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There were so many amazing things that happened at Camp meeting. Just like every other camp meeting lives were touched and people had a real experience with the presence of God. Those who are out in the field came and got a fresh touch from God. There was something different about this time however. It seems like the group as a whole was, for lack of a better word, ignited. Seeing as this was the name of our conference this week it shouldn’t be so surprising, but every person, which then filters into every group of people was given a new hunger to see the power of God working in what they have set their hands to. Things are already changing. It’s time to go to the next level in every area of the ministry.

Even just with the areas that I’m the most involved in: children, youth, and worship things cannot stay the same anymore. Worship with the youth band has to go up. There has to be more excellence and ushering in the presence of God. We can’t just settle for things to be “good enough” anymore. With the children, every child but be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. They have to be taught that they need to have the POWER of the Holy Spirit on the inside of them. The youth are hungry to see the gifts of the spirit working in and through them. They want to be an effective witness. They want to walk in undeniable results.

The plans that are being set in place for Vacation Bible School and Encounter 2010 are huge. We can’t just keep having conferences and programs for our young people that get them excited for a week or even a month and then as they are out in the world the fire dies out. There can be no more cycles. This fire has to stay lit until we see Him

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

Soul winning for the majority of the church is a taboo subject and so until I came to the River it was just an idea or something that was not done by the members of the congregation but a responsibility of the Pastor. It was talked about yes and even tried but bringing people to a place of decision that seemed to be more of a myth than a reality.

I came to the Tampa in 2004 and my life changed forever upon attending The River Bible Institute. I learned such subjects as “The Anointing”, “Person of the Holy Spirit”, “Signs & Wonders” and “Soul Winning”. Not only did I take this class called soul winning but I was then required to walk out what I was taught. “And He said to them, Go into the entire world and preach and publish openly the good news the Gospel to every creature of the whole human race. Mark 16:15 (AMP).

I quickly learned that it wasn’t about me, but it was about the power of the word of God and the gospel being preached. Romans 1:16 (AMP) For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God’s power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, It wasn’t about the numbers or how many said yes although that is important but it was about being obedient to the word of God.

Through this obedience and faith in tool God provided in order to get the job done; ‘the script’ many lives have been touched and changed by power of the gospel. Acts 1:8 (AMP) But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

Soul winning has defiantly made an impact on my life through the Lord is showing stamina, a heart for his people and a deeper dedication to him. That’s not the way it started though; in the beginning of the year when I realized we were required to go out and witness to people once a week and in the beginning of the year I was required to win 100 souls in order to get an A in soul winning class. That really got under my skin, but little did I know that my flesh was burning and that God was doing a burning and purifying in my heart and He started on day one.

Although the soul winning thing really got under my skin I still felt that I had to obey even though everything is me was shouting; “ No I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to talk to random people and have them reject me or my Jesus; maybe they deserve what they get!”. What I didn’t realize is that they weren’t rejecting me they were rejecting Jesus and that my heart needed some serious work. I had the keys to joy, happiness, peace and power through Jesus name, all living in me.

In me I carried the cure to depression, sicknesses, finances, the anointing and the presence of God all was inside of me because Christ lived in me. And as we would go out to minister to the community I would pray “Lord please break my heart for you people!” I so badly wanted to love God’s people the way he did, to have compassion and mercy on them. I began to press in for people and press through my thoughts and began to witness to people from my heart being lead of the Spirit, because the Bible says that those that are lead by the Spirit of God are the sons of God and I knew that there was nothing that I could say on my own that was make them believe they needed a savior because it the goodness of God that leads men to salvation.

So each person I would encounter I would let the Holy Spirit tell me what to say and how to minister to their needs and how to just make them feel loved. By just loving the people I began to see their walls began to break; the power of God unfailing love was plowing through their hearts, and he was using me as a vessel to pure that love out and lead them to salvation. God has been good to me in and has been opening my eyes to see his people the way he does. To see how lost they are without him, and how I have the key to their broken heartedness living in me. That’s how soul winning has affected me and it will affect and completely change you, if you let it.

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

Soul winning has been such a rewarding experience. Not only do you get to minister to others but you get ministered to. It truly is a win-win situation. They get blessed, you get blessed, and most importantly, you add to the Kingdom of God. We are in this to plunder hell and populate Heaven! You realize how many people have never heard the question, “do you know that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life?” It still surprises me to this day the amount of people that do not know this.

Prior to coming to The River Bible Institute, I was soul winning. However, it was not a passion, it was a program. It did not become a passion for me until I consistently went soul winning. There was a boldness that came over me that I did not know existed. When I speak to someone, I remember what it felt like to not know Jesus intimately. It was the most lonely and sad time of my life.

I have seen people weep under the presence of God, healed, and delivered. We may be the only Jesus that people see. People are out there dying and for us to keep our mouth shut is selfish. It is selfish because we do not live for ourselves but for others. Others must see the love of God in us by showing the love of God.

The most memorable experience I had was when I went through the gospel soul winning script with a young lady. After she said the prayer, the Lord told me to tell her how much He loved her. I kept telling her until tears came streaming down her face. She told me that she had just asked the Lord to send an angel to tell her about His love for her. Your obedience always affects someone else, so please get out and win souls.

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

When I first got to RSW in August 2009 I got introduced to soul winning. It was a concept that I had never heard of before and at first it really scared me. I got really nervous thinking about it and I felt like I didn’t know how to present the gospel to the people on the streets and I was afraid of getting rejected.

