Win the Lost at any cost!
This may be lengthy but it will set some free, because God sure did check me on this one:
Conjecture: an opinion or conclusion formed on the basic of incomplete information, to guess, to presume.
Speculation: the forming of a theory without firm evidence.
Assumption: something that you assume to be the case even without proof, something that is accepted as true without proof.
So many times as Christians, we formed opinions concerning people without getting the full story or learning the facts about a person or situation.
God has been dealing with me very heavily, about having preconceived ideas about people or situations based on either what I have been spiritually taught, or what is deemed acceptable to the religious world.
He has dealt with me about my theories which were develop through teachings that have caused me to sometimes label things as “unacceptable,” because they were outside my spiritual views that were sketched in my mind, causing me to develop a mindset that was rigid, toward change or anything outside my limited scope of spiritual upbringing.
God begin to rebuke me heavily, concerning labeling things as unacceptable, not because of the word, but because of man’s religious ideas that were formed in my spirit, because of the spiritually theories and ideas of what they established as God’s idea of holiness and righteousness, based on what man has passed down through generations.
Religious mindsets can’t adapt to change. but Kingdom minds know that God can send a change. without destroying a foundation.
The foundation of holiness and righteousness is based on the character attitude and behavior of God and all that He represents. The foundational truth of His standards will always stand but His methods of delivering, that truth can’t be put in a box.
This is were He rebuked me the strongest. Not being able to be bendable and flexible, when it came to winning souls.
He said, I’m going to show you a more excellent way in winning the lost. I’m going to show you how to win them and you never lose your standard of holiness and righteousness.
He said, you can be anointed without having a atmosphere of being untouchable and unreachable to the people.
He said, so many give the appearance that they have to have these mean face and air of superiority to get respect.
He told me the greatest respect you will gain, is when you have the ability to touch the lives of every person that I allowed you to come in contact with, and you leave them with the impression that God is love and living for Him is worthwhile.
When you can touch the heart of a child, as well as someone who is sixty years old, with the word of God as they sit in the same setting, then you have learned a more excellent way to win the lost.
If your preaching of the gospel only draws the mature and not the youth then you are not doing it My way.
When Jesus taught, He was able to touch the children as well as their parents at the same time.
Until we learn that God can expand His methods of winning the lost, without destroying the foundation of His righteousness, we are going to miss out on winning some souls because of our rigid and overindulgence of man made religious ideas of holiness!!!
Just because they don’t dress like little house on the prairie, doesn’t mean that they not saved. Win them, then teach them the word, and the Spirit of The Lord will establish the spirit of righteousness and holiness within the individual.
The Holy Ghost taught me some things that man never did!. Men taught me rules and religious laws, but not how to win all the lost, because their focus was on the older generation, so their teaching was geared only toward them.
I thank God for the Spirit of God that dealt with me and taught me how to win the lost at any age or at any place in life. From alcoholics, to drug addicts; from drug pushers to pimps; from homosexuals to sex offenders; from prostitutes to rapist; from those that have been abused to those that have been the abusers; He has taught me how to witness and minister without being judgmental and hateful and bias toward anyone.
Preachers, it’s time to move in the Spirit of God and not the preconceived notions of man made ideas!
Win the lost at any cost.
God gave me a method to help me become more approachable. I always had young people who loved me, but they were terrorized of me, because they thought I was mean.
That wasn’t what I wanted from them. I wanted them to love and respect who I am, but also to feel the love of God, not just His judgment, and that’s what I had created.
Now with the method God has given me, I have their love and respect and I’m approachable so that they can reach out and trust me to help them get through the traumas that many face in life as being young.
I yet maintain my foundational truths of holiness which causes the older generation to know I’m yet saved and walking in the word and though I am no longer stiff and rigid my stand for righteousness and holiness remains the same! Success in ministry is when you can achieved understanding and a connection of trust with those you touch!
Prophetic Shows
Be careful of Prophetic Shows in this hour. These are meetings were people show off their prophetic gifts for a few minutes get the audience excited and then take an hour or more taking up offerings for the word they have released.
People be careful even magicians sorcerers witches warlocks are able to produce miracles but their power comes from Satan not God!
You have all these things taking place in the service but there is only a momentary change in the lives of the people from the excitement of hearing what they wanted to hear not a permanent transformation in the spirit of them to cause them to continue on to know God and change their lives.
People want an easy remedy not a permanent solution!
~ Apostle Barbara R. Thomas
I often think of how Jesus worked to win souls.
He ‘chased’ them not, they came to Him.
He said I shall teach you how to fish men.
And a fisherman does not hunt the fish, he throws out the bait and wait…
Luke 15:4-10 (KJV)
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.