Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Two weeks ago, a few friends, my brothers and I decided to go to the town square and spend some time worshiping God and praying for the city of Aquiraz (the small town where I live & work in). It was an awesome time, just praising and worshiping him. We got some funny looks from people but we were there to exalt him.
As we were worshiping, there was a group of mostly teens practicing a dance called Swingueira nearby in the square. It is a very provocative dance and the different dance groups are actually funded by the government to "keep them from drugs". At one point, I turned and looked at the group practicing and this thought came into my mind: Many of those kids have been abused, sexually and verbally. They feel like Jesus wasn't and isn't there for them and that he doesn't care. But he was and still is and he does. He tried to get other people's attentions as to what was going on, but they didn't want to listen to him or have anything to do with him. These kids don't know how loved they are. They don't know how valuable they are. They are looking for God's love and acceptance in all the wrong places.
We continued worshiping but I couldn't get those thoughts out of my head. It was getting late and soon we would have to leave. I told my friends about that quiet thought that had come to my mind and that I really wasn't sure if it was God telling me that. To be honest with you, I was embarrassed and afraid to go up to those teens and get laughed at if I went and told them what I felt God might be speaking to me and how he loved them and wanted to change their lives. I was reassured that it most likely was God speaking to me and to not go share about his love would be selfish and unjust/unfair. So, we said a short prayer and my two brothers, Curtis and Caleb, and I went over to where the teens were.
We talked to the girl in charge and they said we could share with them as soon as practice was over. Though some kids had to leave, the rest all gathered around as I began to share with them exactly all that I felt the Lord had shared with me... about how some were abused sexually, others verbally and emotionally and I told them how God saw them and how much he loved them. I told them what others had said about them before, but that in God's eyes they were not those things. They were beautiful, valuable beyond measure, treasured, cared for and wanted. They didn't need to do anything to get anyone's love or attention because God has given them all of his love and attention. Only God could satisfy the yearning in their hearts. As I was speaking, several of the girls and even one or two guys had tears in their eyes. You could tell from their faces that I was describing some of their lives though none of the girls I believed might have been abused came to speak with us afterwards.
As I spoke about verbal abuse, one of the guys almost started crying. He knew my brothers and shared with them that his mother had said many horrible things to him and how worthless she made him feel. But the one thing that hurt him most was that his own mother had told him that if he wanted money he could sell drugs or steal but he shouldn't dare ask her for anything because she wouldn't ever give it to him. That cut him deep. But today he'd heard what God saw in him and that impacted him.
After I finished speaking, a young girl we'd spoken to before came up to me. She said that this message was exactly what she needed to hear. As I was speaking, she got butterflies in her stomach as she felt like God was saying, I've tried to tell you so many times that I loved you, but since you never listened, I had to send this girl to tell you. We talked for a while and she had so many questions. She told us all the reasons she had to not follow Jesus, but that she knew this is what she needed to do with her life. She even said that the night before (after 12 AM, which was technically the same day) she had said to herself, Today is the day of change!
We didn't put any pressure on her, but spoke with truth and love. We assured her that following Jesus really wasn't always easy and it didn't make life 'better' in the way some would hope it would. I told her that she could talk to God about all of her questions, doubts, frustrations but that he may not answer them in the way she would like him to. We didn't try to spruce up the gospel in fake way that so many people do to get converts. We told her the truth. We also told her that following God, though not always easy, is an amazing experience. We told her how amazing it is to be free of burdens and have peace and joy in the midst of a major life storm. We told her about how incredible it is to have a personal relationship with the creator of the universe and to live and be and bask in his love and acceptance.
She accepted what we told her with such openness and joy. She recognized that, just like the dishonest car dealer in the movie Flywheel, she needed to go to a lot of people and ask forgiveness to them. She knew it would be very hard (and humbling) to do, but that she needed to do it. Today was the day of change!
We talked to her for a quite a while and then prayed for her. She was overflowing with such joy just to know how much God loved her and the good plans he had for her life. I've talked with her a few times since then, and I know that yes, walking with God is a long life-changing process, but God did something in her life that day. He did something in all of their lives. He did something in my life.
We don't know if there have been any major extreme changes in some of their lives since that day. I'm sure many of them still come to dance practice every week, but that doesn't mean a seed wasn't planted. God did something big that day that I know will change their lives forever.
Something I learned that day is how important it is to obey God. People's LIVES depend on our obedience. If I had let my fears get the best of me, those kids would have missed out and continued living their lives without knowing how deeply God cares for and loves them. Maybe a young girl now knows how valuable she is and won't sleep with that guy anymore to get the love she's looking for because she found it in Jesus. We can't afford to be afraid, embarrassed or prideful. They can't afford for us to be that way. When you think about it, being afraid of being rejected for preaching the gospel, deep down inside, is actually a type of pride. We don't want our pride to get hurt.
But Jesus was completely humiliated... beaten and bloody, stretched upon that cross and nailed to it... completely naked, exposed and ridiculed just so that we might be saved from ourselves and gain eternal life - relationship with him. We know what Jesus went through for us. Do they? It is time for the people of God to rise up and be bold, to face risks and danger, and if necessary lose it all for the sake of Christ. Are you willing to give it all so that they might know his love? Are you willing to follow Jesus wherever he leads, do whatever he tells you to, no matter how much or how little?
I want to be.
