Do you have yours?

“I have mine!” the man exclaimed with a broad smile upon his face.

It was the morning of the third day of the Barquisimeto, Venezuela Leadership Thrust - and I was not sure what he was talking about.

“I have mine!” he repeated with great joy.

Through the interpreter, I asked him to explain. Turns out Luis was a elder and lay-leader in a church that is a distance from his home on top of a steep hill. He was attending the Thrust with his pastor and was quite amazed by the simple, clear teaching on how to share the Gospel, make disciples, and plant a new church.

The previous day (our first afternoon to go into communities and share Christ on the streets) was tough for him. He had watched others win souls to the Lord, and he had shared the Gospel himself... but had yet to experience someone coming to Christ through his witness. As Luis caught the bus home after the evangelism, he was a bit discouraged, asking the Lord, “Where is my soul to win? I long to lead someone to Christ!” Climbing the hill to his house, he began to talk to one of his neighbors... this led to a clear presentation of the Gospel, just as he had been taught - and the neighbor prayed to receive Christ! “I have mine!” he cried. (The first of many, as God calls.)

By that evening, Luis was discipling this new believer. By the end of the Thrust, he and his pastor decided to plant a new church at the bottom of the steep hill, with Luis being mentored as Pastor!

Amazing, I know, that an elder would not have led anyone to Christ, but we see this often - even among pastors! The beauty and power of the Gospel can be forgotten as we go about our daily lives and as we go about doing “church”. Praise God for His command to go and make disciples, teaching them to obey all He has commanded! And praise to Jesus as He has promised to be with us through it all, even to the end of the age!