Listen to the Message

I missed a call tonight; just listened to the message, but what a blessing was on that answering machine. Before I tell you about the call, let me share with you what God has laid on my heart.

How many times have we, as God’s children, decided that a seed planted in our heart by the Holy Spirit might just be an idea or thought that we came up with, knowing all the while it really came from God, but we decided not to act on it. How many times do we make excuses and decide it’s not really that important and miss an opportunity that God gave us.

Well a couple of months back, I was scheduled to speak at Magnolia Baptist Church in Ragley, La. However a few days before the meeting, I came down with a serious staph infection in my leg. On the day of the meeting, I really wanted to cancel because of the pain. I didn’t feel like going, but I felt the Holy Spirit urging me to go.

The purpose of the meeting was to share God’s vision for the fall revivals in New Mexico and Arizona and the need for more teams to sign up. Well the phone call today was from Tom Bruce, Minister of Education, Outreach & Missions at First Baptist Church, Sulphur, La. Brother Tom attended the meeting that day at Magnolia. I haven’t talked to him yet but he left me this message for me. “You’re not going to believe this brother; we have 25 to 27 people interested in going out to minister to the Native Americas and to continue a relationship with their assigned church.”

After listening, I thanked God for allowing me to go and share what He wanted his people to hear. Just think, how many times we fail our Lord Jesus because we want to linger with the thought that it wasn’t really the Holy Spirit urging us to act or we just don’t feel like doing it or whatever excuse enters our minds to take our focus off of what God wants us to do. I thank God for that phone call and I also thank God that I acted on His Calling and went to Magnolia that night instead of cancelling.

Yes, I really was sick, but God wanted me to go and he took care of me that day. You know it’s not about me and it’s not about you; it’s all about how we respond to the Holy Spirit when He speaks to us. That night, God planted a seed in a man named Tom. Tom acted on what the Holy Spirit led him to do, sharing it with his pastor. Then his pastor responded to the Holy Spirit and together they shared it with their congregation. Now twenty five to twenty seven of God’s chosen people are being obedient and First Baptist Church of Sulphur is preparing to go and share Jesus with the Native Americans in New Mexico.

If God can use us, such unworthy servants to put this together, just imagine how He is going to use this team. Please, when God speaks to your heart, and I believe that we as God’s children know when He speaks to us, just respond. Let the Holy Spirit lead you through that door and then set back and watch Him at work. You will be amazed and more than anything you will allow God’s will to be done through you and you won’t miss out on the blessings he has in store for you. Right now I’m being blessed by being allowed to share with you what only God could do and not man.

Praise the Lord for all of those in attendance at the meeting at First Baptist and praise the Lord for those who were obedient to the pleading of the Holy Spirit. This is just one account of many where I have seen God at work and there will be many more to come. How will you and your church respond to the work that God is calling each one of us to do?