Albanian Friends coming to Jesus – the Fire He started

 

Shepherd me further into Your heart Lord Jesus until all I desire is You 

“It was a great joy that the the man accepted Jesus. I cried all the way on the way home, the words that Mackenzie writes about the man moved me very much, the man has no children. I know his spiritual pain, and you gave him joy.” 

 

Our host Flori wrote this to us last night after a day where our favorite Albanian man accepted Jesus into his heart. When he did, that unmistakable born-again joy, peace, and awe surrounded him. We could only thank God.

“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples,   ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” – Matthew 9:35-38 

We are living in this reality. 

*this is me getting to share Jesus with girls hearing about His love for the first time

Flori has been faithfully following Jesus and sharing the Gospel basically alone in a nominally Muslim sect town of people. He gives limited supply of Bibles out to those without them, trusting God will provide more. He works a full time job and then runs a children’s church. These children are full of energy. He hugs them in peace, showing them of what the gentleness of our Father looks like.   

 

He has been faithful, obedient, loving. God was honoring that now. What was a barren season is giving birth right now (Isaiah song). 

 

We’ve had the privilege of connecting many in this town to be discipled by him. Pray earnestly for more workers to be sent to this harvest! 

 

*this is an evangelism day, divine appointment after divine appointment. We met a man that day who met Jesus amid his alcoholism and listened to my home church’s worship!

See the hopelessness of people met by openness to other news. We carried the Good News. Their generous hospitality welcomed both us and that News. Peace will stay on their households (Matthew 10:13). Blessed are the feet that preach the Good News (Romans 10:15). 

 

Many in this town have received the Bible like a treasured possession and the words of it as new life. We’ve seen their eyes glued to it. We’ve seen hearts start to change, to soften. 

 

You see, they are not jaded to Grace, not jaded to victory in Christ, not jaded to freely praying whenever/however with intimacy with a Father who knows every part of you. Yet, there are more believers here than statistics would say. We’ve met the lights here who have started entering the Kingdom without making an official conversion. 

 

Fires catch big logs when the fire was first kindled and grew slowly. It started small and grew wider, then it grew hotter, then it caught the big logs. The heat could then be felt from afar. Even the demonic canyons that had long been fortified as strongholds against the Gospel. This fire would make them flee. Sons and daughters awakening would make them flee. 

 

Makenz, as our 17 year old Albanian friend says her name, imagined what this all meant. We walked in the river running through. Our boots carried that water we walked in and then stamped it wherever we touched. 

 

Beautiful territory and souls that had been corrupted and distorted were meant for God. His living water flooded out of the remnant. Only a little bit of leaven was needed to expand the entire batch. 

 

It couldn’t stay the same when the power and authority implanted in our born-again bodies and hearts walked in obedience and faith that could move mountains. 

 

You see, humans didn’t create the chemistry that made natural elements and materials interact to become fire. Humans get to use the systems and materials already in place and build, create fires. For what purpose and outcome would be determined by who your allegiance was to – the devil, yourself, the world, other gods, or Christ (Matthew 12:30).

 

Luke 17 says a disciple should not think themselves worthy of special thanks when they create the fire. 

 

For the Maker gave the ability for fire, made the materials, put them there, showed you how to arrange it, and taught you how to make it. 

 

You were only doing what was your duty as the keeper of the house rented to you.

 

It was cold without the fire, so make a fire with what God gave you – exactly enough and even more.

 

You were chosen and created in Christ for good works (Ephesians 2:10). This is not the works of yourself lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:9). But this is legitimately duty as someone who carries warmth to bring warmth to cold places. Life to barrenness. Hope to hopelessness. Or you can sit in the cold and do nothing with what was given (Matthew 25:14-30)

 

You might get burnt along the way. It may take work to sustain the heat; it may take gathering. But it was absolutely fascinating to watch the fire you got to be a part of making. Fascinating. 

 

None of it was yours, but you were invited in. You were invited in for one reason, one reason only. 

 

Because He loves you. 

He loved bringing warmth to cold places with you. He loved stepping back and watching His children make mistakes and grow and celebrate. He loved when we loved being a part of redemption. He loved watching us watch the fire we made together. He loved how close we’d stay by this fire and the additional radiating warmth we’d receive. He loved us. The point is our Father is with us. Shared company, shared fellowship in the best work of all time – the redemption of all things for His glory. He was the author of redemption and restoration. 

 

Would you be a part of it? Because He wanted you to? He wanted to overflow you with love and purpose and adventure. With Him. With Him. With Him. And For Him.

 

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21

 

Well, you may ask. What inspired this random written piece I just splattered onto a page this morning? I’ll share with you this inspiring day where we could feel the movement and love of God so so near. Read my next blog, coming soon, all about it 🙂

Pray for the people of this town to come to Jesus, many more are close!