It is a strange thing to me how God
can use us fallen creatures to accomplish Kingdom work. It is a testament to
His greatness that he chooses to work through “a dog such as I.” I find myself
seeing two sides of a coin as I reflect on recent days here in Tanzania. Some
of the most incredible ministry that I have had the privilege of being a part
of has happened over this past week. At the same time, the tempter is still
waiting in the grass to spring. I have found myself also reverting into some “old
self” thought patterns and selfish habits and have had to hit my face before
the Lord to ask His mercy and grace. I want to testify that I have felt the
Lords anointing to speak His words in the last few days and I have seen souls
come to Christ through that experience but I have to admit to my own weakness
as well.
I think of how the Pharisees could
watch Christ himself raise a person from the dead with their own eyes and still
not understand or believe what God was doing in the world right in front of
them. But before I go patting myself on the back for not being like them I
catch myself not hours removed from preaching the Word through the power of the
Holy Spirit, giving space in my mind to immoral thoughts and selfish ambitions.
I realize that I am Like David and that while I can be used by God and be His
favored child, I can still end up with the finger in my own face hearing that
“you are the man.” I come to truly understand that “my spirit is willing but my
flesh is weak.” I feel like Paul when he says “for the good that I wish, I do
not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish… Oh wretched man that I
am. Who can save me from this living death?”
But here is the great part, the
other side of the coin, the part that has brought me out of the pit, the part
that has me travelling around the entire world just to tell others about.
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord… There is therefore now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” So now you know, as I have
also realized, that I am still just a sinner saved by grace and that I must
still be on my knees every day at the throne of mercy, fully dependent on the
grace that is offered by our Lord. Now let me tell you the good that God did
this past week.
We spent Thursday and Friday doing
door to door evangelism in a small rural town just a stones throw from Mwanza.
On both days I had the privilege of having Pastor Paul as my translator and
partner. The first day we visited three houses the first being a school teacher
who already knew Christ and the second being the wife of a teacher and her two
daughters who had never heard who Jesus really was. I was able to tell them
about Him and ask them questions to see if they really understood what I was
saying. Sometimes here in Africa the people
will be so accommodating to a visitor that they will say yes to many things
even if they don’t really understand it. It is of vital importance that they
understand what they are really doing when they accept Jesus so we spent time
being sure they were truly wanting to be born again. All three truly accepted
Christ and it was a wonderful thing to be a witness to. The third house was a
lady raised in Islam who had never heard about Jesus and so we were able to
explain it to her and while she was not ready to accept right away she asked
that a pastor return to her house to explain more soon.
It was Friday that I had one of the
most rewarding experiences of my life. We only really visited one house that
day for most of the two hours we were out. We came to a house where three young
men around my age were sitting together. The first thought that struck me was
how intimidated I have always been in my life to sit down with peers,
especially guys, and just lay out the gospel for them and how reluctant I have
always assumed they would be to even listen. And yet here we were walking right
up to these young men and interrupting their time to ask them if they knew
Jesus. We introduced ourselves and as the Tanzanians always do, they welcomed
us to visit them and brought out seats for us. I asked them if they knew about
Jesus. One of them, named Abel, who was the only to speak a bit of English said
yes. I asked what do you know about Him? He replied “He is the son of God and
He is a savior.” I said “yes very good. Do you know why He is a savior?” This
he and his two friends, brothers by the names of Francisco and Emmanuel,
thought about for a moment and finally with a slightly embarrassed smile
responded that they did not know. So I was able to start telling them. As I began
another young man by the name of Barracka walked up and sat down to listen as
well and I was able to tell the four of them about our redemption through
Christ and why He was our savior.
I explained how God wants each of
us personally to be with Him but He does not force it on anyone, it’s a choice
we must make individually. They all four listened and I could see the wheels
turning in their heads. I told them that no one could force them to make a
decision to accept Christ, and that they should not do it just because I asked
them to or because the other guys were. They said they understood this and
Pastor Paul and I went around to each of them and asked them what they thought.
They all four said that they wanted to accept Jesus and start a relationship with
him individually. Pastor Paul lead them in a prayer to be saved and when they
finished there were smiles all around. The biggest one was probably on my face.
I then told them how this was not just some ritual that they had performed but
the beginning of a relationship and how they could continue with prayer and
fellowship with Christ. We spent the next hour discussing questions about
Christianity and God himself and it was encouraging because through their
questions I could tell that they were really getting it. I asked them if they
had bibles and they did not so I gave Abel they one I had with me because he
could read English and promised to bring Swahili bibles for the other three on
Sunday. As we left they were crowded around the English bible and smiling and
laughing together.
I returne
d Sunday finding Emmanuel
and Francisco not at home but I gave the three bibles to Barracka for himself
and to give to them when he saw them. He, being the quietest of the four, said
“thank you very much” in the few English words he knew but he could not hide
the huge smile on his face. He shook my hand and hugged me and stood on the
road with the pastor form that town and watched as we drove out of sight, the
bibles tight to himself the entire time. It was an experience that captures the
whole reason for our living. It was the most fulfilling experience that I have
had on the race so far and in my entire life for that matter. I realized that
it was true that the fields are white for harvest and that all the Lord wants of
us is to be the workers to bring it in.
