MINISTRY TO THE LOST
In Romans 1:19, the Apostle Paul speaks about the mind of the lost, saying, “That which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.”
We are in the middle of our fourth summer mission trip in Brazil. Last night we preached to a crowd of about 1500. I could not resist going right out into the audience and asking many about their personal salvation through Jesus Christ. I really didn’t think I could miss anyone, and many were willing to come with me to the altar for prayer. As I pointed to them, inviting them to come, they began to weep under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I had to almost carry a young lady experiencing conviction by the Holy Spirit. The 22 seminary students and missionaries from the USA were in rare form, praying for the lost with power. The glory of God became manifest in that place.
This presents an interesting question: Can you know who is saved? Since the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts a person of salvation, the Holy Spirit Himself can reveal the state of that person’s soul to you before you begin to minister to them. Jesus looked intently at Nathanael and said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47)
If Jesus can see a part of someone’s personality, He can see the state of someone’s soul. Salvation is on your face, in the eyes, the manner, the smile, the expression. All of this confirms the state of someone’s soul.
Paul says in Romans that what is known about God is evident within the lost, so that they have no excuse. It is within them, clear evidence that they know about God, and yet they do not have Him in their hearts. Thus, a simple question put to them can stir the desire to confess that though they know about Jesus, they do not truly know Him as Lord and Savior.
Revelation from the Holy Spirit is not the same thing as making an assumption about someone’s salvation. It is not wise to assume anything about anyone. Paul says the following in Romans 2:1-2: “Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.”
However, when the Holy Spirit reveals, speaks and confirms an action of one under the authority of God, He can make known the condition of a soul. Last night was evidence that the Holy Spirit can reveal someone’s salvation. The Lord is saving in the hundreds. We expect over 4000 to attend the next service and I know that many will come to be saved by grace.
What is your take on this? Should I continue to proceed this way, or should I simply remain at the altar and expect them to come? What if the Lord leads me to go and get someone for salvation?
Does my going looking for the lost mean no more altar calls? Not at all. My going into a crowd as I was led by the Holy Spirit and pointing to those with no real assurance of salvation was simply an exercise in faith. Faith was rewarded as we witnessed many brought into the kingdom of God. Hallelujah!!
A powerful witness! I remember coming under the same conviction about going into the crowd when I was with Rick in Brazil a couple of years ago. Why is it I would never dream of doing it in my home church? Keep up the good work, dear brother. Be used of God!
Comment by Randy F carnley — August 14, 2006 @ 11:58 am
Your faith and bold obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading is always so inspiring. Blessings to you, brother, and to the whole team down there ministering with you. May the Lord continue to empower and encourage all of you and move in mighty ways among the amazing people of Brazil.
Love,
Ward
Comment by Ward — August 14, 2006 @ 12:30 pm
Go out to them Rick: Some people are timid until someone reaches out to them. Peace & Blessings, Janette
Comment by Janette — August 14, 2006 @ 12:49 pm
Praise God for his work in Brazil, in the hearts of the UGA students and in the lives of all of us who read Rick’s journal.
Rick, for me, it all comes down to faith. Will I let go of me, my mind and my fears to allow God to reveal to what he would have me do? To walk out and minister with power - to live a life of miracles…I want this! But I must get over the fear of missing the target. I want to glorify God and I want to be used by God. I pray daily for my mind to be broken and let Christ rule in me completely. Rick, thank you for your message today!
The Camp Glisson staff will keep your efforts in our prayers.
Blessings,
David Schnitzer
Program Director
Comment by David Schnitzer — August 14, 2006 @ 1:19 pm
Rick, you have always done what you believed the Holy
Spirit was telling you. God is always moving us into new and fresh ways of ministering to people and more than ever satan is working overtime to keep someone from coming to Jesus. Therefore, the Holy Spirit in you is going to them. Go get them and let God do His work in them. Praise the Lord that He is bringing in His harvest through you and we should expect to be used by Him to do the same through us!!!
