Written by Ana Teresa Vivas, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Canada
There is nothing more powerful than a story that penetrates your soul, to clearly receive a message. Right? Jesus knew this and that is why, I think, the gospels and the book of Acts are full of so many stories. Some shorter than others, but all of them powerful.
Yes, I have seen the power of God in the lives of many people. In mine. But today I want to tell you, briefly, just one. We'll call him Peter. He wasn't a fisherman; he was an accountant. He counted the hours to party with girls and have a few drinks. Then, in a sports activity, which he also quite enjoyed, he met an old friend who he told him about Jesus, the Bible, the church. Pedro thought his friend was brainwashed. How can Javier come to me with that crazy idea that he is now "Christian"? We have gone out many times before and we have been with girls, a lot. What's happening here? After questioning Javier, a lot, Pedro decided to agree to visit the church and study the Bible, just to find out what Javier was involved in, hoping it wouldn't be a dangerous sect, the kind that makes young people disappear.
Eventually, Peter met and accepted Jesus into his life. He was baptized for the forgiveness of sins and undertook a life full of changes, with the company of the Holy Spirit. He became passionate about the mission of "fishing" for men: Preach the gospel, grow spiritually. Help others grow. Eyes on Jesus.
Pedro got married and formed a family faithful to God, with his wife and children. That family was spreading and touching the lives of others around them. They were simply serving, loving, and using the Word to deliver the knowledge that gives freedom, the gospel, the good news of salvation. And like a COVID attack, many families were joining the church and enjoying the Christian fellowship and peace that God offers.
One of the things that impressed me about Pedro's transformation was how his eyes went from being fixed on the "things of this world" to filling his eyes with the vision of God. Not only did he stop chasing sin, but he devoted himself to vigorously pursuing the spiritual world.
On one occasion, talking about how crowded public transportation is in the city, he told me: "The worst thing is that I see that subway car, full of people, and all I see are corpses, dead people." That perception was what pushed him to speak to any stranger about the message of salvation.
Seeing cadavers, instead of living people, is not a pleasing mental image. However, if it helps us recognize the urgency that we all have to reconcile ourselves with God, then it is not a bad idea to have that mental image. Afterall, “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Eph. 6:12)
God grants us the privilege of being His ambassadors, "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:" (2 Cor. 5:18). To be a part of His reconciliation team… What a privilege! What an honor!
I don't know about you, but I feel blessed for this sublime mission of being His messenger and ambassador wherever I am. May God fill us with love and fire through His Spirit, so that we continue the work that Jesus began: to spread the Good News.
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