New life in Christ

     In a post on November 23 I wrote about a ministry opportunity that God gave us to serve one of our local members who was having some issues with her house.  In the process of ministering to this sweet lady, God opened a door for us to minister to her neighbor who was experiencing some struggles of her own.  Our team ministered to her that day, prayed with her and shared Jesus with her.  On the Sunday after our visit with her, she attended the morning services with her young son.

     Yet the story does not end there.  We continued to reach out to her in a variety of ways.  Abbie, one of the young ladies in our church developed a continual relationship with her through texting, phone calls and visits.  She constantly encouraged her to attend worship with her and even invited her to attend Sunday School.  Eventually this young lady became a more permanent visitor to Lynwood Baptist Church and the extended church family began demonstrating the love of Christ to her.

     I always tell the members at Lynwood that love is something we do not something we say.  Afterall God demonstrated His love to us, not just sat up in heaven and talked about it, or dreamed about His love for us.  He demonstrated His love by sending Jesus to die for our sins so that He could have a relationship with us.  It was wonderful to see Lynwood Baptist Church reach out and demonstrate the love of Christ to this young woman and her son.

     The good news of this story is that yesterday at around noon, this young lady accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior.  She discovered that God's love would not let her go and she wanted to respond to the love that she experienced from Him.  In her words "We would not leave her alone."  She is now our sister in Christ.  She is family and we will continue to support and encourage her in the days, weeks and months that lie ahead.  God was drawing her to Himself and He used Lynwood Baptist Church as His instrument to demonstrate His love to her.

     Do not misunderstand what I am saying.  We cannot "save" anyone, for only God can save.  Yet we can be used by God to demonstrate love and to communicate His love so that God can truly move in people's lives.  People often say that God is going to bring people to Himself with or without us.  That could be true, but God chose to leave us here on earth when we became followers of Jesus, so that must mean He wants us to help Him out somehow.  Imagine that!! the King of the Universe invites us to help Him!  

     I want to encourage you not to grow weary in doing good.  Keep helping people during difficult times.  Keep loving on people not with words, but with deeds.  Allow yourself to be His hands, His feet and His voice and minister to people.  You may not see results immediately and you might never see the results, but God will still work through you.  Because of the efforts of Abbie and the rest of the church, this young lady experienced new life in Christ.  God used His Church to demonstrate His love.  Have you demonstrated God's love to someone this week?  Why not start today!  You never know whose life might be changed.