Another Encouraging Call to Prayer
I met with Ozzie today, and I was pretty anxious about it. (Yes, I know, Ozzie is a ridiculous name, but at least it stays with you). He had been asking about baptism, but I wasn't sure if he knew what he was doing. I didn't know if he truly understood the gospel, and I wasn't sure that he accepted who Jesus is according to the Bible.
Ozzie is a 20-year-old single guy who lives in my city. He's hoping to start university this fall, and is gearing up to take the entrance test. (The school system here is a little weird, I'll have to explain it one day). A common friend of ours introduced us, and from the moment I met him I was excited. He was reading the Word on his own and was genuinely excited to learn more.
We've been meeting together for a couple of months, and it's pretty clear God is working in Ozzie. We've read through Matthew together, and we've talked about some of the spiritual disciplines. He reads the Word and prays on his own every day, and he is sharing truth with everybody he comes across. Praise God!!!
But, we had not really talked about who Jesus is. That, after all, is the stumbling block for like 90% of the people here. Plus, as a wise American friend told me, his actions don't mean squat if he does not believe and understand the gospel. So I decided to go straight at it today.
Ozzie and I met, and I asked him, "Who is Jesus?"
Ozzie replied, "Jesus is the shepherd who shows us the way."
That's a good answer, but not exactly what I was looking for. So, we went to the Word. I made a point never to say the words "Jesus is God." Instead, we read Daniel 7, Isaiah 6, Isaiah 9:6, and the 4 or 5 places in John where it's pretty obvious who Jesus is. After reading Thomas' confession in John 20, I asked him again. Then he looked at me and said, "Jesus is God."
I had a hallelujah moment in my mind, and then we discussed the trinity, how God is 3 and 1. We looked at Matthew 4 where Jesus was baptized and then Acts. And as far as I can tell, Ozzie understood and believed. Praise God!!! The triune nature of God is a big, big stumbling block around these parts.
After that I asked him to explain the gospel. He explained it pretty well, then asked me again why he couldn't be baptized. I couldn't think of a single good reason. Praise God!!!
Please join with me in prayer for Ozzie.
Very thankful for this! Praying with you!
Posted by
Anonymous |
8:47 PM
Another picture of how BIG He is!!!
Posted by
Polarbear |
7:13 AM