Saturday 31 August 2013

I Give Waters In The Wilderness And Rivers In The Desert

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isa 43:19
Recently, I have been preaching on the streets with the support of my five year-old son, Charles.

Leading up to our first mission, I prayed about where the Lord would have us take the word of His grace. I wanted somewhere close to a good local church where we could direct new converts and other seekers of truth. I also wanted somewhere dark where the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ might shine in a powerful way.

But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Cor 4:3-4
Holy Spirit put a suburb of Brisbane on my heart and I started praying into it and looking at street maps. I began talking about it with my wife and my church leadership and even mentioned it to the students at the high school where I was teaching. I had caught a vision of preaching the Gospel on the street, in the power of the Spirit. I could see it ... rivers of living water flowing in the desert. There is no hope for mankind apart from the Gospel of the Kingdom. The lost and hurting of this world must know that, in Christ, we can be reconciled to God our Father. They must know that Adam's race can be restored to fellowship with God and to our Creation mandate of ruling and reigning on the earth.
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them… 2 Cor 5:19
But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. John 1:12
Finally the day arrived when I wasn’t called in to work. “Today is the day,” I said to Charles. We prayed together and thanked the Lord for evangelists and other Christian workers who had gone before us into this needy suburb. Amazingly, in the next hour and just around the corner from home, Charles and I would unexpectedly bump into one such worker. He shared some of his experiences and encouraged us in our mission.

With our water bottles and a folding chair, we headed to the harvest field. Without so much as a street map or GPS, we found somewhere to park and then headed off on foot to see where the Spirit might lead me to preach. After sharing Jesus one-on-one with a few people, we came across the place where I would lift my voice and proclaim the Gospel for the next two hours. Getting started was like stepping off a waterfall! Thankfully my co-worker was full of faith and as I hesitated at the start, he said to me, “Come on, Dad! What are you waiting for?” And so I stepped off the waterfall, declaring, “I’m here today to tell you the good news about Jesus Christ.”
…Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:3-4
About twenty minutes or so into my preaching, Charles and I were suddenly embraced by two beautiful women of God coming from a prayer meeting. They came around the corner to find me preaching and Charles handing out tracts. Although we’d never met before, we rejoiced together in the Lord’s timing and prayed together. They would spend the next hour or so praying and handing out tracts and leading people to Jesus, while I declared the Gospel. My little team of two had just doubled, according to the foreknowledge and wisdom of God.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and He delighteth in his way. Ps 37:23
There are many Muslims where the Lord has led me to preach and it’s a blessing to witness them listening carefully and observing the moving of the Spirit during the preaching. Even as I preach boldly that Jesus Christ is the Healer and that He alone is the Way to the Father, we are receiving great favour among the people. I have met some of the shopkeepers and they seem visibly happy when we arrive to proclaim the word of His grace. Occasionally we are mocked and insulted for Christ’s sake. However, one thing is for sure … the atmosphere in the place is changing! It’s being seeded for salvations and miracles!
Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of His grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Acts 14:3
My experience has been that many Muslims are hungry for truth and for the power of God. A few years ago, I had an encounter with a group of about six or seven Muslim men. We were at a local river baptising people and, following the baptisms, a group of us broke into spontaneous praise and worship in the park near the river. Nearby was a group of Muslim men eating together and watching us with interest. They were serious Muslims  at one point they went through their ritual of bowing to Mecca.

As we finished singing and began heading off for lunch, our group had to walk past the men. Suddenly I found myself veering towards them and introducing myself. The baptisms and spontaneous praise and worship had opened a great door of opportunity to share Jesus. From Saudi Arabia, they were very hospitable and insisted I eat with them. For the next hour or so, I sat with them and shared the Gospel and answered their many questions. Fiona told me later that it was a heartening sight to behold  me sitting there on an esky with a group of Muslim men gathered around, hanging on my every word.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Acts 2:39
The preaching and public proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom is like the gushing forth of pure, refreshing water. 


And in a dry and thirsty land like Australia, don’t we need those rivers flowing? In the short time I have been preaching on the street, Charles and I have witnessed domestic arguments, a police arrest, and intoxicated people wandering aimlessly. And this in the middle of the day!

As we drink deeply of His love and consecrate ourselves and seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, our God can use us as conduits  mobile reservoirs  of Jesus’ living water! We can truly be the revival we want to see on the earth…
The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. Isa 43:20 

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