has separated me from you. There is nothing I can do
on my own to earn your forgiveness but you give it to me in your grace.
Thank you so much Jesus. I now come and say, I am so sorry for my all
sin. I confess to you my sin and repent of my sin. Help me please Jesus
and transform my life in your timing. Please forgive me of my sin and
cleanse me with your cleansing blood. Wash me and I will be whiter than
snow. Thank you so much Jesus. Please come into my heart Jesus and make
my heart your home. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve
you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you Jesus for coming into my
heart and making my heart your home! Thank you Jesus for living in me
and helping me to live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my
life! Thank you for your forgiveness and grace. I gotta tell somebody
what you did for me Jesus. Before I even do that, I acknowledge you as
my Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus for being my Lord and
Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus you have heard my prayer and answered
me! Thank you Jesus that I am yours! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
