Let God Do What God Does

 

I finished an interesting end of the weekend. It was a total God thing. 

I went to a city on the coast to help with a pastor training event. The goal was to participate in an evangelism emphasis. We wanted to train, challenge and motivate pastors to both participate in personal evangelism and lead their members to do so as well. I was to lead one of the sessions. 

Long story short, I discovered after arriving I was the only teacher at the conference. I went from one workshop to every session. I ended up teaching around six hours. 

God worked. The sessions went incredibly well. Pastors and church leaders felt the conviction of God to reach the lost in their neighborhoods. From my perspective, it was a wonderful success. Thank you Jesus. 

At the same church as the conference, a fellow missionary held a night time evangelistic outreach. Every day was a different emphasis designed to bring friends who did not know Jesus to the meeting. TBH, I did not attend. The morning/afternoon teaching and then meeting and greeting folks wore me out. 

Friday I finished teaching, had a Q&A session, met with pastors and denominational leaders and headed to my hotel to rest. I told Denise I planned on recording a few messages for my new radio show, “Think About It”.  I got to my room around 3:00 and realized I had not eaten since noon yesterday. I figured I would go get something to eat and then record. 

Denise called me and we chatted for an hour. I hung up and my friend called. It was a little after 4. He was the missionary holding the evangelism services at night. He asked me if I could fill in for him tonight. He cleared it which church leadership. Church started at 7. It was the last night of a week long event. I said I could do it and started praying about what to preach on. 

I decided to preach on the reality of the resurrection of Jesus and based on the truth He rose from the dead we should place our faith in Him. Put together some notes and went to church. 

When I arrived, I discovered it was a children’s emphasis night. No one told me that. There were around 200 kids from 1st to 12th grade. About 100 adults were there as well. I realized my message would not work. It was over the head of the children. 

TBH, it bummed me out. I had this great message ready and instead of an audience worthy of it, I had a church full of kids. This is harsh to read, but it is reality. 

I prayed. I forgot to mention, due to traffic we were late. We arrived thirty minutes after the service started. I had around ten minutes of thinking and praying as I stood up during the worship time. 

I suddenly felt God speak to me. He loves those children. He sent His Son for them. Why would I feel like an eternal soul housed in a 30 year old body had more worth or importance than an eternal soul living in a 13 year old body? 

I refocused. God is in control. He planned this. He brought this kids here. 

I emphasize the following truth in my ministry. 

God is. 

God is here.

God is here, now.

God is here, now, and is actively working in and through my life.

I realized it. God is at work.

Then it happened. I told my kids, “The Holy Spirit slapped me”. Not a bad way, but a great way. New thoughts came into my head. It was time to preach. 

The Holy Spirit filled me. I preach Jesus Christ. I explained the gospel, His life, death and resurrection. As I taught, object lessons and illustrations came to my mind. Three different times I called on volunteers from the congregation. I used a rope, a towel, and five chairs. I jumped and lay on the platform. Stories to apply truth and a gazillion Bible verses poured from me. I told Denise after that I could not remember the last time I felt that much ‘in the zone’. 

At the invitation I explained saving faith and repentance. I led folks in a prayer of faith, and then said, “If you prayed that, or you want to talk to someone about placing your faith in Christ, come down to the front now.”

That was it. The total invitation. Over 100 people came to give their lives to Jesus!

Read that again. Over 100! This photo was snapped right as the people started coming. More adults and children followed!

I had to adjust my thinking and let God do what God does!

I thought about this over and over since yesterday. 

How often do we simply ask God to bless our plans?

How often do we tell God to follow us as we claim to be disciplines of Him?

What do you do if God’s plan is not to your liking?

Let God do what God does. He loves people. He blesses people. He changes people. He works in and through people. His goal is His glory and our conformity to the Image of Jesus. He connects dots and lines we did not know existed. He works, not just in our lives, but in the lives of those around us. 

Let God do what God does.

Who knows? If Jesus doesn’t return before it happens, maybe tonight the next Billy Graham or Chuck Smith just got saved. 

All I know is when I get Joe out of the way, God blesses.