And so, this blog entry is about my love and respect and life with Jesus. For I am not at a place in my life where I even want to give a long discourse on why you should believe He is the I AM the Bible speaks of in the beginning and end of the Bible and all in between. I am not at that place anymore (I used to share Jesus with many when people had ears to hear and less distractions or opinions and when absolutes were allowed) because of all the voices in the marketplace, clanging like gongs and sometimes resounding in unison about all the wrong things. I have come to accept that these days my testimony and love for Jesus is more evident in how I live my life. It is less about talking the talk but thankfully I have begun walking the walk as my modus operandi.
See, I am that "Saul-to-Paul" conversion. I am that Mary at Jesus's feet who gave it all to please Him merely because she realized He was her all in all. I am that one who strives to live each day in grateful humility with a desire to serve Him and to love others as Christ when He walked among us in thong sandals and a belted robe.
Recently, on an Uber ride from my church to an appointment, I happened to be picked up after Bible Study by Ayed. I do not know if since he picked me up at church, he was encouraged to ask me (just 10 seconds after I got in the car) about the Bible. I was intrigued right away as I wondered if he may have engaged me so soon in order to argue early on in our 20 minute ride. From his name and his appearance, I assumed he had knowledge of the Koran and the Muslim faith. Without going into too many details, I basically was flooded with a love early on that day and felt the responsibility to share the love of Jesus with this person without compromise.
I let him know that I was not educated in the Koran but I did know my Bible. I shared I would like to know more about the Koran so that I could understand his faith better. I shared I could not argue or dispute his Koran but I could tell him about my Bible and we could compare the difference. This is how we amicably discussed both and when I challenged him several times he could not answer my questions. Jesus knew the art of the question and for that I am grateful that I knew asking questions was the best way to communicate with Ayed. I felt the Holy Spirit lead me in sharing and asking questions and never judging.
He said several things during that car ride which made me realize a born again Christian may have never behaved that way with him before or asked him questions about his faith which he could not answer. It seemed he had his 'shtick" down pat at first and seemed almost cocky about his plan to trip me up but it was refuted as he could not answer my questions.
We laughed and enjoyed our time together and right before the car ride ended, I felt the urging of the Holy Spirit. Ayed had asked me what it is about Jesus that makes me want to live for Him daily. And so, before I got out I told him that I would die for someone if I knew it would bring them to a personal relationship with Jesus. I looked him in the eye through the rear-view mirror and I told him that I would die for him. I told him I would die for him if it meant he would be saved for all of eternity. I told him I hoped to see him in Heaven one day and he laughed. Although he laughed i the midst of a holy moment, somehow I feel he got it and believed what I said was sincere. I felt he understood I would do that because of what Jesus did for me and what my Bible tells me about eternity. There was love and Jesus with us in the midst of that moment.
The car was silent for just a second. The shopping center bustled around us as if we were not even there. He turned around from the front seat and then smiled a beautiful smile as I handed him a tip and smiled back. I realized I would never see him again here on this side of Heaven. I do not even remember what he said last as I got out of the car. But I do know that I felt lighter and brighter in my spirit. I know the angels in Heaven were rejoicing. We had church in that Muslim Uber driver's car. I continue to pray for Ayed. He is a part of my heart now in which he left a little bit of glitter.
Again, Who Is Jesus?
And so, like Ayed, I gather those souls to my heart. Those who ask the question, "Who is Jesus?"
I pray daily to be the salt and light which the Bible speaks of. The city on the hill with the bright lights in the darkness. I want to be the vessel to offer the Living Water because first I was the recipient of the Living Water. I was the woman at the well in the Bible who went to the well at odd hours to avoid others.
I love to learn about how Jesus connected with others through the Gospel of John. It was in John 7:37-39 in which at the Feast of Booths, Jesus intently took the opportunity to point out a connection between the spiritual gift he would give and the actual spring of Siloam "wells of salvation".
Also, in Isaiah 12:3 and the life-saving water provided by the Rock in the wilderness. Actually, Isaiah 12 pumps me up - all of it every time I read it! So I wanted to share the NLT version here today:
Songs of Praise for Salvation
In that day you will sing:
“I will praise you, O LORD!
You were angry with me, but not any more.
Now you comfort me.
See, God has come to save me.
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The LORD GOD is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.”
With joy you will drink deeply
from the fountain of salvation!
In that wonderful day you will sing:
“Thank the LORD! Praise his name!
Tell the nations what he has done.
Let them know how mighty he is!
Sing to the LORD, for he has done wonderful things.
Make known his praise around the world.
Let all the people of Jerusalem[fn] shout his praise with joy!
For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”
Why do I share that with you today you may ask. I share that with you because one day someone took the time out to tell me what Jesus dying on the Cross had to do with me. My whole life I had grown up in religion and each Sunday would try not to look at that lifelike statue of a dying man on a Cross with a bleeding heart. Instead I chose to focus on the statue of the baby in a beautiful woman's arms.
I know now why that baby gave me solace. There was no pain displayed there, no big bleeding heart and the baby was clearly loved and protected.
Peter
So many times I asked, "Who is Jesus"? The disciple Peter had a cool interaction with Jesus in Luke 22:33. He denied Jesus 3 times. Only hours before the denials, he had declared his willingness to die for Jesus, so when he flubbed it and it was a crushing blow (vv 61-62).
So then I really feel for Peter because it was not until after Jesus' death and resurrection, that Peter was fishing with some of the disciples and then Jesus appeared. Jesus gave Peter a chance to state his love for Him three times - one for each of his denials (John https://www.blueletterbible.org/nlt/jhn/21/1/s_1018001 21:1-3). Then with each response, Jesus gave Peter the charge to care for His people (vv 15-17). I like to think Peter felt a huge sense of relief that Jesus was not mad or disappointed in him and actually trusted him to play a key role in building the church and dying for Jesus.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for allowing me to share today a little piece of my love for You. We are so much like Peter, Paul and Mary. You delight in us and your coolness is so evident in how you even made me smile as I thought of that music group with the same name now as I typed Peter, Paul and Mary during my prayer ;). Jesus met the woman at the well. You so want to relate to us and be with us and just love us. Your message of love was never intended to be a clanging gong in the marketplace of ideas. You did not sit among us to later be the subject of panels and panels of scholars with foolish debates.
Because each of us must come to You personally, it is an honor to share my relationship with others and my struggle for many years to find my way to the Cross. We do know that in Your Word you tell us: Romans 10:9-11 NLT
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[fn]
I pray that if anyone who reads this blog entry needs prayer or wants to chat, please open the door to that possibility as You will for I am your humble servant who lives to love and serve You because You first loved and served me with your life.
Thank you for the Living Water and for quenching my thirst so that I can offer that Living Water to others. I seek to please You for such a time as this.
We love you Lord, in Jesus' s Name. Amen and Amen.
Please visit Springs of Life Intercessory Prayer website for information on joining us for 30 minutes a month remotely the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm est. Please feel free to send prayer requests as well. Springs of Life was created to serve those not only in need of prayer but those looking for a personal relationship with Jesus. Our heart is to mentor others to learn how to pray using the ACTS Method of prayer (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.) Be blessed and be bold and know you are loved! Springs of Life https://springsoflife7.wixsite.com/john414
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