JohnnyBdaily

Friday, October 24, 2014

Drugs, prostitute, pride, Can this person be saved?

Good morning all!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!
    Today, I will deviate from Jeremiah and pick back up next week.  I am at a University of Dallas Ministry Conference; a Catholic Church/School Conference.  I met a lady we will call Shelly, who is also a vendor at the conference.
   Her story is amazing and a beacon unto others as well.  Also, it brings to light something that we, as Christians, need to remember.  She was raised in a Christian family, attended church regularly, and did all the "churchy things" we are expected to do.
    She became hooked on drugs at age 20, then to support her habit she worked at a strip club and as a prostitute.  She spend several years in and out of jail.  All she could think about was getting out of jail, getting money, and getting a fix.
    Then she took a step further when she and a girl friend smuggled drugs into Turkey, was caught, thrown in prison, and sentenced to life.  It was in the Turkish prison she was given a Bible.  Now she had studied, uh-read the Bible growing up but never accepted Jesus.  While in this prison she started looking at the Bible, accepted Jesus, and her life began to change.  She did get out of the Turkish prison, came back to America, and began her life of ministry in the prisons.  She became a platform speaker, and was always excited to share her testimony to others.  However, her testimony began to be more about her, and the all present 'pride' took over.
   One day she could not get into the prison, her ID was flagged, and she had been going there for several years.  That day she was to be the platform speaker, but could not go in with the team.  She was crushed, pride hurt, and disappointed.  Through her testimony she met a lady who had a Strip Ministry - meaning she went into strip clubs and just let the Lord do his work.  This lady offered her the opportunity to join her in her ministry, yet she refused. Her ministry was in the prison.  When she was turned away this day she returned to the parking lot to her car.
    While sitting in her car the lady called and told her to come with her on the ministry at the strip clubs.  She went.  The girls at the club greeted her warmly, the lady did not preach but did carry her Bible.  Shelly's eyes were really opened when she asked how many she had turned to the Lord. The lady responded that she did not know.  Huh?  This shocked Shelly, who was doing God's work, yet keeping count of who turned their lives around.
   The lady said it is not a number game, scatter the seeds and let God take over.  How big is this?   Wow!!!  Our pride! The devil says, 'hey, how many have you saved' which brings our pride into play.  Then it becomes all about us.
   What did I learn from this lady?  Just cast the seeds of Jesus Christ forth, let God work with each seed and don't worry about "how many", just PRAY that many will take the seed, God will germinate them into a wonderful member of the family of God.  I just pray this touches you and you will continue to spread the seeds with vim and vigor, wanting to see others come into the family. Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
   Johnny

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home