Click here to watch the video "Upside Down" by Micah Bournes. This video talks about Christians stepping it up and turning the world upside down. It's a must-watch!
As we were worshiping, there was a group of mostly teens practicing a dance called Swingueira nearby in the square. It is a very provocative dance and the different dance groups are actually funded by the government to "keep them from drugs". At one point, I turned and looked at the group practicing and this thought came into my mind: Many of those kids have been abused, sexually and verbally. They feel like Jesus wasn't and isn't there for them and that he doesn't care. But he was and still is and he does. He tried to get other people's attentions as to what was going on, but they didn't want to listen to him or have anything to do with him. These kids don't know how loved they are. They don't know how valuable they are. They are looking for God's love and acceptance in all the wrong places.
We continued worshiping but I couldn't get those thoughts out of my head. It was getting late and soon we would have to leave. I told my friends about that quiet thought that had come to my mind and that I really wasn't sure if it was God telling me that. To be honest with you, I was embarrassed and afraid to go up to those teens and get laughed at if I went and told them what I felt God might be speaking to me and how he loved them and wanted to change their lives. I was reassured that it most likely was God speaking to me and to not go share about his love would be selfish and unjust/unfair. So, we said a short prayer and my two brothers, Curtis and Caleb, and I went over to where the teens were.
We talked to the girl in charge and they said we could share with them as soon as practice was over. Though some kids had to leave, the rest all gathered around as I began to share with them exactly all that I felt the Lord had shared with me... about how some were abused sexually, others verbally and emotionally and I told them how God saw them and how much he loved them. I told them what others had said about them before, but that in God's eyes they were not those things. They were beautiful, valuable beyond measure, treasured, cared for and wanted. They didn't need to do anything to get anyone's love or attention because God has given them all of his love and attention. Only God could satisfy the yearning in their hearts. As I was speaking, several of the girls and even one or two guys had tears in their eyes. You could tell from their faces that I was describing some of their lives though none of the girls I believed might have been abused came to speak with us afterwards.
As I spoke about verbal abuse, one of the guys almost started crying. He knew my brothers and shared with them that his mother had said many horrible things to him and how worthless she made him feel. But the one thing that hurt him most was that his own mother had told him that if he wanted money he could sell drugs or steal but he shouldn't dare ask her for anything because she wouldn't ever give it to him. That cut him deep. But today he'd heard what God saw in him and that impacted him.
After I finished speaking, a young girl we'd spoken to before came up to me. She said that this message was exactly what she needed to hear. As I was speaking, she got butterflies in her stomach as she felt like God was saying, I've tried to tell you so many times that I loved you, but since you never listened, I had to send this girl to tell you. We talked for a while and she had so many questions. She told us all the reasons she had to not follow Jesus, but that she knew this is what she needed to do with her life. She even said that the night before (after 12 AM, which was technically the same day) she had said to herself, Today is the day of change!
We didn't put any pressure on her, but spoke with truth and love. We assured her that following Jesus really wasn't always easy and it didn't make life 'better' in the way some would hope it would. I told her that she could talk to God about all of her questions, doubts, frustrations but that he may not answer them in the way she would like him to. We didn't try to spruce up the gospel in fake way that so many people do to get converts. We told her the truth. We also told her that following God, though not always easy, is an amazing experience. We told her how amazing it is to be free of burdens and have peace and joy in the midst of a major life storm. We told her about how incredible it is to have a personal relationship with the creator of the universe and to live and be and bask in his love and acceptance.
She accepted what we told her with such openness and joy. She recognized that, just like the dishonest car dealer in the movie Flywheel, she needed to go to a lot of people and ask forgiveness to them. She knew it would be very hard (and humbling) to do, but that she needed to do it. Today was the day of change!
We talked to her for a quite a while and then prayed for her. She was overflowing with such joy just to know how much God loved her and the good plans he had for her life. I've talked with her a few times since then, and I know that yes, walking with God is a long life-changing process, but God did something in her life that day. He did something in all of their lives. He did something in my life.
We don't know if there have been any major extreme changes in some of their lives since that day. I'm sure many of them still come to dance practice every week, but that doesn't mean a seed wasn't planted. God did something big that day that I know will change their lives forever.
Something I learned that day is how important it is to obey God. People's LIVES depend on our obedience. If I had let my fears get the best of me, those kids would have missed out and continued living their lives without knowing how deeply God cares for and loves them. Maybe a young girl now knows how valuable she is and won't sleep with that guy anymore to get the love she's looking for because she found it in Jesus. We can't afford to be afraid, embarrassed or prideful. They can't afford for us to be that way. When you think about it, being afraid of being rejected for preaching the gospel, deep down inside, is actually a type of pride. We don't want our pride to get hurt.
But Jesus was completely humiliated... beaten and bloody, stretched upon that cross and nailed to it... completely naked, exposed and ridiculed just so that we might be saved from ourselves and gain eternal life - relationship with him. We know what Jesus went through for us. Do they? It is time for the people of God to rise up and be bold, to face risks and danger, and if necessary lose it all for the sake of Christ. Are you willing to give it all so that they might know his love? Are you willing to follow Jesus wherever he leads, do whatever he tells you to, no matter how much or how little?
I want to be.
Click here to watch the video "Upside Down" by Micah Bournes. This video talks about Christians stepping it up and turning the world upside down. It's a must-watch!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave some love!