Friday, September 3, 2010

Evangelism Focus 09/03/10

I changed my Friday post name to Evangelism Focus. In these Friday posts, I will share of evangelism encounters, evangelism ideas, and gospel reflections.

This Evangelism Focus evening I'd like to share a reflection. Today, Greg and I spent the evening at the Minnesota State Fair. It's advertised here as the "The Great Minnesota Get Together", and it's quite the event (a very large fair). I've been to this fair nearly every summer since birth. It falls during my birthday, so that is usually how my family celebrated.

I chose to write about this evening because the state fair now serves as a reminder to me of my conversion to Christianity. I have written on this blog before of my experience as a false convert and how God saved me from my sins and regenerated my heart about 6 years ago. Never am I more aware that God saved me and I did nothing to bring about this change than I am when I'm at the state fair.

I used to attend the state fair with great expectations, and I usually left disappointed. I expected it to fill me emotionally. I needed it to be the best day of the year, a memory to last until the next year. I arrived at the fair discontent and I left the fair discontent. Though I called myself a Christian at the time, my hope was not in Christ. My joy and fulfillment were not in Him, and that was magnified for me at events such as these.

When God regenerates a heart, He changes you, and you know it. You know it because you did not bring it about. No work you performed caused it. The work was all on His part. As stated above, never am I more aware of that truth than when I now attend the state fair. I was not aware of my discontentment in those past years. I could not have articulated it. But I am very aware of it now because it has been removed. I notice its absence more than I noticed its presence. It continues to be an evidence (a fruit) in my life of the changing power of the gospel. And to that I say, To God Be The Glory! Amen.

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