FINAL POSTING: Do It--Now!

January 1, 2013 – July 1, 2014

Incredible Journey with Evelyn

I have admired Evelyn my whole life.  She has been my Life Coach when it comes to things of God.  If people were to say to me, “Who is the person who has contributed most to your spiritual growth, the only name that came to me was Evelyn Christenson.

It has been an honor for me to spend the last 18 months reading all of Evelyn’s books for the second time.  (There are two final books that I need to mention.  Two children’s books;  What Happens When Children Pray and My First Journal of Prayer.  They were amazing and I would highly recommend that for any child.)  I have been so blessed. 

I admired Evelyn for many years, and then one day I finally met her.  I was so blessed I wrote this poem to help me to remember how I felt the day that I met Evelyn Christenson for the first time.

                                                         Thank you Evelyn

 

                                                           Years ago we first met,

You did not know my name.

God used you in my life,

And I’ve never been the same.

 

You told me, “Listen for the Lord to speak.”

His will for your life, you must seek,

How your wisdom touched my life, you’ll never really know,

But those who are around me say the changes do show.

 

Prayer has been the basis for all ministries in your life,

You’ve found the secret to have ultimate peace in strife.

What Happens When Women Pray, Lord Change Me, the list goes on and on.

Of ways God has used you, to help others grow strong.

 

Evelyn, thank you for all you’ve meant to me.

I’ve never really known you, but a reflection of Jesus is what I see.

To meet you, to greet you, to learn from you today,

Blesses my heart more than words could ever say.

 

IF YOU HAVE NEVER MADE A DECISION TO INVITE JESUS INTO YOUR HEART AND HAVE THE ASSURANCE THAT YOU WILL BE IN HEAVEN ONE DAY

KEEP READING

 

DO IT--NOW

 

Do It—Now!

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Just telling a person about Jesus (non-confrontational evangelism) can be one of the pre-evangelism activities, but it is not actual evangelism.  No one becomes a real Christian simply by being exposed to other Christians, watching Jesus marches or parades, attending church, studying the Bible, or listening to evangelistic messages.  Don’t leave them dangling.  There must come a point in time when the one without Jesus makes a personal decision as to whether he or she will accept or reject Him. 

I believe on this final post that Evelyn would want God’s plan of salvation to be clearly given.  So if you have never made a decision to invite Jesus into your heart and life, you can do it today, right now.

Keep Reading.

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Your Need

God wants you for His own; but, like everyone else on earth, you have sinned, and that sin separates you from God.

† All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

God’s Provision

God loves you so much He has provided for your sin by sending His Son Jesus to pay for your sins with His blood on the cross.

† God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

God’s favor, undeserved by us, provides your way of salvation.

† In [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace                (Ephesians 1:7).

Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the only way you can get to God:

† No one comes to the Father, but through me.  There is no other name under heaven that has been given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

Your Part

Jesus came to earth preaching, “Repent and believe,” which are the two things you must do to be saved from your sin.  He said:

† The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:15).

After Jesus paid for your sin by being crucified, God raised Him from the dead.  Therefore, accepting Him into your life and confessing the risen Jesus as both Savior and Lord will result in your salvation.

† If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved (Romans 10:9).

Remember that there are no works you can do that will save you.

† By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as the result of works, that no one should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Your Eternal Destiny

Jesus promised that if we believe in Him, we shall have eternal life with Him in heaven.

† For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).

If you accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you can know for sure that you will go to heaven to be with him when you die.

† These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life

(1 John 5:13)

Salvation isn’t a reality until……………..you actually invite Jesus into your heart.

Here is a sample prayer for a person to pray in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

 

Dear Father in heaven,

 

I admit that I am a sinner.

Please forgive all of my sins.

I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He paid for all of my sins with His blood on the cross.

Jesus, I accept You as my Savior and the Lord of my life.

I do believe I now have Jesus living in me, that I am forgiven, and that I now am a Christian.

 

I know that I will go to be with Jesus when I die.

 

Amen.

Prayer for the Soul-Winner

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As we go marching into Satan’s territory praying for and taking Jesus to those he has owned since the Garden of Eden, it is foolish to think Satan won’t retaliate.  And he does.

