The pastor noticed a middle...
Illustration
The pastor noticed a middle-aged man kneeling near the altar following his first Sunday
at a new church. People coming through the welcoming line told him that he should
speak with Ray who obviously was broken up about something.
After everyone had left, the pastor asked if there was anything he could do to help. Ray stated that he knew that God did not love him. He then shared the burden he had carried his entire life: how his mother was not married when he was born nearly fifty years ago; how the children at school called him names; and how he always felt that he did not belong in church. He felt people looked down on him because of the circumstance of his birth.
Over the next several months, Ray would meet with the pastor on a regular basis. The pastor kept telling him that God loved him and that he was a beloved child of God. Further, he explained that when Jesus died upon the cross he took with him all the sins of the world. Ray's transformation was gradual, one step at a time. People who knew Ray for a long time began to notice a change in his attitude. When he spoke with others, he looked them in the eye instead of looking down at the ground. He no longer felt ashamed. Ray would tell you how Jesus had changed his life and how he believed. The pastor attributed Ray's change to the power of the Holy Spirit in his life.
After everyone had left, the pastor asked if there was anything he could do to help. Ray stated that he knew that God did not love him. He then shared the burden he had carried his entire life: how his mother was not married when he was born nearly fifty years ago; how the children at school called him names; and how he always felt that he did not belong in church. He felt people looked down on him because of the circumstance of his birth.
Over the next several months, Ray would meet with the pastor on a regular basis. The pastor kept telling him that God loved him and that he was a beloved child of God. Further, he explained that when Jesus died upon the cross he took with him all the sins of the world. Ray's transformation was gradual, one step at a time. People who knew Ray for a long time began to notice a change in his attitude. When he spoke with others, he looked them in the eye instead of looking down at the ground. He no longer felt ashamed. Ray would tell you how Jesus had changed his life and how he believed. The pastor attributed Ray's change to the power of the Holy Spirit in his life.
