Saturday, August 29, 2015

Saturday, August 29, 2015

[by Keesha Sullivan]

               I absolutely adore my friends from childhood. At about 12 years of age, I began witnessing to them. I tried to convince them with everything that was in me to come know Jesus. The thought of us ever being separated, even if it was after death, frightened me. Through the grace and mercy of the almighty Father a couple of my friends came to know Jesus. The majority of them ignored my attempts.

        Recently, I heard an evangelist say something that changed my whole way of thinking when it came to sharing the gospel. He said, "If you can convince someone into the kingdom through reasoning, what will stop someone else from reasoning them out." This statement hit me like a ton of bricks! It made me ask the Lord, "What do I do then?"

        Our scripture from today has the answer. In 2 Corinthians 3:14-16 it says, "But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.  But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

        I realized persuasive words will not bring my friends and loved ones into the kingdom. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can move on a person's heart and begin the process of lifting the veil from their minds. In 1 Corinthians 2:4, Paul says "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power."

        I tried praying for the Holy Spirit to unveil the eyes of one of my childhood friends just a month ago. We've been friends for twenty years now, and she's heard my persuasive speeches for a long time.  Concerning life after death she hypothesized, "After we all die, God will let us apologize and take us into heaven. Most people feel this way. Not everyone can be as serious about God as you, Keesha." I smiled and gave her a few Scriptures that testified to her hypothesis not being the truth.

               As I looked into my friend's eyes, I saw something click. This had never happened before. The smile left her face and she solemnly said, "Going to the gates of heaven without living for Jesus is like going swimming in the ocean without a life jacket." Although she didn't accept Jesus Christ as her Savior that day, I know that the Holy Spirit did more during that lunch date than I had done in twenty years.

               Holy Spirit help us to go to you when it comes to seeing our loved ones come into Your kingdom. Guide us in our sharing of the gospel. Unveil the minds and soften the hearts of our loved ones, O God. We need You. In Jesus Name. Amen.