THE GOSPEL WAS SHARED!!!

I have become convinced that when we seek and pray for opportunities to share the gospel, and when we are dedicated to knowing the gospel, God gives us opportunities to share it. Well today, God literally handed me an opportunity to share the gospel about 10 minutes after I had prayed for such an opportunity.

As most of you know, this whole semester I’ve been developing a relationship with 2 international students from one of my management classes at ASU. This was the fourth time that we’ve had the pleasure of hanging out together and today the place of choice was IN-N-OUT burger yet again. YUM!!! DOUBLE YUM!!! TRIPPLE YUM!!! I knew that I had already been obtaining a platform in their lives because last time we hung out, Rodolfo said that I was the first American from their classes that had ever gone out to dinner with them or had taken an interest in getting to know them. Glory to God alone!! So, knowing that they will both be going back to their country at the end of the semester, and that we have become better friends, I prayed that God would bless me with a chance to share the gospel with Ramon and Rodolfo. I was reminded by my last blog that it is easy to be friends with someone, but it is much harder to actually share the truth. I was also reminded that they probably have other friends that they can hang with, but I don’t know anyone in their lives that would share the gospel with them. So, as I washed my hands in the IN-N-OUT sink before I got my food, I pleaded with God for an unforced chance to share the gospel.

After sitting down with my food, I bowed my head and prayed quietly before eating. Then we just started talking. I asked them both a bunch of questions about life here in the U.S. and what some of their best experiences have been. I then asked them what was the weirdest or most unique thing they’ve seen here in the States . . . yeah, I know I ask weird questions, but God still uses them. Rodolfo then asked me, “how about for you Brent, what is the most unique thing you’ve seen in other cultures.” Wow, I had no idea how to respond but God suddenly gave me a few examples. I mentioned a funny culture experience I had just had in Mexico with me using my very poor Spanish . . . they laughed and reminded me what “Mande’” means in Spanish. Then I mentioned another thing. In January when I went on a missions trip to Caborca we ended up giving away some Bibles to some of the indigenous tribal workers we were ministering to. As we told them that we were going to give away Bibles, we had guys literally running to come get their Bible. Some weren’t even dressed completely, but when they heard we were going to give some Bibles, they jumped out of their beds and came running. This sparked the conversation, and we went from Bibles, to authority of God’s Word, to the “Jesus Film,” to Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ.”

Both guys had seen “The Passion,” and Rodolfo had mentioned that he almost turned away in the movie because it was so graphic. I mentioned that indeed Christ was brutally murdered, but the part that many people don’t know is why. I asked them if they remembered the first scene with the quote from Isaiah 66:5:

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

God answered my prayer with Rodolfo’s next question, because Rodolfo inquisitively asked, “I’ve always wondered what that really means that he was wounded for our transgressions.” At that moment, my heart was filled with joy as I had an opportunity to lay out the gospel. I think I chuckled to myself because for the last two weeks in my Jr. High discipleship group, I’ve been having my guys share the whole gospel to each other. . . the gospel that is more than just saying “a Christian is someone that has Jesus in their heart.”

God gave me the opportunity to share the whole gospel. I shared about sin and man’s sinful nature (Ro 3:23 and Is. 53:5), worldly repentance verse Godly repentance, heaven and hell, imputation (I didn’t use this churchy word, but I got the concept from II Cor. 5:21 and Rom 5 across), Christ being the ransom, why God had to forsake Christ on the cross, the resurrection, Ro. 10:9-10, God’s holiness and perfect standard, God’s justice and need to punish sin, redemption only through the cross, Christ’s perfect life, Christ’s Divinity, the authority of the Bible, whether someone who didn’t believe in Jesus could get to heaven, and much more. I think that everything went so smoothly and I know that Rodolfo is now left without excuse. By the precious grace of God, I shared Christ and Christ crucified. I don’t know why God used me to share the gospel, but I am so glad he did, and I pray that he will continue to use my frail, weak, insecure, fragile, yet available vessel for His namesake.

I think that Ramon is a Christian, but I know that Rodolfo is not. Truly it is no accident that they came to the U.S. to ASU to my MGT 440 class to the seats right next to me with the desire to go to my favorite fast food restaurant IN-N-OUT burger. This experience simply reminds me of the amazing sovereignty of God and how our Father uses every circumstance in our lives to make His name known. . . God chose to use a missions trip that I had went on to their culture in Mexico, for a chance to share the gospel. Is God good or what!!!

“Dear Precious Father, I am amazed at your goodness, sovereignty, grace, holiness, and love. Thank you so much for answering my prayer to share the gospel with Ramon and Rodolfo, and for allowing them to be so interested in hearing the gospel. I pray that You would put your Holy Spirit into the heart of Rodolfo and that You would open his blind eyes to truth. Help me to do all things for your name and for your glory, and continue to give me chances to share my faith. Please cause the seed that was sown to fall into good soil dear Lord, and do whatever you need to in Rodolfo’s life to open his eyes. I love you Father, and it is in the powerful name of Christ that I pray. Amen.”

