Thoughts on Roman 10:1-4

Okay much of what I want to say today is similar to yesterday’s post. I often think though that God keeps giving us the same or similar message so that we will get it. Once again Paul’s heart is going out to his Jewish brothers and sisters. “Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.” Like Paul, I want the longing of my heart and my prayer to God to be for the people of Central Asia to be saved. Paul goes on to tell the readers of this letter that the Jews had great enthusiasm for God but it was a misdirected zeal. In Central Asia, it is much the same way. Many devout Muslims have great enthusiasm for Allah but their zeal is misdirected. “They don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself.” Hopefully the light of believers here in Central Asia will shine brightly and prayers will be answered resulting in the salvation of many.

Here is a quote from the Bible Study I am doing by Donna Jeffries.
” Satan would love nothing more than for us to give up praying for the arrogant, stubborn, and/or rebellious soul. How easy it is to become indifferent , assuming that a certain individual must not be elected. It is not our responsibility to determine who has or has not been elected to salvation. But we are responsible to proclaim the gospel and pray for those who are lost. So we must ask ourselves, in what way have we lost our fervor to persistently plead for the salvation of those who seem hopelessly lost?

A few months ago I had the opportunity to be with two women who have a heart for some women in a nearby village. Many of the women in the village have lost their husbands and desperately need work. They also need a Savior. The two women have helped set up a women’s center that provides sewing and embroidery work for the women. Every week the two women go and minister to these women. They bring gifts and work and most of all each week they bring a bible story. One of the women told me that they realized the fruit of their ministry may be 5 to 10 years from now. Her prayer is for sooner but they are determined to stay the course that God has for them. It was a great testimony to me of being faithful even when no results are evident. They are not determining if a person will be saved or not but are proclaiming the gospel and praying for those who are lost.

Dear God, You want all men and women to be saved. May our heart long for your salvation in those we meet each day. May Your Spirit be at work in Central Asia and may many come to accept your Son Jesus. May we be faithful to our task as those two women are. Draw the women of the village to you and make yourself known. In Your Son’s Name, Amen