Keep ministering to those who don’t know Him yet. You never know when something might click!
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations,” Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT).
“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name,” John 15:16 (NLT).
It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord has crafted each of us with such great precision, so uniquely and in His own image. It’s important to remember this when we are interacting with others, especially those whose hearts may appear to be worlds away from our own! I think of our many staff members and volunteers who graciously invite students from all over the world into their lives. International students come from so many different cultures, family dynamics, and backgrounds, and we can never assume what they are thinking, understanding or responding to. One of our ministry friends sent in a testimony about a student named Duke and his unique experience coming to know the Lord. Our friend writes:
“Duke showed some interest in spiritual things, so I spent hours with him discussing the Lord and His claims on his life. We talked about salvation, heaven and hell, right and wrong and forgiveness. Duke always engaged in our conversations with questions and insights. However, as graduation neared, he didn’t seem much closer to making a decision for Christ. When he moved to California after graduation, we said goodbye, feeling sad and never expecting to hear from him again. One day, however, the phone rang and I heard Duke’s voice on the other end. We chatted for a bit before he told me he had opened his heart and accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior! Flustered, I questioned him about how this had come about. He shared with me that after he had moved to California, he met some Christians. In discussing the Lord’s claim on his life, one of them showed him the verse in John 15 that says, ‘You didn’t choose me. I choose you...’ Suddenly, Duke saw everything in a whole new light. It became very important to him to discover if he had been chosen—he really wanted to be! Because of the way this verse explained salvation, Duke asked God to choose him, and he committed his life to Jesus. Since that time, he has been baptized and continues to grow in knowledge and his relationship with His Savior. In spite of our hours and hours of in-depth discussion, Duke didn’t ‘get it’ until he heard it put the way he needed to hear it.”
People might not always “get it” right away when we share with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s important to remember that the Word of God speaks uniquely to people—as we are all crafted by Him to see and respond to things in our own unique ways. I encourage you to keep ministering and praying for those who don’t know Him yet. Include spiritual topics and applications in every possible situation and conversation. You never know when something might click and make it all clear!
“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name,” John 15:16 (NLT).
For More Information
If you are interested in learning more about our ministry, as well as how to minister to international students, please visit our Free Resources page.
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations,” Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT).
“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name,” John 15:16 (NLT).
It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord has crafted each of us with such great precision, so uniquely and in His own image. It’s important to remember this when we are interacting with others, especially those whose hearts may appear to be worlds away from our own! I think of our many staff members and volunteers who graciously invite students from all over the world into their lives. International students come from so many different cultures, family dynamics, and backgrounds, and we can never assume what they are thinking, understanding or responding to. One of our ministry friends sent in a testimony about a student named Duke and his unique experience coming to know the Lord. Our friend writes:
“Duke showed some interest in spiritual things, so I spent hours with him discussing the Lord and His claims on his life. We talked about salvation, heaven and hell, right and wrong and forgiveness. Duke always engaged in our conversations with questions and insights. However, as graduation neared, he didn’t seem much closer to making a decision for Christ. When he moved to California after graduation, we said goodbye, feeling sad and never expecting to hear from him again. One day, however, the phone rang and I heard Duke’s voice on the other end. We chatted for a bit before he told me he had opened his heart and accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior! Flustered, I questioned him about how this had come about. He shared with me that after he had moved to California, he met some Christians. In discussing the Lord’s claim on his life, one of them showed him the verse in John 15 that says, ‘You didn’t choose me. I choose you...’ Suddenly, Duke saw everything in a whole new light. It became very important to him to discover if he had been chosen—he really wanted to be! Because of the way this verse explained salvation, Duke asked God to choose him, and he committed his life to Jesus. Since that time, he has been baptized and continues to grow in knowledge and his relationship with His Savior. In spite of our hours and hours of in-depth discussion, Duke didn’t ‘get it’ until he heard it put the way he needed to hear it.”
People might not always “get it” right away when we share with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s important to remember that the Word of God speaks uniquely to people—as we are all crafted by Him to see and respond to things in our own unique ways. I encourage you to keep ministering and praying for those who don’t know Him yet. Include spiritual topics and applications in every possible situation and conversation. You never know when something might click and make it all clear!
“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name,” John 15:16 (NLT).
For More Information
If you are interested in learning more about our ministry, as well as how to minister to international students, please visit our Free Resources page.
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