God moment

Maybe some of you heard my 25 seconds at Remembrance Church this morning via skype. I was asked to share a God moment and I have to just give credit to God for how He works. Here is a little background. It seems like no matter how often I tell village churches that I’m not a pastor, that I don’t preach, that I am not prepared, that they still ask me to share a message every week. They wait until about an hour in (during the first third of the service) then call the “mazungo” (white foreigner) up front and ask for a sermon. They say “You just bring us a word.” And it seems like every week God has to remind me again how no matter inadequate and unprepared I am that He is able. All I have to do is be available.  Then He amazes me with what He speaks through me. This morning was the same. I had told Pastor Emedo yesterday that I wasn’t preparing to speak and wasn’t going to. But then this morning, just moments before the sermon is to start, he introduces a guest speaker. I looked around trying to figure out who it was. “Oh, it’s me.” I even got a little angry and from my seat in the congregation said “no.” But he said, “You come. They need to hear a word.” So instead of arguing more and making a scene I just got up. And then God gave me everything. Tell them how I am their bridegroom. Tell them how much I love them. Tell them that it doesn’t matter that they have prostituted themselves with other things. Tell them that I will redeem them.  I shared from Hosea and talked about how redemption saves us from the punishement that we deserve. Then we had a time of confession that was Holy Spirit driven. It was all completely a God thing. I had gone with a bad attitude and was unprepared, but God somehow used the little that I had to offer.  After the service, two different women told me of how they had never heard of God as their bridegroom before. Even the pastor asked me to show him those verses. And I need to thank God that even though I've had no bible training, that 27 years of growing up in a faithful, God focused church has given me more quality education than the majority of pastors here. I'll try harder to be a more willing servant in the future. Thank you Lord for using me.