“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15……..
Times Square. New York City. Renowned because of New Year’s Eve. People watch from around the world. Famous because of all the theaters. Known because of all the tourists. A melting pot of the world. People from everywhere. A melting pot of New York City. Locals, foreigners. Bits and pieces from around the globe. Billboards galore. Food. Drink. Plays. People rushing madly by. The homeless. People selling stuff. People buying stuff. People scrambling to get where they’re going. Then stuck waiting for the traffic light to turn. Trying not to get trampled by the ever flow of people. People. People everywhere. All sorts. All types. All backgrounds. All cultures. All anything. All everything. It seems anyway.
I was rushing through, trying to get somewhere, just like everyone else. Bible study. But the Lord had a job for me. Something to do. Something He surprised me with. Only the Lord would have come up with this one. He showed me four big men with big guns standing on the sidelines watching the world go by, their hands on their guns, not ordinary little police pistols, but big guns. Military big. Belonging to officers trained to protect. In big ways. Police? Military? I don’t know how it all works. I only know what I saw. Scary looking guns. Serious looking men. They had to be. They were there to protect people. In a world gone crazy. A world in dire need of the Lord Jesus Christ, of turning away from our sins and believing in Jesus as Lord and surrendering our lives to Him once and for all, to God and the Bible, not in a one-time emotional experience, but to enter into a forever relationship with God almighty.
The Spirit of God moved quickly in my heart before I could move another step. He wanted me to go to the police officers, yes, the big men with guns in a wild city on a day I already had plans and a place to go, now, in my time frame, but God wanted otherwise.
No way. No, no, no, way. I am NOT going up to those men. Not with my Gospel tracts. No, I’d already given some to a few homeless people. And to others for weeks now in New York City. Even to some other officers. But now? In Times Square? To these men? With the big guns? Seriously, God. Really?
Yes.
How can I say no to the Lord Jesus Christ? What will I say when my life is over and I stand before the Lord giving an account of my life? I was too afraid? Didn’t care? Had my own plans? Didn’t like the guns? Was totally afraid? And totally embarrassed? That I’d look like an idiot?
I went. To the men. With the guns. The police. And asked if I could give them a copy of my personal story with a message. I let the Lord lead me. He didn’t lead me this time to talk about Him. Sometimes He does. I love that. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to talk about Him. Sometimes He doesn’t. Sometimes He just wants me to give someone my tract.
Within minutes, two police officers took my Finding the Light Gospel tract. A third officer said he could share the copy of the officer he would drive with later. The fourth officer was emphatic he didn’t want one.
And off I went. Shaking in my soul. For two reasons. A little overwhelmed. And oh so blessed.
How amazing is our God.
Please don’t think because I’m an evangelist that all of this is easy, and that all of this is fun, and that I’m any different than anyone else. I get scared. I get embarrassed. I get overwhelmed. I get obstinate. I get excited. I get thrilled. I get blessed. But no matter how I feel, no matter what I face, even when rejection comes, and it’s hard, and it’s lonely, and ugh, or I know I may be laughed at or looked down upon, I think of it all this way.
We are all commanded to love the Lord with all our hearts and to love others, we are all commissioned to help spread the Gospel message, we will all stand before the Lord one day and have to give an account of our lives, and we all in our love for the Lord need to obey the Lord and this includes telling the world about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Whether God leads us to talk about Jesus to a little girl, or to a dying widow, or to a Sunday school class, or to our parents, or our friends and co-workers, or to people living on the streets, or to a boss, or homeless shelter director, or a foreigner, or a local, or a bunch of men with big guns standing in Times Square, we need to love the Lord, and love others, and obey the Lord, and open our hearts, and open our mouths, and share the best message in the universe that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He is the Son of God, died on the cross to pay our sin penalty, was raised from the dead, and that all who turn away from their sins and turn to Christ in faith in who He is and what He did for us, truly devoting our lives to God and His ways, are forgiven and granted everlasting life.
When I walk the streets mourning at times over the endless people I see who are lost and bound for hell and the lake of fire forever, bound in sin and enjoying the pleasures and treasures of this temporal life to no end, or on the end of things bound in sin and suffering beyond measure with no happiness or joy at all, I wonder, I wonder often, how many of them don’t even know Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, don’t even know how to be born again spiritually by giving their hearts and lives to Him in faith in Him as Lord, don’t even know what it means and how to follow Him day by day and forever, because so many of us are more concerned and consumed with ourselves and our fears and plans and agendas etc. than we are with loving God and telling the world about Jesus Christ Lord and Savior forevermore!
Please, oh please, if you follow Jesus, tell the world about Him, let the Lord lead you forth in sharing the Gospel and helping people to find and forever follow Him, amen!