Tonight was so joyful serving the Lord. Every time I go out and witness for Jesus, it is a joy. To see people’s lives changing for Christ is the best thing ever. The Lord gave four of us a heart to evangelize this evening and I am grateful for their decisions to come out. These people could have stayed home but they went out of their comfort zone to do God’s will. Praise the Lord. After we prayed as a group, we went out on the streets. Our prayer was that hearts would be opened to His words and to follow Jesus. The Lord surely provided. Many people received gospel tracts and prayer. This young couple was going through hard times and needed prayer to get back on their feet again. It was amazing to see their faith. They believed God would hear their cries. I could see their trust in God. Before I left, I asked if they wanted a Bible, and they said yes. I was very encouraged by this. Walking away, I encouraged them to read God’s word daily. By doing so, their prayer life would also be increased. As we continued walking we saw many homeless in need. To each of them, we offered food and/or water. We also prayed for their needs. Down the street, I finally made it to the corner where I’d preach in John chapter 10. In the beginning, there weren’t many people and the wind was picking up, blowing the pages around in the Bible. For a moment, I felt discouraged, until I opened the Bible app on my phone. It was then, that the preaching came to life.
As I put my trust in God, He was able to speak through me. So I began reading in John, chapter 10. As Jesus said, 1“the sheep follow him: for they know his voice”, I began to ask people if they follow Jesus. Do they know His voice and follow Him? When Jesus said, 1“I am the door of the sheep”, I began to ask those that walked past me if they walked in their Christian faith. If they lived as the Bible teaches. To those that do not follow Jesus, I asked them if they’d be willing to do so now. If they’d make the leap of faith and believe in Jesus for salvation. Jesus said that 1“He is the door”. 1“If any man enter in, he shall be saved.” We as believers in Christ are saved when Jesus is at the head. He is the one that wills us to live a life for Him. If there was one thing I wanted people to understand, is that Jesus laid down His life for us. He paid for our sins on the cross. If we confess our sins and repent, we can be forgiven. Jesus did this all because He loved us so much. He knew that there were other sheep out there. If they would hear His voice He would take them in and be their Shepherd. As I preached, this group of guys came and surrounded me. They then began to question my faith and why I believed the way I did. One gentlemen asked why he should believe one person’s opinion on God. My answer was to not trust in me but God’s Word. I can do nothing but what the Holy Spirit of God can do through me.
This conversation picked up when I was asked how I could believe in God when people die of cancer every day and all these terrible things are happening in this world. My answer was plain, people can justify that God is making these things happen or not. One thing I know is that through trials, we can grow even stronger because of them. Our faith in Jesus can be elevated as we put our trust in Him for answers along the way. Another guy asked me why I believe. To this question, I told them that I surely don’t come out here for nothing. I come out here because of what God did for me. Because I was able to be born again in Christ Jesus, anybody can. I was freed from pornography, fornication, adultery and masturbation. Nothing I could ever do could break these chains of addiction but God did it. I prayed for forgiveness and mercy for I felt I was the most wicked person on the earth. Because I was heart felt in my longing for change God put a new heart inside of me. The fire of the Holy Spirit has given me a new outlook on life and a new walk for Him. I explained to these gentlemen that if I could be made free from addiction, they could too. I asked them if they had a Bible and if so, to read it. After asking a few of them if they wanted a Bible, one of them said yes. He told me thank you for sharing the Word of God. He said it was very encouraging. Praise the Lord. All the glory is to God. He did it all tonight. We were simply His messengers and He was able to do a marvelous work through us. Praise God.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I am so grateful for this night to witness for You. Reading and preaching from John, chapter 10, was very encouraging to me as well. My faith was strengthened as I preached from it. I pray that the people that heard Your message of hope will desire to follow You. May people better desire to live a Christian life. Not just say they are Christian but to live for You. I pray that people were been encouraged to read the Bible daily. Not just read it on occasion but often. Lord, people do not know what they are missing out on when they overlook such a book as Yours. Lord, Your words spoke clearly tonight that there are many more sheep to be found. I pray that there were some tonight that heard Your words and will follow You. I pray that You become their Good Shepherd. Lord, I love You. I will follow You, when You call my name. You are my King and my Shepherd. You are the Lord of my life. All praise and honor to Your Great Name. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
1John 10:1-16 (KJV)
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
