I am an ambassador for Christ...
II Corinthians 5:20 We are
therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through
us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
KPRZ Girlfriends In God
April 6, 2012
A Willing Heart
Gwen Smith
“My husband Brad went on a missions trip
to Guatemala a few years ago. What he saw and experienced changed his life and
increased his faith in a dramatic way. He was an eyewitness to the healing
power of God. On that trip he prayed harder, believed more, and expected more
from God each passing day—and as a result, God used their medical missions team
as a conduit for miracles.
“Do you ever find yourself doubting
that God wants to move in and through your life? Have you ever felt like you’ve
needed a faith-lift? Are there circumstances in your life that have left you
feeling ‘unqualified’ to be the voice of life to others? Do you want to
experience God’s strength and power in your average, ordinary days?
“If so, then lean in, girlfriend,
because what I’m about to share with you is a key to increasing the power of
God in your life!
“Hector, the founder of that
Guatemalan ministry that Brad teamed up with on the missions trip, visited
North Carolina, and my family and I went to hear him speak. When I heard him
testify of the provision and power of God, my heart was stirred and my faith
was boosted. But what moved me most was the story of the lesson he learned
about his call after God led him to be a medical missionary.
“Before he began the medical ministry
that he devotes his life to now, Hector’s main goal in life was to make lots of
money. Back then he didn’t even apologize for it. He was a Christian and
figured that God could use his money to help others.
“What happened to change the course of
his life? Back in the late eighties, Hector and his wife joined a medical team
on a trip to a mountain village. The team was blown away by what God did
through them while they were there. On the four-hour drive back to the city,
they worshipped and sang praises to God. As he worshipped and drove, Hector
heard the Lord speak to his soul. This is what I’ve made you for: to medically
treat My people, to pray for their healing, and to share the hope of Jesus with
the hopeless and the lost.
“Hector felt so overwhelmed that he pulled
the truck over and told the team of his call from God to be a missionary
doctor. They prayed over him, whooped it up in celebration, and then continued
down the mountain with an even greater sense of purpose and excitement. Hector
thought that God had called him to be a missionary because of his skills as a
doctor. Later, he would think otherwise.
“A few years into his work, while
visiting a remote village, a woman with a large mass on her side came into
their makeshift clinic. Her terrible pain was curbed only by her excitement
that the medical team had come to help her. One glance at her tumor and Hector
had a strong suspicion that it was malignant. Upon examining her further,
Hector was convinced that she was terminal. He became very frustrated with God,
to the extent that he didn’t even want to share the gospel with her because he
couldn’t do anything to help her physically.
“Hector sent up a few prayers of
frustration, but felt God nudging him to share the gospel with this woman. So
he reluctantly shared the good news of Jesus with her; and, to Hector’s
surprise, she wanted to be forgiven and place her faith in Jesus Christ! And as
they sat on the floor of that makeshift med-center, this sweet woman trusted
Jesus as her Savior. When they finished praying, the woman had a radiant smile
and tears in her eyes. He hugged her and she began to cry.
“’What happened?’ Hector asked. ‘Why
are you crying?’
“’As we were praying,’ she said, ‘I
felt a warmth that started on my head and spread to the tips of my toes.’ As
she said this, she realized something had changed, and she screamed with
delight, ‘My mass is gone! My pain is gone!’
“Hector had her lie back down on his
examining table. The tumor that had been there just minutes ago was gone. God
had intervened. She was healed, both spiritually and physically!
“In the amazing celebration that
followed, God spoke clearly to Hector’s heart. God told him that He had all the
power needed for the work He had called Hector to, and it had nothing to do
with his medical training. God impressed on his heart that He didn’t need
Hector’s skills or his knowledge; He had all of that covered. He just wanted
him to go in His name.
“You and I have that same opportunity
every day. We have a chance to be a witness of God’s healing love to a world of
wounded hearts. Did God need my husband and the other volunteers to heal
Guatemalan villagers, treat their physical wounds, and share the hope of Jesus
with them? No. Did God move in the lives of the villagers because of their
willingness to go in His name? You bet!
“One of my favorite sayings is, ‘God
doesn’t call the equipped. He equips the called.’ If you are His, then you are
called. Not because of who you are or what you can do, but because God can and
will do His work through you.
“Did God tell Jonah to go to Nineveh
because Jonah was a great leader with amazing vision? No! Jonah proved to be
quite wimpy. When Jonah finally made it to Nineveh, did God bring a great wave
of repentance and restoration because of Jonah’s rhetorical gifts? No! God
stirred the hearts and changed the lives of hundreds of Ninevites because Jonah
finally had the courage to speak God’s words.
“God wants to do something similar
through you. He wants you to stop fighting Him on this and be willing to speak
for Him so others can know the same healing and hope that you know. He wants to
bring beauty up from the ashes of brokenness all around you.”
You don’t have to go on a mission’s
trip to be an Ambassador for Christ (but
if you have the opportunity, take it – it really will change your life!) – you can
be an Ambassador every day right where you are!
You are Christ’s representative in your neighborhood – at your job – in the
grocery store parking lot (I’m thinking about all the cars with Christian
stickers that seem to lack Christian drivers) – at the doctor’s office –
ANYWHERE you go you are representing the King of kings! Keep your eyes – and your heart – open to the
possibilities! This is a good weekend to step out of your comfort zone and ask
someone to church – lots of people are looking for a place to go this Sunday
morning!
“Rejoicing in the miracle of
everlasting life – and the wonder of His never-ending love…Wishing you a
Blessed Easter!” Sharon
By His great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 RSV
Sharon Pearce, Director
Silent Voices International
355 K Street, Suite H
Chula Vista,
CA 91911
619-422-0757
svoices@pacbell.net
www.silentvoices.org
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