Transformed!
Six weeks ago, I sat across from one of the most depressed and defeated men I have ever met. Tonight, I sat across from the same man who had been transformed by the power of God. His depression is gone. He is full of hope. He testified to a solid confidence in his relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
What made the change? Only God can transform a life like this. The metamorphosis begins when a person cries out to God from a sincere heart. His cry may be full of pain, doubt, and hopelessness, but it comes from a sincere desire to find the solution from the Lord. Then, God can send a witness to His Gospel and His grace to forgive and to restore the soul. When the two come together, there can be an infusion of truth that brings light and warmth to a cold, dark heart.
The first night we met I shared the truth of the Gospel. The only way a person comes to have a relationship with Christ is to surrender to Him as Lord. That simply means Jesus has to be the "boss," or the king of your life. A person has to turn from sin, and confess Jesus' way is the only way. There must be a trust in the Lord Jesus as the Only One who can provide salvation and relief from sin and despair. That night, he prayed a prayer on his own in which he cried out to God in this way. He was not miraculously transformed in that instant, but he was transformed. He began to act in faith. He did what I told him to do, which was to follow the principles and truths of God's Word. He began to pray and to read the Bible for himself. Each week we met there was some progress, and there were some set backs.
Then, God decisively worked in his life these past two weeks to bring him to that confident faith, to restore his hope, and to transform his life. His testimony to me was that even though he had experienced some very difficult events the last two weeks, he could see God's hand in all of it, because God gave him peace, and he brought change to the lives of those around him. Now, he is a new man. He wants to be like Jesus. Praise the Lord! God's transforming power through Jesus has redeemed another precious soul, and He can do the same thing for you or anyone else who will turn to Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Acts 13-15.
What made the change? Only God can transform a life like this. The metamorphosis begins when a person cries out to God from a sincere heart. His cry may be full of pain, doubt, and hopelessness, but it comes from a sincere desire to find the solution from the Lord. Then, God can send a witness to His Gospel and His grace to forgive and to restore the soul. When the two come together, there can be an infusion of truth that brings light and warmth to a cold, dark heart.
The first night we met I shared the truth of the Gospel. The only way a person comes to have a relationship with Christ is to surrender to Him as Lord. That simply means Jesus has to be the "boss," or the king of your life. A person has to turn from sin, and confess Jesus' way is the only way. There must be a trust in the Lord Jesus as the Only One who can provide salvation and relief from sin and despair. That night, he prayed a prayer on his own in which he cried out to God in this way. He was not miraculously transformed in that instant, but he was transformed. He began to act in faith. He did what I told him to do, which was to follow the principles and truths of God's Word. He began to pray and to read the Bible for himself. Each week we met there was some progress, and there were some set backs.
Then, God decisively worked in his life these past two weeks to bring him to that confident faith, to restore his hope, and to transform his life. His testimony to me was that even though he had experienced some very difficult events the last two weeks, he could see God's hand in all of it, because God gave him peace, and he brought change to the lives of those around him. Now, he is a new man. He wants to be like Jesus. Praise the Lord! God's transforming power through Jesus has redeemed another precious soul, and He can do the same thing for you or anyone else who will turn to Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Acts 13-15.