Rafael called this afternoon and asked if they could come to hear a sermon, or if he was still welcome here anymore. I’m not sure why he asked that exactly, but I suspect it’s because he is under conviction. They haven’t been here in about a month, but we have been praying fervently and specifically.
I told them to come then went upstairs to prepare because I had decided to share on the ten plagues of Egypt, but that didn’t feel like what Rafael needed.
I shared from John 3. My focus was on how Nicodemus was an old man, a good man, a religious man, but Jesus told him that he was outside of God’s kingdom and bound for judgment. He had done everything right according to the “church rules,” if you want to think of it that way, but he wasn’t born again. Jesus told him he could not enter heaven.
Nicodemus was shocked. I would have been, too. He had given his whole life to the Law and the Prophets; how could he not be part of God’s kingdom. There is nothing we can do that can get us into heaven outside of asking God to forgive us and to give us a new heart.
Afterward Rafael and Elisabet cried and cried. Rafael went on and on for a long time about how it’s too hard. Elisabet said she’s ready to give her heart to the Lord, but she won’t do it until Rafael does.
Rafael said it’s too hard, and he has too much pain and too many errores and so on. He wants to try to get things cleaned up first.
So I tried giving another sermon on how trying won’t work. 🙃 No, we just discussed more and more how the change from the new birth is complete and transforms every part of life, but that only God can bring about that spiritual change.
I told them that if they’re serious, they have to quedar todo, to let go of everything, including their relationship. They cried some more, which made me cry.
I walked them through what we can pray, how to repent, how to confess their sins fully out loud, how to ask forgiveness, how to ask for new life and the Holy Spirit, and how to follow through with action.
They said they want to do it tonight together at home. I asked them not to wait, but they said they want to be alone.
They left here just a bit ago. Let’s pray fervently that they follow through on their promise to God. They are so close yet so far away. The choice is theirs.
Juan David 