Monday, February 6, 2012

God took the victory!

Yesterday I shared the story of Brother Jed, a false teacher who has been spreading lies and hatred in the name of Jesus on my campus at Texas A&M University.

On Friday, my friends Lauren and Rebecca and I decided to meet on campus and quietly pray for God's love to shine through all the conflict and judgment.  We asked Him to take the victory.  Before we even began to pray, Rebecca embraced me with joy-filled eyes.  "I've been praying about this all day," she said, "and I feel like the Lord has told me something.  Texas A&M and its students are His.  Satan is trying to win, but all he has is this tiny spot on campus.  We will continue to pray for God's victory, but He has already won.  He will use this for good."

The crowd was large again when we arrived at the plaza.  We sat down at the edge of everything and began to sit in silence, waiting for the Lord to speak and give us words to pray.  I began to listen to Brother Jed again, until I had to block him out to keep from feeling sick.

Several students surrounded the old man, shouting at him and asking him angry questions, but two Christians in particular seemed to be directing the conversation.  Brother Jed shared his "story" about how since he became a Christian in 1971, he has supposedly never sinned since.  Not once.  "You can be perfect!" he shouted.  "As a Christian, I am capable of sin, but I no longer sin... I haven't sinned for forty years!  If you sin, you are no longer a Christian!  If you fall, you will burn in hell!"

A new Christian spoke up and said, "I haven't been a Christian for long, so I haven't read the entire Bible yet, but you aren't speaking what the Bible teaches."

"If you haven't read the entire Bible, you are not a Christian," Brother Jed told her harshly.

I was disgusted by this exchange, but then I began to notice the smaller conversations that were occurring along the edges of the group.  The more I watched these conversations, the more my heart began to fill with joy.

I saw a group of four or five students holding hands and kneeling together in prayer.  I saw a group of eight or nine Christians talking in a lively but not angry way about the truth of the Gospel, not the lies of Brother Jed.  I saw someone who was not a follower of Christ approach a Christian, who said, "Let me tell you the truth..." and the unbeliever listened.  And they talked.  And they were kind to each other.

I saw Christians and atheists engage in conversations spurred by the lies of Brother Jeb.  These conversations weren't angry.  If anything, they were friendly and curious.  Bibles were opened.  Conversations were created.  Satan was attempting to make Brother Jed a source of dissension and confusion, but God had already taken the victory.  God can use all things for His glory. 

Rebecca, Lauren, and I prayed quietly for a while, but the more good conversations we saw, the more joy filled our hearts.  We beamed at each other and began praising God aloud.  "You are so good, God.  You are so powerful, God.  Your love and compassion are beautiful, God.  Thank You for showing Your love and glory in this situation.  Thank You for bringing peace.  Thank You for this victory!"

Again, I feel like I'm going on for too long.  I will finish this story tomorrow (for real finish it this time)... I know this is a long story, but I am so filled with joy that I can't help but share it all!

10 comments:

  1. Emily, that is so encouragine and amazing. God is so good.
    Thanks for sharing-Susanna

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  2. Take as long as you need Emily. God is amazing, God is good, and He is still working through His people.

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    1. You are so right! God is sooooooo amazing He loves us so much.

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  3. 1 Timothy 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

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  4. you put jeB like a lot

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  5. Do Christisns follow the voice of Satan; If you sin you shall not shurely die?

    Or the voice of God who says: He who sins against me I will blot him out of my book?

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  6. Mark chiming in:

    To anonymous, one rule of literature is always to check the context. Trying to take one scripture as a sole proof text is poor interpretation. That is just as bad as saying George Washington crossed the Delaware in a motor boat.

    To Emily, I always agreeably disagreed with Jed on never sinning. I do side with him that the depth of the relationship with the Lord and life of holiness is sadly shallow.

    To his credit, he does stir up the masses and gets them thinking. Seeds are planted. Jed came to preach at Ohio University in 1980. Members of a local christian choir were also in the crowd sharing their faith. One ended dating me. We did break up, but I did stay in the Methodist churches in the area. The rest is history.

    I get a failing grade for witnessing. When Jed does come within driving distance, I do take time off from work to share my faith on the sidelines.

    Kudos for being out there this week and sharing on line. My prayer is that the campus fellowships would come out in force when Jed or Tom Short come out to preach. In any case, keep up the good work.

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  7. 1John 1:8 states simply, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." People who are oblivious to the fact that they still have sin do not have the Spirit of truth within them. There is no light shining to expose the darkness of their souls.

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  8. What a boast! 40 years without sin! But he didn't boast that lie giving God the glory as instructed by the inspired words from the Apostle Paul, so he sinned. Back to day one on the counter teacher Jo.

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