Battle Log

Wednesday, 10 February, 2021

Posted 10 February 2021, 5:33 PM by Glen Richards. Permalink

On Tuesday afternoon, as usual, Roger and I were in Riccarton with our flip charts.  It felt “back to normal” with the kids back in school.  It was a touch quieter, and yet there were still many opportunities to share the gospel.

A highlight conversation was with a young university student - very shy, and yet willing to go through the flip chart with me.  He didn’t know the gospel (or was too shy to articulate it), but he was able to articulate after our chat.  It turns out he had been going to a church for a couple of years - he had been invited along by friends, and he wanted to learn more about God.  It makes you think: how can someone be involved with a church for two years and not be able to articulate the gospel?

The rest of Tuesday and Wednesday I was online with the team.

On Wednesday I was having a bad day.  I don’t understand why.  I didn’t want to be there.  I didn’t have the energy to deal with the people I was talking to, the smallest thing would irritate me.  Before each chat I would pray partly apathetically, and yet desperately for God’s help (is it even possible to be apathetic and desperate at the same time? :D )?  And I persisted through quite a few conversations.

Near the end of the outreach, I struck a girl who was quite intellectual in nature.  For this reason I was completely upfront with her on why I was here (to tell her about Jesus) and asked if she wanted to talk about it.  She said that she would never be converted, but she was happy to talk about religion.  The conversation went completely off script, and yet I was able to explain the seriousness of sin via the law and the amazing grace of Jesus.

Later she was asking me about: “how has this improved your life”.  I was able to explain that it hadn’t necessarily improved my life - Jesus promised suffering for those that believe.  Before I was a Christian, I had been at the center of the universe, and my number 1 priority was my happiness - yet I wasn’t; but since I’d became a Christian, and now that I’ve grown I now realise that God is the center of the universe, and yet, I now have a Joy that I never knew.  I think it was something related to this where she came to tears.  She never explained why she was crying.  I didn’t ask.

The chat wrapped up soon after that.  But before she left, I checked to make sure she understood how one is justified before God.  Her answer indicated she understood.  She knows how to get in touch if she wants, I leave her in the hands of God.