Since evangelism is rescuing captives from Satan’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13), he will do everything possible to keep unsaved people in that domain of darkness.  In his anger at us, he will hinder, intimidate, frighten, and tempt us in order to keep us from praying for and evangelizing those he still owns—so they will not be able to accept Jesus and be released from his evil domain.

It is Sunday afternoon.  I want to share with you what has been happening in my life. 

For the past 18 months I have been reading all of Evelyn Christenson’s books.  She has been my life mentor.  I have read all of her books once before many years ago, but when I heard that God had called her home to heaven, I knew it was time for me to read them again in honor of Evelyn.

It has been an incredible Journey.  I have learned so much about prayer.  It has been challenging at times, yet I have been so motivated to get out there in my work and try all the things I have learned.

Last week my heart was challenged to bring the Triplet Praying in my community.  Let me tell you what happened today.

It is a sunny day.  We have had so much rain, but the clouds had blown away and turned this day into a beautiful one.  I walked into church.  As I stood there looking around, a man came up to me.  I did not recognize him, but he acted like he knew me.  He said, “Hi Robin, I’m …..  You probably do not remember me, but we prayed together on National Prayer day.  Immediately I remembered him.  Then he proceeded to tell me that he was the head of Adult Ministries and he wondered if I would help them with Prayer in the Church/Community.  I told him that I had spent the last 18 months learning a lot about Prayer through Evelyn’s books.  Then I shared with him about the challenge in my heart for Triplet Praying.  I was so excited inside, but I quietly replied to him, “I’ll pray about it.”

As I walked out of church today I was so excited because God had not opened a door for me in ministry for the past 18 months as I have been going through Evelyn’s Books.  I have one chapter left.  Does God have a door of ministry ready to open for me?  I am not sure, but wherever he leads me he has been preparing me for it.  Please pray with me.

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I personally know the need—and the power –of intercessory prayer for ministry.  Since 1964 I have not even taught a Sunday school class without someone praying for me.  I am profoundly appreciative of those who have prayed for me all these years—and who are still praying for me.  I know the power of a ministry depends on the prayer support it has.  God truly does move in proportion to our praying.

I will not and cannot help with Prayer in our Church or Community without a Prayer Team in place.  I cannot, I cannot.

The past 18 months has been some of the hardest years of my life.     I did not have a prayer team praying for me as I was learning about prayer.  As I look at this now I realize this was a big mistake.  I wanted to have a Prayer Team, but I did not feel like I should ask people to pray for me as I learn about prayer. We live and learn as we go through life. 

Yes, I have learned something huge.  I cannot do anything without prayer support.  I do not know where God is leading me, but I do know I will not go anywhere without a prayer team.  Please pray for God to open the doors he wants me to go through and then raise up a Prayer Team to be the prayer power behind whatever God is doing in our world.

This brings us to the last chapter of Praying God’s Way for next week.  I am a little sad knowing this wonderful time with Evelyn’s books is complete.  I pray that if God wants me to get out there in my world and share all that I have learned, he will have to make it so…. clear to me.

Next week I will be reading the last chapter of the book Praying God’s Way and sharing my thoughts with you.  I will also wrap up my Incredible Journey with Evelyn.  I will be sharing a poem that I have written in honor of Evelyn.

 

Chapter 10: How to Pray for the Lost

Pre-evangelism Praying

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Are you puzzled about why so many Christians are witnessing, going out as missionaries, preaching, and faithfully inviting unbelievers to accept Jesus—yet with such little success?  Do you wonder why, even when people use very scriptural methods, there often are so few results in proportion to the amount of sincere honest effort put forth?

I believe one of the main reasons for this lack of fruit is that we have failed to sufficiently involve God—through prayer—in our soul-winning efforts.  In pre-evangelism praying, we ask the omnipotent God of the universe to reach down and work in people’s lives before we do.  And what a difference such praying makes!

The power of prayer is the key to anything we try and do for God, yet it is so easy to run around trying to do things the way I want them to be done.  I have an evangelistic heart, but often with the busy lifestyle that I live I forget and try and do things in my own strength.  This never works.

