Street Report – 21 Dec 2009

This last few times out in Wexford town we reverted back to one-to-one conversations and handing out special Christmas tracts which help people to see if they are on Santa’s “naughty” list or his “nice” one; obviously since we’re using God’s standard of measurement everyone ends up on the naughty list!

We have had some great conversations with people telling them how to get their name removed from God’s “naughty” or “lost” list to His “redeemed” list.
Walking down mainstreet in the cold, many people stopped to talk. Many were convinced they were good people who deserved to get into heaven, despite Jesus’ proclamation that only God is good. Many were asked if they were willing to judge themselves honestly by God’s perfect standard – the standard of the ten commandments. Without us judging anyone, they judged themselves and the Holy Spirit silenced their protestations of innocence as they considered their true condition before a just and holy God. I was pleased to be able to point some of those people to the free gift of redemption available to them in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.
This Christmas I have been asking people “Are you celebrating Christmas this year?” and many of them, no doubt having supernatural perception, have responded: “No” – with their hands laden under bags full of Christmas presents. Since they don’t know us, and we have no obvious external “Christian” markings; this is, in my belief, a subtle manifestation of demonic influence. How can someone in their flesh know that we are about to hand them a lifeline from God? How can they know and then lie straight to our faces and in doing so they reject God while they take the event that commemorates my Lord become flesh and pervert it with false revelry?

Idolatry opens doors for demonic powers to have sway over the life of an individual and many have taken Christmas and turned it into an idol, liking the “baby Jesus” but not remembering Him as He is now, a man and not a child.

All this confirms for me the Lord Jesus statement “there is none good but God”, and when asked who could be saved, He replied “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Without an impossible and supernatural rescue no one can come to God.
I am saddened by this evidence of peoples resistance to God’s free gift, but I am encouraged that salvation must, therefore, be all by the Lord and not by us. We bring no-one to God, He just chooses to use us as instruments in the salvation He is already working out.

So this Christmas be encouraged that in those times when you share your faith it is not up to you to save anyone! You and I just need to be obedient to God and let Him do the work. If you have ever been discouraged from sharing your faith because you saw no salvations then do not be discouraged any more and continue sharing your faith, trusting God to save those whom He is drawing.

People are dying for a reason to live, let’s get out there and tell them what it is.