Thursday, September 3, 2009

God's work on "The Lady at Subway"

Well, the other day I had the opportunity to go back to visit with the lady at Subway. I told her that I wanted to follow-up and see how things are going for her, and make sure that she acknowledged God's work in getting her electricity back on. She said, "It has been remarkable to see, through this whole thing, how faithful God is to me, even when I have not been faithful to Him." She went on to say, "I had the opportunity to talk to Joe on the phone- he's such a nice man." I agreed with her, but trying to get the conversation back on task, I said "Yet much more important than God meeting your need of electricity, God has a much greater need that He wants to meet in your life". She replied, "Oh yes I know, I've already gone to church a couple of times since this whole thing has happened; I mean, I was brought up in church and all, and have attended on and off in my adult years." I told her, "That's great to hear." Unfortunately I was side tracked from where I was going with the conversation, and she finished by saying, "Look you ought to stick around and have lunch." But I told her that I already had plans for lunch, though I would come back sometime in the future (I thought that would give me another opportunity to follow-up on her again). So I left; but while driving up 1st Ave, headed back to the church, God burdened my heart so much about how I had allowed her to side track me and that I didn't accomplish what I truly went there to accomplish. So, I was compelled to turn around and go back to finish our conversation. Now keep in mind that by this time I am arguing with God about what this woman is going to think if I come back and start up a conversation with her again. But setting aside my pride and doing what's right (no matter what), God won and I conceded. When I went back in to the store, she gave me a funny look, as though to say, "did you forget something?" I said, "You know, I failed to ask you a question that I had planned to ask, so I came back with the intent of posing my question." She said, "What's the question?" "I was wanting to know if you have ever come to the point in your life where you understood your need to give your life to Jesus" I asked. "Oh yes" she said, "about every other week I give my life to Jesus." She went on to say, "I've been raised as a General Baptist, so I understand how important it is to be saved."
I ask for you to continue praying for the lady at Subway, because it will be a journey that I will have to take with her, to help her understand what salvation is and what it is not. See the General Baptist doctrine believe that salvation is not eternal. In other words, if you sin and Jesus comes back before YOU confess that sin and get saved again (which means that man must DO something in order to be saved, other than trusting in what God has already DONE), then you will go to hell; it truly is a tangled web.
Before I left she said she might come to Mill Road and check us out. So pray, pray, pray.