Comment by Frank Appel — August 14, 2006 @ 1:58 pm
Jesus said to go into the highways and hedges and compel them to come. We are our brothers keeper. If you knew that person sitting there was sitting beside a den of vipers, what would you do? How much more should we - the ones who have experienced salvation - not go and rescue those that are lost!!!
Comment by Brenda Taylor — August 14, 2006 @ 3:31 pm
Praise God for your discernment and boldness to go after the unsaved. Keep going as you are led. The Harvest is ripe, and you have some laborers there to help you. Blessings to all of you.
Comment by Mary B.Rice — August 14, 2006 @ 5:49 pm
Brother Rick…I was touched and lifted up when I read your blog this morning. What wonderful news to hear how many are arriving to hear the Good News and how powerful God is working to turn people’s hearts toward him.
It is true that the evidence of God in us and around us, and the presence and power of his Holy Spirit cannot be denied! God the Creator has stamped his image and evidence of his existence upon all human beings with the hope that they will turn to him and surrender their lives in faith.
Rick your blog touched me personally today, as I have too often ignored God’s evident presence and divine work in me and around me. I have struggled with this even after arriving back from Brazil. Today I am realizing that to deny is a form of unbelief, thus sin. I must confess that sin and again get right with my Savior.
Pray for me as I am in the struggle of trying to find out what God wants me to do. I am looking for a new job/ministry opportunities in the Des Moines area.
Thank you again for your words of wisdom and faith. And a big “Obrigado!” for your leadership, discipleship, and friendship with myself and the the rest of the Mission Team in June. I will always be grateful! May God continue to bless you and keep you. May his face shine upon you and be gratias to you. May his countenance rise up granting you his paz forevermore.
In Christ,
De Wayne Breen
Comment by De Wayne Breen — August 15, 2006 @ 9:19 am
Rick, you go where the Lord leads you, regardless of what anyone says or thinks. That is what makes you so effective in your ministry. God alone knows our hearts and he reveals His plans to those who will listen. I say keep listening! God led you to say what you did to me and brought about emotional healing that freed me to be the disciple of Christ I was meant to be. I thank God every day for your obedience and pray for His blessings on you and your ministry.
Comment by Betty Jackson — August 16, 2006 @ 6:37 am
Never back down keep going out there and getting them. Amazingly the Holy Sprit gives us the privilege of being part of another’s salvation. It is indeed a privilege for the Holy Spirit to show us the condition of another’s soul for the sake of ministering to that them.
Comment by John Freeland — August 19, 2006 @ 5:52 pm
Rick, you asked the readers their take on your procedure at the altar. Well, here goes mine perception of what the Lord might be saying: Early in Methodism there was an order of office of Spirit-filled folks known as exhorters. Their duty/ministry/work was to be sensitive to be aware of how the Holy Spirit was moving within a particular conversation, and to go and talk to those who exhibited visible manifestations of conviction, e.g. tears, bowed heads, convulsing, moaning, etc. These people seemed to have been using the gift of discernment, exhortation, and sometimes a word of knowledge, even though Wesley never spoke in those terms. You usually have others with you in these services. I would say that if the Lord fmoves on YOU to go to them, GO and follow the leading of the Spirit. Also there are at least one of two seasoned mature saints with you in these services. Trust that the same Spirit that is working in you is working within the one under conviction and the seasoned saint. Rick, I don’t doubt your anointing, but there are many who go to Brazil that perhaps do not have the cultural understanding of the populace, but do have as much anointing as anyone else. I guess the question is: do we trust God’s leading or not? Go for it, brother, go for it for Jesus!
Comment by Eric Sizemore — August 21, 2006 @ 8:17 am
Hi Rick, What a stiring article, thank you. I once heard a story that I though you might be interested in. It goes like this:
The Parable of the Fisherless Fisherman
By John M. Drescher
Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. And lo there were many fish in the waters all around where they lived. In fact. the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry.
Week after week, month after month, and year after year, those who called themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they might go about fishing. Year after year they carefully defined what fishing means, defended fishing as an occupation, and declared that fishing is, always to be a primary task of fishermen.
