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Discussion Forum : Miracles that follow the plow : Asking prayer for church and new person

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Renoncer
Member



Joined: 2010/6/26
Posts: 483


 Asking prayer for church and new person

Beloved,

I am deeply aware of my impotence unless God steps in. I would like prayer for two things:

1) This Sunday, my church will be voting on an outreach/evangelism program. Basically, the Lord led my wife and I to join this church although they had no such efforts going on. We prayed and prayed that God would move in this assembly... and voila! He has moved in the hearts of the elders and deacons. Now, they will be presenting this evangelism proposal on Sunday, and asking the people of the congregation if they want to go forward with this. However, the fight is far from over. This Sunday, it either goes or crashes. An elder told me that unless a good group of people commit themselves, we wouldn't go forward. I told him if people didn't commit to pray, I would consider that God is not in this. I am asked to give a brief presentation (10 minutes). People will vote, and decide whether or not to proceed.

Please pray that God would give us much grace and move our congregation to go forward and to begin praying fervently in preparation for this task.

2) Today, I just found out that one of the people who has started attending our church is a practicing homosexual. I will spare you the details, but he had to confess to me because of unusual circumstances. I knew he wasn't saved, but I didn't know he was a homosexual. He said he didn't see anything wrong with his homosexuality. I gently and lovingly showed him that it is sin, and that unless he repents, he will not get into the Kingdom of God (1Corinthians 6:9). I told him he had to repent of ALL SINS, not just homosexuality. At first, he was devastated, and wondered why God would create him that way if it was sin. I explained that these passions of the flesh are all because of the Fall, and that any corruption was a direct result of this curse. I told him that Jesus had come to deliver us from this curse and corruption and sins. By God's grace, he showed a desire to learn the grace of God. I preached and preached the Gospel, and asked him to call on God. But, the blinders were evidently still on. He honestly admitted that he wasn't able to come to God yet, but that he would want to learn more about Christ and the Gospel. I told him I would work with him for however long it would take. We had an excellent discussion, and I gave him a Bible with some reading assignments.

Please pray that God would make light shine out of darkness, that God would make His light to shine upon my friend. Pray that God would set him free from his sins.

In order to protect the dignity of my church and of my friend, I will keep their names confidential. But, I will tell you that I am currently living in Portland, Maine. You can pray for "Renoncer's church and friend in Portland ME".

P.S.: Since my friend is French-speaking, it is difficult to show him a good ministry which helps homosexuals. If anyone knows about such resources in French, let me know.

Blessings in Christ,
Renoncer

 2010/11/23 18:37Profile
buttermilk80
Member



Joined: 2010/5/9
Posts: 164
Ohio

 Re: Asking prayer for church and new member

Father, it is not Your will that Your people should be powerless. And it is not Your will that men should die at the threshold of Your Church's door. Move the hearts of Your people that they will do the will of the Living God. We stand before Your Holy Throne as a people bought from sin and delivered into the hands of the Living God with Power from On High! How should it be that Your enemies prevail when it is God Himself who walks among them.

Amen!


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Paul Horton

 2010/11/23 19:25Profile
Renoncer
Member



Joined: 2010/6/26
Posts: 483


 Re:

Thank you Buttermilk80.

 2010/11/23 20:10Profile
MyVeryHeart
Member



Joined: 2010/8/30
Posts: 449
Paradise, California

 Re:

I will pray brother


_________________
Travis

 2010/11/23 22:05Profile
Renoncer
Member



Joined: 2010/6/26
Posts: 483


 Re:

Thank you MyVeryHeart.

 2010/11/24 7:33Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: Asking prayer for church and new member

Renouncer,

I find this scenario troubling: a new member in your brotherhood who is a practicing homo; you are asking this church to support your ministry effort; you expect the LORD to use this church to assist you.

Do you remember what Brother Paul (the apostle) had to say about the leaven?

Do you recall how Joshua and his small band of Israelites were soundly defeated by AI? Remember why?

I do not know how the people in this church will vote, but I see some things that trouble me and I wonder how it will impact you and your decisions...

It just may be that the reason God sent you to this church was to warn this homo.

