TESTIMONIES OF THE SALVATION OF SINNERS

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Published: Tuesday, 20 January 2015 10:30

As I reflect on the last couple of months of evangelistic opportunities, I think of a lady, (in her 40’s), who spoke with me after a recent message. In the message, I had actually challenged the believers in this local church from Psalms 126! I was actually calling on that ‘local body of believers’ to fulfill the reality of verse 6 in our daily lives, “He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” But immediately after the service concluded, two middleaged ladies asked me, if I could speak with them. I noticed that both of them were stirred in their emotions. Of course, I assumed that they were going to ask me to pray for some lost relatives or friends. However, one of the ladies said, “I am a lost sinner! I need the Lord Jesus! I need to be saved! Oh, I am such a wicked sinner! Bro. Ed, I have never read the Bible in my life! I don’t even know how to read the Bible! I grew up in the Catholic Church; but I haven’t even been to church in 20 years! I need the Lord. I need someone to teach me about Jesus, salvation and the Bible!”Dear friends, I thought that I was challenging the disciples on evangelism; but simultaneously, the Holy Spirit was using his Sword to evangelize a sinner!”

Also, I am reflecting on the precious opportunity to preach the “annual 3-day evangelistic outreach” at Industrial Electroplating Company in Gastonia, NC. Mr. Walter Prescott, one of the most “on-fire” laymen which I have ever met, invites me to come annually to the plant to preach Gospel messages to his employees. He pays their salary during the 45 minutes of preaching; and he allows me to go all over the plant and invite the 70 men and women to attend. Each day, I sing a gospel song and preach a conversion message from various texts in the Bible! There was an obvious awareness of the ‘manifest presence of the Holy Spirit’; especially on the 2nd and 3rd day! One of the employees, who has been on my heart and in my prayers for a number of years, spoke to me, after our 2nd service. He said, “I have got to change my life, Bro. Ed”! Upon returning home, Walter e-mailed and told me that some of the men have been asking many good questions, concerning their souls. Oh, what a precious privilege that this mighty man of God gives me every year! Please pray for “fruit that remains” from that series of evangelistic messages!

I am also reminded of a young man, in his 30’s, named Colt! I had the joy of being the “seed sower”, when he recently testified of conversion to the Lord Jesus. I saw him a week later, and he said, “Bro. Ed, my wife is coming with me, to hear you preach on Sunday”! A couple of weeks later, I heard the news, (through some dear brothers), that Colt’s wife is now testifying of being “birth from above”! Another precious testimony comes to mind, of a man in his 40’s, who testified of conversion in the last few months. While I was preaching on “The Parable Of The 4 Soils”, I noticed that he was unusually focused! After the meeting that night, he made his way to me and another brother. He began testifying, “Tonight, while I was listening to you, I believe that I have been born again! I suddenly saw everything clearly, like I never had before! I was raised in the Pentecostal church. I would make an attempt to live the Christian life, for a period of time; but I would always backslide! I could never truly persevere in the faith. I would try for while and appear to be doing well; but eventually, I would fall away again and again! But tonight, God showed me that my former faith in Jesus was a ‘shallow, superficial and artificial faith’! But, I have been truly converted. The scales have come off of my eyes! I can see, Bro. Ed! I can see!”

Recently, I received an e-mail from a dear brother in Christ, that I had the precious joy of seeing converted to the Lord, many years ago! Greg is now a bi-vocational preacher in Georgia! He e-mailed these words of encouragement, - “I just wanted to take a moment to tell you and Mrs. Dianne that I am so grateful for your ministry. In the past month, I have had the privilege of seeing 2 of my “co-workers” trust in the Lord Jesus for the salvation of their souls! One of them just said to me, ‘Greg, I have lived a lie all of my life, until now! I lived in sin and loved sin, until now!’ Also, I wanted to let you know that I will be preaching tomorrow at Mount Olive Baptist Church, as the guest preacher.”

Oh dear brothers and sisters, all of these testimonies are the work of the Holy Spirit; not the work of Ed Lacy. I am only His instrument. And precious friends, we are all His instruments! This is why we are left here in this foreign world. We are “resident aliens”, who are placed here to represent our King of Glory; to declare the word of reconciliation; and to be faithful ministers of reconciliation! So keep on praying; keep on living; keep on planting; and keep on watering! Jesus is still Lord! Jesus is still saving sinners! Our enemy is a defeated foe! God always leads us in triumph in union with our Victorious General! The Holy Spirit is still “gathering up the spoils of our Lord’s mighty victory”! So fix the eyes of your soul on Him! One day you will come rejoicing, bringing your sheaves with you.