The courthouse was pretty quiet today. Most folks, unless they had to be in the civic center complex, probably stayed home--glued to their television sets and radios listening for up-to-date information regarding the several brush fires literally surrounding our valley. Sadly, others who stayed away from the civic center were possibly among the displaced--people who have been evacuated from their homes because one of the fires either came dangerously close to their homes or their homes were among those that were destroyed by the fire.Nora was one of the people who had to be at court today. She was also an evacuee on Sunday night. The fire came within a few hundred yards of her home. One of her friends' home was closer still. Nora has not heard from her friend since Sunday night. Nora agreed to be our guest for the first hour of today's Way of the Master Radio broadcast. (Amanda, my 13-year-old daughter, served as my camera person. I share this because I will rarely approach a woman and engage her in conversation, unless I have another person with me--preferably another woman.)
Before putting Nora on the phone with Todd Friel, she told me she believed in a "higher power;" but she wasn't really sure what happens to a person after they die. Click here to listen to Nora's conversation with Todd.
I could tell from Nora's end of the phone conversation that she followed a very post-modern worldview. Everyone is right. Beliefs are more important than truth. No one can no anything with certainty. Etc, etc, etc.
After her conversation with Todd, I talked to Nora for a few minutes about her evacuation experience. As you will hear, I used that scary moment in her life to segue from the natural to the spiritual, in our conversation.
Nora remained steadfast in her post-modern perspective for a while. But then something happened. And it happened when we entered the courtroom analogy. When I asked her what she would think of a Stranger who came into the courtroom to pay her fine, she said, "I would be eternally grateful."
Tears formed in Nora's eyes as I explained to her that the Stranger who came into the courtroom represents Jesus Christ. (If you look closely at the picture to the left, you will see a tear falling from Nora's left eye.) To see this young woman's heart soften before my eyes almost brought me to tears, too. It was a very beautiful and tender moment.Please click here to listen to my conversation with Nora.
Pray for her. Pray, by God's sovereign grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, that Nora will be drawn to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a wonderful day of fishing!
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3 comments:
It never ceases to amaze me when I see the Law do its work, but I love it even more to see a heart that has been made broken come to understand the sacrafice that was given so that there can be life. Praise the Lord!
I'm not buying it. All he did was berate this poor woman into crying by using fear to get his heavy handed message across. Why can't evangelicals leave people alone and let folks think whatever they like?
"Why can't evangelicals leave people alone and let folks think whatever they like?" You ask. The reason is simple.
Where people spend eternity is of far greater importance than simply standing by, doing nothing, and watching people perish in their sin and unbelief, just so that they can "think whatever they like." If I care about people, I'm going to warn them that the wrath of God abides on them, unless they repent of their sin and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. To do otherwise is uncaring.
While I can't change a person's mind, one way or the other; I can bring to them the only message that can save their life--and that's the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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