The first time I went soul winning I prayed to God before I knocked on the door that no one would answer so that I could just walk away. Later I got to one door and a girl opened it. I took the courage to follow the script with her and I led her to the Lord. It wasn’t hard for me to do this, it only pushed me out of my comfort zone. But this girl was crying out of gratitude and she told me how this really was a life changing decision for her and how before I came to her door she really didn’t see any light in her life. But this now gave her hope and something to live for when everything else seemed impossible.

This soul winning experience broke my heart. This finally made me realize what a great hunger and need people have for God and what a great commission we have to fulfill. I walked away crying and I felt how the need for people rose in my heart. That I have the matter of life and death in my hands, it’s in my hands if some people are going to spend their eternity in heaven.

The Lord did a great work in my heart that day that changed my life, now I live to share the greatest thing in my life with others, my relationship with Jesus Christ. I have now realized the importance of soul winning and realizing how soul winning changed my life and my relationship with God. I want to live as a soul winner and when I get to heaven I want to hear God say ”Well done, good and faithful servant”. (Matt 25:21)

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

I have always been a naturally shy person and when it came to soul winning I was so concerned at first that I would not do a good job. It was never really a matter of caring about what anyone thought of me it was just that barrier of approaching someone I don’t know. Now, as I look back on this past school year I see how far I’ve come. There is still that slight reserve in me but once I get started I really get started. It’s amazing how now when I drive I actually look at the people I’m passing and wonder if they have a relationship with Christ or not.

It’s now an increasing concern of mine and a growing passion. I’ve seen more miracles on the street then I’ve seen my entire life. My greatest passion is seeing the young children be filled with the Holy Spirit. They are just so innocent and receptive to His power. They have this hunger to know more and to take all that Christ has for them. I remember one time I was praying for three kids all under the age of 6 and they were so touched by the presence of God that they kept inviting their friends to come see me.

They called over everyone they knew and told them about Jesus. It was the sweetest experience and it’s one that I will never forget. Just to see the faces of these children before and after they give their hearts to Jesus is an amazing sight to see. Their eyes light up and they get this uncontrollable smile that I bet they don’t even know that have. I’m so grateful to Pastor Rodney for instilling this passion for souls and even more now this passion to see this next generation on fire for Christ.

Around midday, He came to a well in a city named Sychar.

Exhausted and hot, Jesus sat down by that well. Seeing that she was drawing water, He asked her if she would give Him a drink. This happened in an area known as Samaria—a area where Jews barely went. She was startled that He would even talk to her. This led to a dialogue that was so heavy, John recorded it in the 4th gospel account, the one that bears his name—John 4:1-30. Bother to read these verses slowly and solemnly. His words to her, especially those in verses ten and 13-14.

Her words to Him, as she attempts to understand who he is. Her words to others, as she later tells them about Him. Ultimately , bother to respond to these 2 questions:. What did Jesus mean when He said to the lady, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again ; but whoever drinks of the water that I’ll give him shall never thirst”? What are the diversities between the sort of water we drink and the sort of water Jesus gives? As necessary as water is to our contentment, it doesn’t permanently slake our thirst. We’ll always need and want more—a lot more.

But the water Jesus offers not only brings momentary satisfaction, it brings satisfaction forever. Perhaps it’s time for you to claim to Jesus what he announced to that lady : give me a drink.

Well-meaning oldsters, grandparents, teachers and clergyas well as college and govt systemsoften become enablers by softening or getting shot of the natural results of their kid’s, student’s or constituent’s behaviour. In yesterday’s attention, we debated the boy, whose substance issue finished in crisis. That whole process and the ensuing crisis influenced many lives. The boy developed a serious substance issue by the point he was fifteen.

    His parents, rather than drawing limits and looking for much wanted help for their boy, targeted on safeguarding him from the natural results of his evil-doing. When the high-school principal presented proof that he was selling marijuana, his mum and dad hit out at the high school and threatened a legal action.

    In one year’s time, he was detained 5 times for driving under the influence of alcohol. Every time, his mum and dad bailed him out of jail, giving him “one more chance.” Their other children were neglected.

    Their sort of “helping” had only continued his behaviour and had turned into agony for the whole family.

    If somebody you love is wrestling with a life-controlling problem, you can help by setting limits, by employing troublesome love. And trust God to help you thru the maze. Father, teach me to set limits for my loved one and to reply to wrong behaviors with troublesome loveand please give me the power to follow thru.

Is the one you love battling with a life-controlling problem? Are you helping him ( or her ) overcome or are you becoming part of the problem? Enabling is anything that stands in the way of the natural effects of someone’s behaviour.

    A nice example would be oldsters trying frequently to help their child with his drug abuse. At age twelve, the child started drinking at a pal’s house on the weekend and was reliant upon drugs by age fifteen. His drug taking led to his murdering a particularly close family mate and serving a lengthy jail sentence. During his teen years, they attempted to help him by bailing him out every time he got into difficulty, instead of letting him to suffer the results of his behaviour.

    By making an attempt to help, the oldsters became part of the issue. They enabled to keep on a downward spiral till his behaviour finished in tragedy. Is someone you care about wrestling with a life-controlling problem? It is natural to need to protect those we care about, but safeguarding them from the natural results of their evildoing only enables them to resume on the same trail. Ask God to offer you the wisdom and the strength to say “no.” to hope and love and support but not enable.

    I would like to help the one I care about so much. And I’m beginning to realize more that I do more harm than help by rescuing him from the effects of his behaviour.    Is the one you love battling with a life-controlling problem? Are you helping him ( or her ) overcome or are you becoming part of the problem? Enabling is anything that stands in the way of the natural effects of someone’s behaviour.