Continually they searched for new and better methods of fishing and for new and better definitions of fishing. Further they said, “The fishing industry exists by fishing as fire exists by burning.” They loved slogans such as, “‘Fishing is the task of every fisherman,” “Every fisherman is a fisher,” and” A fisherman’s outpost for every fisherman’s club.” They sponsored special meetings called “Fishermen’s Campaigns” and “The month for fishermen to fish.” They sponsored costly nationwide and worldwide congresses to discuss fishing and to promote fishing and hear about all the ways of fishing such as the new fishing equipment, fish calls. and whether any new bait was discovered.
These fishermen built large, beautiful buildings called “Fishing Headquarters.” The plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish. One thing they didn’t do, however, they didn’t fish.
In addition to meeting regularly, they organized a board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish. All the fishermen seemed to agree that what was needed was a board which could challenge fishermen to be faithful in fishing. The board was formed by those who had the great vision and courage to speak about fishing, to define fishing, and to promote the idea of fishing in faraway streams and lakes where many other fish of different color lived.
Also the board hired staff and appointed committees and held many meetings to define fishing, and to decide what new streams should be thought about. But the staff and committee members did not fish.
Large, elaborate and expensive training centers were built whose original and primary purpose was to teach fishermen how to fish. Over the years courses were offered on the needs of fish, the nature of fish, where to find fish, the psychological reactions to fish, and how to approach and feed fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishology. But the teachers did not fish. They only taught fishing.
Year after year, after tedious training, many were graduated and were given fishing licenses. They were sent to do full-time fishing, some to distant waters which were filled with fish. Some spent much on study and travel to learn the history of fishing and to see faraway places where the founding fathers did great fishing in the centuries past. They lauded the faithful fishermen of years before who handed down the idea of fishing. Further, the fishermen built large printing houses to publish fishing guides. Presses were kept busy day and night to produce materials solely devoted to fishing methods, equipment and programs to arrange and to encourage meetings to talk about fishing. A speakers’ bureau was also provided to schedule special speakers on the subject of fishing.
Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded. They were commissioned and sent to fish. But like the fishermen back home, they never fished. Like the fishermen back home, they engaged in all kinds of other occupations. They built power plants to pump water for fish and tractors to plow new waterways. They made all kinds of equipment to travel here and there to look at fish hatcheries. Some also said that they wanted to be a part of the fishing party, but they felt called to furnish fishing equipment. Others felt their job was to relate to the fish in a good way so the fish would know the difference between good and bad fishermen. Others felt that simply letting the fish know they were nice, land-loving neighbors and how loving and kind they were was enough.
After one stirring meeting on “The Necessity for Fishing,” one young fellow left the meeting and went fishing. The next day he reported he had caught two outstanding fish. He was honored for his excellent catch and scheduled to visit all the big meetings possible to tell how he did it. So he quit his fishing in order to have time to tell about the experience to the other fishermen. He was also placed on the Fishermen’s Central Board as a person having considerable experience.
Now it is true that many of the fishermen sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish everyday. They received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fishermen’s clubs and the fact that they claimed to be fishermen, yet never fished. They wondered about those who felt it was of little use to attend the weekly meetings to talk about fishing. After all, they were not following the Master Who said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men?”
Imagine how hurt some were when one day a person suggested that those who didn’t catch fish were really not fishermen, no matter how much they claimed to be. Yet it did sound correct.
Is a person a fisherman if, year after year, he never catches a fish? Is one following if he isn’t fishing? Selah
Comment by JIm Brown — October 16, 2006 @ 7:50 pm
I just wanted to comment that I have also be feeling the Holy Spirit in the way you described. I’ve felt the spirit many times, been slain by the weight of His glory, and just recently started to feel what you describe. It started when I was on stage during a prayer for offering, and I thought my arm was falling asleep, but the feeling over took my entire body, and I was afraid that the mic I was hold was shocking me. It felt like volts of electricity going through me, like I was going to explode or implode, not sure, but something totally new to me. I had to stop and fall to my knees the weight and power, pressure got so much. It was encouraging to know that others have felt it this way as well. God Bless You! - Josh Wigginton
Comment by Josh Wigginton — May 26, 2007 @ 1:57 am