The past year and a half, as I have read Evelyn’s books, I have been so challenged to ALWAYS go to God first, and then try to do what God lays on my heart.

Page 169

I believe we waste much effort, time, finances, and Gospel seed if we do not pray sufficiently before we sow the Word to the unsaved.

Page 170

Billy Graham has reached the major part of the world simultaneously through satellite television broadcasts from Costa Rica.  Yet he says the three most important things in his crusades are prayer, prayer, and prayer.

PRAYER

Dictionary Definition

An earnest or humble request, act of praying.

I can know what prayer is, I can believe in it, but unless I take actions and pray, the power of prayer that is available to me is wasted.  I need to make prayer an absolute priority in my life in everything that I do.

Recently I had a friend call me who had been waiting on God for a long time.  She had so many plans for her life, but nothing was happening.  Then one day she decided to put everything else aside and JUST Pray.  Pray, Pray and still more Praying.

The prayer had made such a difference in her life and she said, “Robin, It’s all about prayer.  Stop your busy lifestyles and find time for God and then Pray, Pray and Pray.” 

This is what I want for my life.  I want prayer to be the focal part of every day.  Evelyn under stood what the power of pray does and she practiced it, I want to live my life like Evelyn did. The power of prayer is the key to life.

Dear God,

Forgive me that I do not take the time to pray and do so many things in my own strength.  You are my power source, but I need to take the time to STOP and JUST pray and then JUST LISTEN for you to speak to me.

 

 

Chapter 9: Empowerment for Us, Too

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you… (Acts 1:8a)

Page 149

What did that power include?  Why did Jesus provide His people with other kinds of supernatural empowerment?  Because Jesus knew they would need many different kinds of power for their assignment of evangelizing the whole world.  Then Jesus added that assignment:

You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. 

(Acts 1:8b) 

Page 150

Here are a few of the other kinds of power the disciples of Jesus, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, had when they started evangelizing:

         1.   Power that produced much evangelism fruit

2.       Empowered with boldness

3.       Courage in persecution

4.       Holy Spirit Recalls

5.       Guidance

6.       Power over Satan

7.       Power working in us

He is able to do those great things only according to the power that works in us Christians which is the power of the Holy Spirit.   So, trying to evangelize in our own power instead of letting God work through the power of His Holy Spirit in us, we limit what God is able to do through us.

God’s power is available to anyone who is willing to follow him with obedience in their lives. 

Obedience is so important, but my actions can often hinder God from working through me.  Why, because when I do things that are not pleasing to God, I quench the Holy Spirit from working in my life.

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“Quench” means literally, “to put out a fire.”  When the Holy Spirit desires to burn in us like fire, Christians often quench that fire by substituting human plans, programs, and projects for the Spirit’s divine power, substituting forms of godliness without the activity of the Holy Spirit.

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Unconfessed and thus unforgiven sins grieve the Holy Spirit because they hinder His filling us, working in us, and flowing out of us.  Anxious to produce fruit for Jesus through us, the Holy Spirit longs to fill us with all we need—when we first empty ourselves of all that is grieving and hindering Him.

I wonder how many times I have tried to do something for God without his power.  Oh yes, sin in my life has quenched the Holy Spirit from working through me many times.  I want to be filled with God’s wonderful Holy Spirit.  I think it is time for me to pray.

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Don’t go without power!

O Lord, protect us from ever trying to reach the lost in our human ability.  Fill us—and keep on filling us—with Your precious Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, I will be posting this week on Wednesday.

Dear friend,

Due to situations beyond my control, I was not able to post today.  I will be posting to this blog tomorrow!  Thanks!

Robin

Chapter 8: Don’t Go Without Power

 

Don’t Go Without Power

 

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Be Filled with the Holy Spirit.

“But how,” you ask, “can I be sure I am filled with the Holy Spirit as those early disciples were, equipped for winning souls?”  The Answer—by prayer. 

