Praying for the lost...

...check out this story: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=71097. It shouldn't amaze me, but it does. I'm amazed when God can take someone like this man and turn him toward Himself. Hamas! Wow! Talk about your transformation...God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good.

I've been tasked by the "Faithbuilders" Adult Bible Fellowship (a.k.a. sunday school) at church to teach a study on the topic of prayer. I have been going through this for 3 weeks and have barely made it through the pattern, the model of prayer that the Lord Himself gave to us, known as the Disciples Prayer...or the Lord's Prayer. This is one amazing outline for prayer and involves so many different things...but I digress.

In researching for teaching on this topic it seems that "praying for the lost" has crossed my path a multitude of times. I cannot escape it. It seems to follow me around like a lost puppy that I stupidly fed. Only this puppy grows exponentially, and follows even more closely. This once cute helpless puppy of a topic has grown. He has grown up to be a dog; a dominant dog. And I no longer walk along my path giving this pup some backward glances of pity...No! We are walking side by side now. We are peers. He has grown, and he speaks English (anyone know of Clifford?)! This pup now convicts me boldly about my inadequate prayer life, and I can no longer look upon this pup with pity, but I look upon this "Clifford" of a pup with fear and trembling. Why? Because this pup strikes to the core in my soul...the lost. The pup is eating me out of house and home and threatens to take the lead in front of me on my walk through the baseball field of life! Here I was, blissfully ignorant of God's plan to save certain people of the world, and I cruised along thanking God for my own salvation and thanking him for my family...then that beast of a pup would speak about other families that needed the saving grace of Christ, and I would cringe. Blissfully ignorant of God's plan? Or willfully ignorant of God's plan? Hmmmm? Methinks I always knew it would come to this. It's like that Indiana Jones movie where he's in the pit and the ground is moving! Yup, "Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?" Indy faces that fear fairly well. And I'm hoping I can face mine as well.

The leash has been attached, and I think this pup may start to pull me inextricably to something that I never imagined could happen to me...evangelism! Yikes! Isn't that supposed to be a "four-letter" word? Am I going to have to "witness?" I wear flip-flops and don't shave for pity sake! I coach baseball and football. I have no tact and can be abrasive. Evangelism? Witnessing? Praying for the lost? Yowsa!

Not only have I come across this topic (or "hapless" pup, if you will) on multiple occasions whilst researching for my Sunday school lessons, but it came to me via my Headmaster not long ago as well. I help out with the Student Leadership Institute at the school, and he sent me a list of topics and schedule for the upcoming year's seminars we would be giving the students. And of course the topic for the year is EVANGELISM!!! Guess what else I saw? That's right...Praying for the Lost was a topic to fill 2 weeks of time. I immediately emailed him and asked if I could do the presentations on those days. I have no idea what to say as of yet, but the way this "Clifford" pup is growing and now starting to walk ahead of me, I can only say that God will provide the information in a way (or ways) that I could never imagine whilst leaning on my own understanding. You know, Clifford is kinda cute...and he does fill up the view when he's in front of you...

And there it is...the pup has grown to full size, and he takes up the full view of my sight...and he leads me on...

Then there's always the spousal conversations between Allison and I. We have spoken on multiple occasions about this very topic. The lost. Lost. What does that mean to be lost? It means you have a place to which you belong, but you are not there. It not only means that you are not there, but it means you have no means of getting yourself there! Lost. A destination that is known, and longed for, but unattainable by your own means. If we could attain that destination via our own strength and intelligence, then we wouldn't really be lost then would we? We would simply be detained momentarily, or briefly off the trail, but could get ourselves to that place of belonging on our own. No, no, lost implies the utter hopelessness of achieving that location that is ours via ourselves. Hmmmm. So if that's the case, then how do we get un-lost?

Becoming un-lost requires someone finding us and bringing us to where we belong because we do not know the way. It involves putting our faith in someone else to lead us to the place to which we belong. We know it when we get there and are greeted warmly by friends and loved ones, but we know not the way. We cannot save ourselves either. Jesus, the Shepherd, searches us out and brings us into the fold. We are stupid sheep. Sheep that wander aimlessly for "home," but know not the way. Sheep that ask passing wolves for directions to our homes. Sheep that follow wolves giving "advice" and "leadership" to where the Shepherd is. Yes, only a sheep would ask a wolf where the Shepherd is. And we do the same things don't we? Or at least we did...when we were lost (at this point you can insert here_____________any of a number of "searching" examples you experienced while still lost).

The lost are quickly starting to play a special role in my life. The lost are those chosen by God, but who have not yet themselves called upon the name of God. Strange dichotomy, I know, and believe me I don't think I understand the half of it! But it is the lost that God pines for. Why? Because is it the lost that belong to Him (Yes, there are those that do not believe in Jesus Christ and at the same time are not lost ones...but that just might be a topic for another day).

And the lost must believe in Jesus Christ, that He is Creator God, and that He became human and made His dwelling place among us, and that He lived and taught amongst the people, and that He was sinless but had all of our sins imputed to Him, and that since He was now replete with sins was slain as the propitiation sacrifice resolving us of our sins, and that He died and was buried, and that God raised Him from the dead in power and sat him at the right hand of the Father God Almighty...And these lost ones must call on the name of God almighty for salvation!

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"(Romans 10:14-15).

Oh, that God might make my feet beautiful, that I might bring the good news, the Gospel, to the lost that He longs for so. And if not I, then grace the lips and tongues of others such that the lost can be found, and the lame be made well. Let it be soon that you gather all of your sheep to yourself. Annoint the lips and tongues and minds and hearts and souls of saints to bring the Word of Truth to all creatures so your ultimate will may be done, Father. Send out your saints you have called to preach to the world. Thank you for giving us faith. Thank you for pouring out your grace through that faith. Thank you for calling and sending out preachers to fulfill your will to gather up the lost that you love. Praise be to you who created all things, and through whom all things subsist. Glory, and honor, and power are yours. Amen!