Battle Log
Sunday 16 June 2019
Posted 18 June 2019, 12:48 PM by Matthew Andersen. Permalink
On Sunday evening, God had sent rain to this earth, to sustain and help with the growth of the plants. This meant though that the seats were wet and people weren't too keen to sit down on the seats so the team spread around a little further to converse with people a little further apart. This was useful though as there were nine team members out sharing the good news of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.
An early conversation took place with Gilliami a Portuguese speaking, professing Christian but as usual he thought it would be his obedience that would be gaining him a place in Heaven. He was show God's standard of perfect and God's law and it didn't take him long to see that he wouldn't be receiving a place in Heaven if he was being judged on his own life. But then when talking about the sacrifice of Christ he kept trying to use this good works as leverage to gain for himself Jesus' sacrifice. He really struggled to understand that it is faith alone in Jesus' sacrifice that causes one to be right before God. He was encouraged to spend time this very night, reading Romans 3-5.
There were a scattering of conversations throughout the rest of the night but the even finished with three very encouraging conversations in a row. The first was with Dani who had some Christian background but basically just lived her own way. She was shown the problem, of sin and the punishment it deserves and was lead through the beauty and simple message of salvation. Getting to the end she said she half trusts in Jesus and it was explained that sort of belief will not save. You need to be relying upon what Jesus did to pay for your sin, otherwise you will not be saved. She came to understand this and said she would have to think about it tonight. She had a Bible at home and therefore was encouraged to read the gospel of John tonight!
Next was a conversation with Eric. He'd been speaking to another team member but wanted some extra clarification. Eric was a Taiwanese "Christian" who was worried about his salvation because he was trusting in his own actions to help him get to Heaven. No wonder he was extremely worried. He was taken through the gospel another time and was challenged with some questions to clarify and after a few goes through the gospel, checking each time if he had understood he finally seemed to get it on the third attempt. This was good news and he was then encouraged to start reading John's gospel, the letter to the Romans and to attend a local Church so that he may be built up and strengthened in the gospel.
The final conversation of the night was with Grant. Who similarly had been talking to another team member and professing to be a Christian. He was a little grey on the gospel thinking it was received on the basis of asking but came to understand that it was on the basis of trusting in Christ. The beauty of this conversation was that just two days earlier he had been discussing with his friend this very topic but they had decided to conclude that there is nothing after death.
This conversation, just two nights later came at the right time. God prepared it beforehand, so that it was still fresh and not really settled. Grant professed that today he would trust in Christ and he too was encouraged to start reading his Bible and to attend a local Church.
Please be praying for those tonight who heard. For the four professing Christians that they each came to understand the gospel properly and will all subsequently trust in Christ this very night! Please keep them in your prayer as they hopefully start their Christian journey of a life lived in obedience to God out of gratefulness to Him for what He has done.
View previous Brisbane (QLD) report (15 June 2019)
Brisbane Team (Night) (QLD)
Meets Fridays (7-10pm) & Saturdays (6-9pm) & Sundays (7:30-9:30pm) in King George Square.
Contact Ryan Hemelaar for more information.