This filling is not just receiving the Holy Spirit once at salvation, which is true (Acts 2:38), but a continuous being filled.  Ephesians 5:18 commands the Christians to whom Paul was writing to be “filled with the Spirit.”  Because of the actual tense of the verb “be filled,” it is correctly translated “keep on being filled with the Spirit.”

Two Types of prayer—corporate and personal –produce this Holy Spirit filling in preparation for witnessing.

First, there is the scriptural corporate praying of others in the sending out of one who is to ministry (such as Acts 13:1-4).

Evelyn was sent out to minister to the world.

For twenty years, the gathering together of my own board to pray for me just as I leave for an especially huge assignment has been very important and deeply meaningful to me.  This prayer support not only produces a shared partnership in the responsibility and fruit of the task, but releases multiplied power from God in, on, and through me.

I understand first hand how this feels to have people praying for me when I am speaking somewhere.  The more people I have praying the more effective my speaking times seem to be.  I long to have a team of people praying for the Holy Spirit to fill me with his power, as I go out there and share my life story with women of the world.  I long for the Holy Spirit’s power to be released in the hearts of the people who listen.

Personal

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Second, I believe more important, is our personal seeking to be filled.  We must be willing to spend time alone with God in prayer before our witnessing – asking God to cleanse us and then emptying ourselves of our own desire.  Next we must ask God’s Holy Spirit to fill us with Himself so we can be holy and full of Him rather than our own desires. 

Next we must ask God’s Holy Spirit to fill us with Himself so we can be holy and full of Him rather than our own selves.  Then we will be eligible to have all the power the early disciples needed to win their world to Jesus because they, to, were filled by the Holy Spirit working in them.

EVANGELISM IS REACHING WITH JESUS A WORLD STILL IN ITS SIN.  And despite our wonderful modern communication expertise and mountains of printed materials, it still is only the Holy Spirit who can convict people of sin—so that they will repent and turn to Jesus. 

Several years ago I would pray everyday for God to fill me with his Holy Spirit.  I still do this often, but not nearly what I used to do.  Does it make a difference in reaching my world for Jesus?  Yes, it has! 

Why have I forgotten to do this??? TIME!  When I do not put God first in my line of priorities, things begin to slowly change.  It is time for me to, wake up and get back to the basics. 

Thank you dear Evelyn, for reminding me of the priorities in my life.

 

 

 

Chapter 7: God’s Last Kind of Repentance in Revival

God’s Last Kind of Repentance in Revival

 Page 118

 So we see there are three stages in genuine revivals where repentance plays a major role—whether on campuses, in local churches, in communities, or across whole nations.  They are:

 1.     Revivals always have been preceded by one to a few Christians doing the initial deep praying for revival—including repenting of their own sins.

2.     Then the first sign of a revival actually beginning has always been the spread of this kind of praying and repenting to other Christians.

3.     The third kind of repenting in the revival process is God’s reason for sending the first two steps.  It is the unbelievers repenting and believing as they are convicted and come to Jesus in Salvation.

 

Reading this book has filled my heart with a great desire to first of all, look at my own life, praying for God to bring to the surface my sins.   I want a total cleansing of any sin in my life.  I have a burning desire for a fresh beginning in my life. 

NEXT:

Today I met together with a woman to JUST pray for our city.  We prayed that God would send a Revival and maybe that will begin with us as we pray for it. My desire is to have a Repentance Praying! 
Repentance producing revival in our town.

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For years I never told anyone of the praying that preceded our church’s revival—and I’m sure others we didn’t know about were also praying.  But several years later my husband and I were asked to lead a panel discussion in a Colorado church on “What causes revival?”  Stymied as to what to say, I asked my husband what part he thought that praying of the three of us (and perhaps others) had played in producing it.  His immediate response took me by surprise:  “There is not doubt!  It caused our revival.” “Repentance praying!  Repentance producing revival!

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Could God be pulling out all the stops in preparing, rekindling, sending, gathering, reaping the harvest in one huge grand finale to accomplish the completion of the Great Commission—in our generation?  In His way and in His time—cleansing us Christians and gathering vast multitudes to Himself—for His glory!  The choice is up to God—and to us—for “God can us a small vessel, but he will not use a dirty one.”