Christian Message Boards: Voices in the Wilderness

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Posted by Tovahsez (Member # 4609) on :

VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS

I am always amazed at the different ways G-d speaks to us. He speaks
and what He says can totally floor me.

On Saturday, 4/16 I was in Rochester with my husband visiting our daughter, her fiance and our grandson. After breakfast we went to the Public Market to buy
some fresh food. It is a large outdoor market with tent-like roofs to shield the
shoppers from the sun.

As we milled our way over to one end of the market I saw a short, young man calling out to people about G-d and handing out tracts. His voice sounded a bit weak. In my human flesh I wondered why someone who spoke more forcefully wasn’t doing the Lord’s work. I figured he was a shy guy or maybe this was his
first time doing this. Upon coming closer I saw that his left cheek looked like the bottom of a gumsole shoe (sort of bumpy/nubbly). He had stitches along a cut on the other cheek, and then I wondered that perhaps his meek manner was because he was conflicted between wanting to get out the gospel, yet not draw too much attention to himself. I took a tract and later placed it on a vendor’s table for someone to find.

We visited more vendor stalls, then doubled back to go and get some fresh bread.
Once again we drew near to the humble evangelist. My back was hurting and I told the others I was going to sit on a bench and wait for them. I made myself comfortable and watched the passing parade of shoppers. To my left was a fiddle player with his open case serving as a collection plate. He played well and I threw some quarters into the case. Then I honed in on the meek young man, beseeching the passers-by to "come to Jesus"….."turn away from your sins" ….."be washed in His blood and make your garments white". There was a sweet entreating tone in his voice. I sat and sat. I sat there, closed my eyes and listened to the man on my left, working to get his earthly needs met and I listened to the man on my right, making supplication to the people regarding their spiritual needs….needs they neither knew about or ignored. It was a spiritually poignant moment, a moment where heaven and earth had come together for me on that picnic bench.

I realized my fleshly expectations of an evangelist were seriously skewed and misplaced. I thought of how afflicted he looked and remembered that’s how Yeshua looked after being pummeled by the Roman soldiers. The scriptures tells us how people recoiled at the sight of Him. I thought of how this young man shared in Yeshua’s gentleness and meekness and how he too implored people to
repent and come to G-d. As Yeshua cared for the eternal destiny of His people, so did this young man care for the shoppers in the market. I later shared this story with my friend, Zehna ….I told her it was like this young man was totally infused with the spirit of Yeshua… and as I said this, I felt the Holy Spirit come upon me.

While he worked in the harvest field, I prayed for him and asked G-d to bless him and encourage him. I felt impressed by the Lord to tell him of my prayers. I got up and approached him. I looked into his large, soft green eyes and told him I had been praying for him, that I wanted to encourage him and that his reward in heaven was great. His face lit up and he thanked me and asked if I was born again. I shared a bit of my spiritual biography with him and then heard my long-lost family beckoning and bid him a fond farewell. I continued praying for him throughout the day.

His was a voice crying out into a wilderness of mostly indifferent people; people who had no time nor cared to engage in a dialogue about things affecting their eternal destiny. I pray that more and more of our voices will join with his and as in the early days of the faith, our collective voices will "turn the world upside down".

Posted by TEXASGRANDMA (Member # 847) on :

God bless you for sharing this. Jesus tells us that those who are last will be first. I believe people like this young man have far more honor in Heaven than Preachers on TV. When he receives his rewards in Heaven, people will wonder who he even is, but God knows. It is not how big your group is you preach to but your heart. It is the simple preacher who preaches on the street corner who I believe touches God's heart more than those who have a huge following.
thanks again for sharing this.
betty

Posted by SoftTouch (Member # 2316) on :

Wow, Both of these posts were incredible! Thank you both for sharing! God is Awsome!

PRAISE HaShem! [clap2]

Posted by HisGrace (Member # 3438) on :

Amen!! Our main goal in life should be more and more like Jesus.