Prayer of Faith in Dallas

By Ruber Leal

I needed encouragement, and God gave it in a most unexpected way.

Image © Pacific Press

For the past two years, I have come once a week to a public library in Dallas, in the U.S. state of Texas, to work on my doctoral dissertation. A homeless man who often reads in the library lobby always asks me for money when he sees me. I have declined to give him money and instead bring food and share it with him. Despite my efforts to be friendly and talk, he always seems to be angry. It might be because I never give him money.

One day, he found me in the library stairwell, and he was very upset.

“What is going on, Gerald?” I asked.

He told me that he needed God.

At first, I was uncertain about Gerald’s sincerity. But we talked about the plan of salvation, and I asked whether he wanted to accept Jesus into his life as Lord and Savior.

“Yes!” Gerald exclaimed.

I led him in prayer to accept Jesus.

After that day, I did not see him for six months.

Then, shortly before the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving in late November, I walked into the library and immediately saw my homeless friend.

I waited for Gerald to ask me for money, but he did not.

Instead, he gave me the biggest smile I have ever since on his face. He went on to tell me about how God had been working on his heart for the past half year.

He said he had joined a church and went to prayer meeting every week.

He recited all the Bible verses he had learned by heart over the past six months.

He even showed me his Bible.

I was overjoyed! We prayed together, and he closed with a most beautiful prayer for me.

As we said goodbye, I pulled money from my pocket and said, “Gerald, happy Thanksgiving!”

Ruber Leal works as family ministries director at the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. This mission story illustrates Mission Objective No. 2 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan: “To strengthen and diversify Adventist outreach in large cities.” Learn more at IWillGo202o[dot]org.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org

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Further Thought:

Then, as now, we all are given a choice. The crucial word here is choice. Unlike a certain understanding of Christianity, in which, even before humans were born, God predestined some people not just to be lost but even to burn in hell forever, Scripture teaches that our own free choice of life or death, blessing or cursing, good or evil, determines which triad (life, good, blessing — or death, evil, cursing) we will ultimately face.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

And how good to know that even if someone makes the wrong choice, the result is death, eternal death, not eternal torment in a never-ending lake of fire.

“‘The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ Romans 6:23. While life is the inheritance of the righteous, death is the portion of the wicked. Moses declared to Israel: ‘I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil.’ Deuteronomy 30:15. The death referred to in these scriptures is not that pronounced upon Adam, for all mankind suffer the penalty of his transgression. It is ‘the second death’ that is placed in contrast with everlasting life.” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 544.

Discussion Questions:

<–Thursday

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The post Friday: Further Thought ~ Choose Life appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/friday-further-thought-choose-life/