Is your brotherhood knowledgeable about this man's perversion? Usually this kind of thing is common knowledge...Why would your church tolerate an unrepentant sinner on their membership rolls?

Wishing you the best,
ginnyrose


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Sandra Miller

 2010/11/24 9:16Profile
Renoncer
Member



Joined: 2010/6/26
Posts: 483


 Re:

Ginnyrose,
I apologize for the misunderstanding. I did not mean that the person is an "official member"; I meant "member" in the broadest sense, as one who has begun attending our church. I will change the wording in the original post in order to avoid further confusion. My mistake.

I was the first one to know about his homosexuality, and now the pastor as well. I am also the only one who can communicate effectively with him, because he doesn't speak English.

My church is very conservative, and would never condone homosexuality. The pastor made sure that I told him homosexuality was a sin and that he needed to repent. The pastor also told me to show him the grace of God that is offered to him.

The person now clearly understands the church's biblical stance on homosexuality, now that he has confessed it to me and that I have shown him what God's Word says about it. I do not know how he will react or if he will come back to church, but I sure hope that he will come back so that we can minister to him. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. I intend to teach the uncompromised Word as lovingly and as clearly as I can, in the hope that the Holy Spirit will bring him to repentance and salvation.

Thank you for your concerns Ginnyrose. In the light of my bad choice of words, I understand how you have reacted.

Love in Christ,
Renoncer

 2010/11/24 11:35Profile
JoanM
Member



Joined: 2008/4/7
Posts: 797


 Re: Thanking God

Praying for both needs...and noting the relationship both have to one another, and the timing. Thanking God for how He is growing you, teaching you in all this.

Commitment to prayer is central in a fellowship. Here is a link to something that has been helpful in my fellowship that I posted on Sermonindex:
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&order=0&topic_id=28004&forum=45&post_id=&refresh=Go

Regarding your friend: Coming to understand that "God did not make him that way" anymore than God made others to be thieves and liars, is a major truth blow to the lie that has moved him -- the lie that he has exchanged for the truth. I have witnessed God renew the minds of several beset with the sin of homosexuality.. In all, coming to know and confess truth about who God is and thanking Him was central. In one case, CONFESSION OF TRUTH and THANKING GOD was the very starting point (belief of Him as creator and thanksgiving for giving them life - streight out of Romans 1:21). Any and every confession of reveled truth about God and any thanking is the point here.

I find that thanking God is a first step of the faith that is received from God. Every person, drawn by God, easily says why and what led them to that. That is a good place to encourage them, given it is where the Spirit of God has worked/began with them. Honestly, I am nearly always surprised by the Word of God that God uses in beginning with someone. I don't think that I have ever thought that that specific truth would be the entrance of revelation.

In His love
JoanM

A right view of God leads to both a changed life and a changed view of self. No matter how small, Light always overcomes darkness. Rev. 12:11

 2010/11/24 12:51Profile
buttermilk80
Member



Joined: 2010/5/9
Posts: 164
Ohio

 Re:

"I don't think that I have ever thought that that specific truth would be the entrance of revelation."

It does us good to remember that we serve the "Living" God. He who resided during the early days of the church also resides with the church today. Though the availablity of sins and the various nature of them is notable, He is keenly aware of each individual's situation. It is a given that He will address us where we stand when He decides to move in our lives.

In short...... I agree with what you said.


_________________
Paul Horton

 2010/11/24 12:59Profile
JoanM
Member



Joined: 2008/4/7
Posts: 797


 Re: The ways of God

Thanks dear one.

I have something of a collection of His Word I have witnessed in the working of His power in the lives of others. The one that began that collection staggered me. I was burdened for the salvation of another. After doing/saying all that I knew to do and say I "complained" in prayer to God: I was young in Him, never seen anyone saved, why was He pressing me so to witness, etc. God's response was: You have to see something in order to be a witness, (DUH-that is now part of my definition of witness), Be still and know that I am God. I knew He was going to save her right in front of my eyes.

The Word He used was "and on his thigh a name was written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." Having never even read Revelation, and many other books of the Bible, I never would have come to that.

P.S. It was more than a year before I came across "Be still and know that I am God" in His Word.

How I love Him and His ways!

 2010/11/24 13:23Profile





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