A Stone Cold Heart
By
Wanda Payne

I want to share something that has burdened my heart and caused me much grief and despair.  My burden stems from what I call a Stone Cold Heart.  It is a heart that has become indifferent and unconcerned about whether people are born-again or lost and on their way to hell.

I believe some people couldn't care less if their neighbors, friends, or even family members have received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior; much less strangers.  It seems we are more concerned about our next meal, dollar, or "prize" than about a soul burning in hell for eternity.  We have gotten into such a habit of looking the others way that we don't even realize that we have become cold hearted.

When was the last time we got on our knees and wept bitterly for someone we know has not accepted Jesus yet?  When was the last time we went to the altar and prayed with all our heart and soul for someone to be saved?  Are we afraid of what others will think?  We could even be afraid they will think we are there praying for something bad we did and need forgiveness for; and Lord knows how some tongues love to gossip under the pretense of prayer requests!  Please don't let our concern for what others might think keep us from praying for lost souls!  One thing I have learned from years on this earth is that  we have to answer to God; not people, which is hard if you have always been a people pleaser like I have most of my life.  I am learning to let God deal with tongue wagging gossips because it is not my job to do. My job is to pray, care, share, and allow Jesus to work through me by His precious Holy Spirit.

"God help us, and have mercy on our souls!  Please melt away the icebergs we call hearts; and start a fire within us to be burdened for lost people!  Let your Holy Spirit burn in us and weigh us down with a desire to touch lives on your behalf!  Let us become Prayer Warriors for everyone we know and the ones in this world no one has to pray for them!  Let us come boldly before your throne on their behalf and ask for your redeeming power to convict them to become born again so that they may know you personally!  Lord burden us to go and witness to the world like you commanded us to do in your Word and don't ease up on us until we do!  God you used others to lead me to you and I thank you for loving me enough to do that; now use me to lead people to you!  Touch everyone who reads this with love and compassion; and a burning desire to tell everyone they meet how you saved them and changed their life forever! In Jesus' name Amen!"

Let us go and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone God leads us to.  He doesn't call everyone to go to a foreign country to be missionaries though he has many who do; but he does call us to share in  our own "World" where there are lost and hurting people.  Our "World" is our everyday life; work, school, grocery store, etc.  God had me witness to someone in a fabric department at a local store once and we started a Bible Study class and remained friends for years.
 
You don't have to be scared when God leads you to share his truth because he has already gone ahead to prepare the hearts of those he is leading you to.  Share Jesus; share the love he had for them when he went to Calvary, and the blood he shed on the cross to cover their sins and pay the price for each and every one of them.  Tell how much he loves them and wants to spend eternity with them when their life on earth is over. Tell how he loves them just the way they are; but loves them too much to leave them that way. Some want to clean up their act before they come to the Lord; but God is the one who does the cleaning and changing when they accept him as their Lord and Savior.

Salvation is a Gift from God.  It is a free Gift for us because Jesus paid the price on the Cross at Calvary.  Make sure they don't confuse free gift  with cheap gift; because there was a great price for salvation!  The price was the horrific, painful death of God's very own son Jesus Christ; yet he charges us nothing because of his great mercy, grace, and love!

God is awesome; he is wonderful and so very great, so share how great and loving he is!  Don't mislead them into thinking everything will be perfect when they become a Christian because it won't; but let them know the Perfect One will be with them and will lead them through all they go through.
 
Yes, tell them the truth about trials and tribulations that will most definitely come their way; but tell them to count it all joy, because you can't turn into gold without going through the fire!  You have to allow the impurities to melt away so assure them when they do go through the fire God will be with them and He will never, ever leave them alone!
I'm praying for God to melt away my stone cold heart with a touch of his warm loving hands; and I hope you will pray with me too!  God bless and keep you always.