SALVATION!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!

I can not even begin to express the complete joy and excitement I have in the Lord for His complete sovereignty and power as he works in the lives of people. About 5 years ago (my junior year in high school), I met this guy Jon Marten. In high school, I frequently carried my Bible around, and on one of these occasions, Jon asked why I carried it around so much. I had just been reminded of a verse I learned years before, so I said, “well one of the reasons is because the Bible says that God’s Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” I then went on to share about the authority of the Bible, and how as a Christian it gave light for my walk with Christ. Ever since then, Jon and I have been good friends. Though we don’t hang out much, the Lord has allowed us to usually have a good phone conversation about every few months or so.

Through the course of our friendship, I have continually pointed Jon to the truths in the Bible and have prayed fervently for his salvation. He has also continually made me rely on God for answers to really tough questions and situations. . . Thanks bro. Though he doesn’t know it, he has taught me so much about what it means to love a person while being a constant witness. Though there were times where I might have said some things that were a little blunt or to the point about the gospel, he’d always forgive me, and we’d talk again in three months or so. He has also taught me more about evangelism than most people I know. Though he wasn’t the one evangelizing, he made an excellent practice target as I continually shared the gospel with him. I have often thought that I was too focused on always sharing the truth, and that I should have tried more of just letting him see my life that was different; but this last week was such an encouragement as I was able to see the fruit of continual prayer, truth, and reliance on God to be bold not just friendly.

Anyway, about three months ago, I had another one of those conversations with Jon about the gospel, and this time I was probably too unloving. We ended the conversation and I called back about a week later just to apologize for my actions. Those that know me really well know that I am very passionate about whatever I do, thus I can sometimes come off a little too abrupt or just go too speedily into things. . . I let him know that, and he quickly forgave me. We finished our conversation again, and he told me that he would call me back sometime. Thus for the last three months, God had really placed Jon on my heart, and I prayed for him at least weekly. About a month and a half ago, I felt the Holy Spirit beckon me to pray for Him as I was sitting in church, and through tears and joy I prayed boldly for his salvation. I prayed that God would do whatever he needed to in order to get Jon’s attention. That was February 13th when I prayed for Him, and I just got off the phone with Jon last week, and he told me that GOD SAVED HIM about a month and a half ago (about the middle of February). WOW, is God amazing or what!!!

As I asked him what I could pray for him about, he said something close to the following:

“Brent, don’t let people like me get you down. I know I was hard sometimes to deal with and was very discouraging at points, but keep being bold. I always knew that you would tell me the truth, and you have no idea what these conversations every three months have meant to me. Please use me as an example to your junior high guys, and to anyone else that it is so important to boldly share the truth even though it is hard at times.”

WOW!!! I was stunned. Jon had plenty of friends that just hung out and did “fun” things with him, but he made me realize that I was one of the few friends in his life that always shared the truth with Him (his family, and his fiancé Brittany were others, and I’m so glad that God has used them in such a mighty way.)

As I reflect upon this real story I was reminded of the following:

1. You never know what God might use to get someone’s attention . . . it might be something as small as carrying a Bible to school.

2. Though it is hard at times and the results are not always seen, the nicest thing that Christians can do for their friends is share the gospel with them. They have plenty of “friends” to hang out with . . . no one else will really show love to them by telling them what they need to know the most . . . that they are a sinner, and Christ died to save sinners who repent of their sins and follow Him.

3. God doesn’t use ability, thank the Lord, He uses faithfulness. There were times that I just felt so unaware of what I was doing in sharing the truth with Jon, but God did the work not me. He just used me as a planter of the seed . . . He made it grow.

4. God uses many people to save a soul. Though I have shared endlessly the truth with Jon, he wasn’t converted by saying a prayer after I shared with him a brilliant gospel message. He was saved after a number of Christian people told him the truth and lived it. Eventually he saw that he indeed was a sinner that needed God to save him. God brought him to his knees in humility in the quietness as he was all alone. Truly God gets the credit not any person!

5. Prayer is powerful.


“Dear precious Father,
I know that you are the King of kings and Lord of lords. You alone hold the mountains in the palm of your hand, and you alone hold the keys to life and death. I praise your glorious name for saving my friend Jon, and I praise you for allowing me the privilege of sharing the truth with him. We don’t deserve to be saved! We deserve to spend an eternity in the fiery depths of hell in complete agony and torment. We were born in sin, but we thank you for saving us from the grave. You give us life, and you give it to us abundantly. Thank you dear Lord. Also, please allow me to be bold for the truth of your name. Never allow me to hide in the skirts of timidity, but let me live your Word of truth. Help me to hold to my confession and live life like a good soldier. I pray that You would make me be used for the kingdom. For your glory and in the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.”