Thanks for sharing this Renouncer. I am glad this homo is not a member of your brotherhood. This post clears up all questions I had.

God go with you and may you be blessed!

ginnyrose

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Sandra Miller

Ginnyrose,
I'm glad this could be clarified. Thank you for your prayers.

I pray that I might have mercy upon him the same way that God had mercy upon me. God saved me from the tyranny of wickedness; and I know that God can save my friend as well.

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
(Titus 3:3-7)

Praise God this man, who God created - whom Jesus went to the Cross in his place, is at your Church. The Holy Spirit brought him to you to take to Jesus. Glory to God. This is an exciting privilege and honor.

This morning and last night - you and he and your church was heavy on my heart. I was thinking of how we treat people and what we call them.

I was thinking of when the Holy Spirit fell on me and my eyes were open and my heart ready to receive Jesus Christ.
It happened like this. First there were two brothers giving thanks to God for an apple. That caught my attention so I asked them about it. Then I was invited to a Bible study. I accepted.

The huge point I am making is extremely important for us and for Churches. I was received into this house. Dinner had already been served and cleanup done. But they went and got out food and made a table for me. The joy and the love of the people were just amazing to me. Point - the greeting I received made me feel at ease to hear the Bible study. I felt loved and accepted. Me an unsaved sinner.

No one called me a great sinner or treated me like I had a plague etc. Just the pure sweet love of the Savior. It was real. No one was whispering or giving me the look. I felt so much love so much acceptance.

I say the most important people are the greeters in the Church. If they are just mingling with the ones they know and the congregation too and not shaking hands and welcoming the new people we have already lost them. It is in every Church I have been at since. The greeter may be welcoming enough but then it stops. Everyone is talking amongst themselves and I am standing there not being welcomed. A great, great sin in my opinion.

I was reading in Revelations one day and was shocked at this verse.

He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral person and sorcerers and idolaters and ALL LIARS, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Rev. 21 7 & 8.

My point is that all these awful sins we have all committed one time or another. In thought, in word or in action. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. The one that stuck out to me was - all liars - hmmmm. Who has not told a lie?

Even though we have all sinned - There is the Savior - Jesus Christ - And when we repent we are forgiven and washed by the Blood of the Lamb. And our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life and Heaven bound. And I can shout from the mountain top - Hallelujah!

I thank God He took me to a place where the people knew Him, walked with Him and truly had the love of Jesus in their hearts. I would have walked away not knowing Christ that day if I hadn't felt and seen His love in them. They would have been like every other place I had been.

So, I praise God for you brother and your church. You have the love of Jesus and can take this man to Him. Glory to God. He's not a homo. He's a sinner like us all who need the Savior.

We need to not look at what kind of sin. Be it pornography, lying, stealing, drug abuse, murderers, slanderer, adulteries, fornicators, lust etc. it is all sin and all in need of deliverance.

Oh, God please prepare the Churches, your people, to see our own sin, our own unworthiness, our own filthy rags of righteousness so that we can see the awesomeness of Your forgiveness, Your love, Your righteousness and walk in it with such deep love and compassion that when You bring, by Divine Appointments, we can take others to you. That they can see we will already have been with You and can truly take people who are broken and hurting to You.

Heavenly Father, please, please prepare the Churches, tear down the walls Lord of self righteousness, of legalism that kills. Fall upon the body of Christ today Holy Spirit and convict our hearts of this that we can see our own depravity and know Your true love and forgiveness for us that we may have Your heart and Your eyes of mercy and compassion for Your creation. Forgive us and help us O' God. Prepare us to receive all You have brought to us that none slip away due to our lack of love. Be glorified O' God. Be glorified.

Thank you JoyfulHeart.

These past few days have been unusually intense spiritually. I know we're in the thicket of the battle. I don't know what will come out of it, and although I care about the outcome, I am learning to submit to God's way. In my arrogance, I often tell God how things should happen. But, God graciously disciplines me and humbles me whenever I sin like that.

Although I claim to want to glorify God, whenever I am unwilling to submit to God's way, I am not glorifying Him at all. May God have mercy on me. May I fervently seek His face and His will, and may He receive the glory due His holy Name.

I want to thank those who are praying for me.

Tonight was especially challenging. Understand the analogy: I walked into a small dark room filled with gun power, holding a match in my hands without which I would not have been able to see.

Only by God's grace did things turn out somewhat okay. I was insulted, discouraged, looked down upon, and accused of being self-serving. People are getting tired of the salt. Normally, I should have exploded, but the grace of God was upon me to react with humility and love. But, there is a lot of resistance. The enemy has the people in bondage. I will need wisdom for Sunday.

Maybe the Lord doesn't want that church to do outreach... I don't know. I will need God to give me His words. This may be the only platform they will ever grant me. I need wisdom from above.

O Father,
May your high and holy name be exalted forever!
Thank you for the season you have Renoncer in. Thank you for fulfilling your purposes in his/her life.
Father, I know that no purpose of yours can be witheld from you.
So Lord, i ask your kingdom come and your will be done both in Renoncer's life and this congregation of believers. Strengthen this dear one's heart with a supply of your holy spirit.
Grant your servant extra boldness and gentleness to stand firm for you, Lord. Grant, also, i pray wisdom. Let the way be made clear before your own, Lordd.
Though the darkness is thick, your grace is waaay thicker.

Blessed be your name, Father.
Grant these things, i pray, in the name of Jesus, Amen

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Tolu

Thank you Theophila.
I felt a measure of grace as I read your prayer; that much more strength to get through the fire.

Often, I feel weak though, but I am confident that God's power is made perfect in weakness.

God bless you richly,
Renoncer

Man of God,
God's strength is perfected in our weakness. He never lets us have more than we can bear.

Grace to you, my brother!

PS: as a fellow new englander, i feel a kinship with your situation in your congregation. Jesus is Victorious!

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Tolu

Wonderful update:

God answered our prayers! Honestly, apart from God's serious intervention, I don't know how it's possible! I'll keep praying, though, because the battle for people's souls is far from over.

1) The church decided to go forward with the evangelism program. Details will still be confirmed, but they have agreed to "get out of their comfort zone" (as one member phrased it). Also, providentially, God also sent people randomly to our church, one of whom said he would like to participate in evangelism.

2) My friend who I've challenged about homosexuality came back to the church! He attended an English lesson/Bible study. He's only holding by a thread, though. I'll keep praying for him.

Thank you so much! Praise the Lord for these amazing answers to prayers. The pastor told me how surprised he was that so much support was given. Only by God's grace. Praise the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!

Praise God! I will keep praying. God is so faithful as it is His Will we share Jesus. It is the Lord who opens eyes to see and hearts to receive as we continue to pray. All glory to God. The battle is the Lord's. Hallelujah!