Tuesday, March 9, 2010

The Power of the gospel message



“God is everything.” These words still ring true in my ears as I reflect back to a conversation I had with a guy named Lovemore at the University of Cape Town. During the conversation, I asked him and his friend David, “Have you ever heard of how you can have a close relationship with God through Jesus Christ?” Lovemore replied, “Yes, I have heard about it. In fact, many people have tried to tell me about it.” David remained silent. So I asked Lovemore, “Well, since so many people have tried it, would you mind if I try as well?” “Sure,” he said. By the end of the conversation they were both convinced of the truth of God and how He wants to have a relationship with them. What surprised me in the end was that Lovemore’s friend David, the one who remained silent the whole time, accepted Christ! I could see he truly desired to know more. As for Lovemore, he decided not to accept Christ at that moment, but that doesn’t mean I will stop pursuing him, in order to convince him more on the love of Christ. We will see what God does.
“I’m not saved.” A freshman by the name of Vuyani said these words to me one day as I met up with him to discuss more about his salvation in Christ. The day before, I met him briefly for the first time and when I asked him if he knows Jesus he replied, “Yes.” Imagine my confusion when we sat down to chat more about his Christianity the next day when he tells, “I’m not saved, but I’m trying.” God set up this divine appointment for a reason. I explained the gospel to him and how he could be saved and he accepted Christ! Praise God! I explained to him afterwards that, “This isn’t where it ends, this is where it begins.” So, now I’m beginning the process of meeting with him on a regular basis to train him and help him grow in his faith.
These are just a couple things that are going on so far in this outreach. Please be assured that each day we head out to these college campuses here in Cape Town, that God blesses our efforts to make Christ known. Even if no one accepts Christ, we know that a seed has been planted in someone’s life and in the end God gets the glory for it. I’m so excited to know that this is only the beginning of God’s work here! I can hardly wait to see what He will do next! Know that your prayers are heard and your donations are much appreciated, and know that you are a part of this too! Can you imagine a stranger walking up to you in heaven, saying, “Thank you,” and not knowing what they are thanking you for? May we constantly keep in mind that we live this life to make sure that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus.
Grace and peace,