Well the school is in full swing and going really well. The students have had teaching on worship, the cross and repentance, the Father heart of God and Holy Spirit. For many they were teachings that they had never heard before, and they responded to them very positively, and we have seen some amazing changes and breakthroughs in their lives. Onwards and upwards we go!
I, Ruth have just returned from a week end in Lyon, where we had the privilege of participating in street evangelism with an inter church evangelistic team called Elam. They perform a half hour ‘spectacle’ outside the main train station in Lyon, with dance, mime, songs, fire displays, rapping, painting, sharing of testimonies and preaching the gospel. There are 3 ‘spectacles’ an afternoon. After each, they then disperse into the crowds and talk to people. There is always a group praying through-out the performance and conversation time. And they really do draw a crowd. The fields are white! I was so aware of God’s compassion and desire to meet with the people that were standing around, listening and watching, that tears simply rolled down my face. Although I was unable to talk to people because of the language, I was able to ask a fellow staff member, Jessica, to talk with 2 people that I could see God was touching. Jessica spent a long time talking to each, one girl had been thinking about God for a while, and Jessica was able to answer some of her questions, pray with her and give her a Bible. A man watched each of the 3 performances, and again Jessica was able to share with him. He had many questions but was on his way elsewhere, but Jessica was able to pray with him, give him some literature, and exchange email addresses so that she can send him information on a church in his area.
Later in the afternoon as I was praying, God gave her a word for a young couple that were standing close by. They had a little girl of about 2 years old and a baby. I asked God why He would give me a word for them when I couldn’t speak French, but He just kept urging me, so I asked a visitor with the Elam team who spoke French to come with me and translate. It was amazing. They were from Germany and spoke English! So I began to share in my non Christianise, and then they announced that they were Christians! I was able to share with them what God had said. Everything I said was exactly where they were, what they were living and what they needed to know. They stood and simply kept saying ‘yes’, with tears spilling from their eyes as they looked and smiled at each other. They left to go home and spend time with their Father God.
I then talked with 2 young Americans who were on mission from America. They were Mormon. A guy from the Elam team came and joined me, and he spoke to one in French, as I spoke to the other in English. Wow. ‘Lance’ tried to tell me that God had taken away from man the authority that Jesus had given, and that the book of Mormon contained the new truth.....He picked the wrong girl. I knew that we would never agree but I didn’t want to simply walk away. I moved the conversation from the book to Holy Spirit. And the battle for his salvation really began. In the conversation that followed, I asked one question and posed one statement that penetrated to his heart to such an extent he had tears in his eyes. We had been talking about the works and gifts of Holy Spirit and whether or not he had witnessed healing or deliverance, or heard prophesy or tongues or known any manifest presence of God, or heard God speaking to him in his quiet times. Lance answered all these in the negative, although he did keep saying he wanted to know God speaking to Him. As we were talking about the power of Holy Spirit, I asked this question: If God had really taken away the authority of Jesus to heal the sick, cast out demons and lead people to a relationship with Christ through the gospel and words of knowledge and prophesy, in whose authority and with what power had I done those things? I explained that I had seen all these things and more, but all in the name of Jesus Christ and His power, nothing to do with me. He fell silent for a long time, and then said “ I can’t answer that.” The tears began to appear in his eyes. I then made this statement. “I don’t have faith that Jesus Christ is alive, I know that He is alive because I have heard Him and I saw Him as He told me that He was alive. If he weren’t, I would be six feet under the ground. With what power and authority is that possible?” He was silent for an even longer time, and the tears were really visible. He blinked hard and said again, “I can’t answer that.” He knew my testimony was true, and it was really affecting him. Sadly, although probably in God’s timing too, the other conversation had finished, and his companion urged him to leave. I simply blessed him in Jesus’ name and said goodbye. He was hungry for God, and it was as obvious to him as it was to me, that he had not found God in Mormonism. I pray he does, and that he is able to break free from the false teaching he has received and finally meet He who is True, Jesus Christ.
As the afternoon came to a close, we met altogether and shared stories of who people had spoken to, and the conversations they had. It was awesome. God had been talking to people and giving them words to speak to others, which they hadn’t had before! I was talking with Nathan this afternoon, a staff member here who works with Elam, and he said he had never known the presence of God to be that strong before. The fields are white, will you go?
