Testimony - Part 11 — Jackie Pullinger

Moving Beyond Emotional Commitment

Commitment. And I know the Holy Spirit has touched us tonight, but we need to realize that a lot of us have been touched, most of us have been touched really deeply in our emotions. Those emotions will paralyze us, because we cannot sustain our emotions.

So I'm not going to give you any opportunity even for commitment. I'm not going to ask you to come forward, I'm not going to ask you to stand up, I'm not going to ask you to do anything to demonstrate your commitment, because you may not be able to sustain that.

But I suggest that you spend some time with Jesus over the next several days, and when the emotions wear down, you talk to Jesus about what you and Him want to do, and then pursue that. Don't look for people to see you doing it.

Certainly, we'll want to help you. If you don't know how to do it, and you want some help, or you've got some ideas, that's why we're here. We're here to assist, not create. But we're going to be busy doing it too.

Sharing in Jackie's Ministry

And I don't know what it is we're going to do. Let God know. I'm glad you got to see Jackie and Nicole, because I hope those faces stay in your minds, because God has given us this ministry to share in.

We are part of their ministry. And I thank the Lord for that. We're part of several ministries. But this is one really dear to our hearts. You've heard me many times come back and talk about our experiences in the walled city and talk about Jackie and Nicole and all that.

But now you've seen them. And you've heard it. Because they need the prayer. They need the assistance. They need the help from us. So besides doing it here, we're going to be doing it there. And I hope in the future maybe we'll be able to send people over there on a short-term basis to help.

The Snare of Possessions

Spend time with them and minister. Those that got calls to do that. Heavy words about our possessions, isn't it? It's so hard. I can so identify with that rich man who said, Lord, I want to follow you.

What must I do to have eternal life? Jesus ultimately said to him, One thing is what I ask of you to do. Sell everything you have and come and follow me. And he went away sad because he had much. And you and I have much.

It's so hard. But we can hear this message and then go home in our comfortable cars to our air-conditioned homes and sleep in our soft beds and raid the refrigerator before we go to bed. And there's nothing wrong with that.

We shouldn't be condemned with those things. God has blessed us with those things. But they're also a snare. They're a trap. They're chains about us that hold us with a grip that says, Lord, I can't. I just can't.

Beginning to Give in Small Ways

I've got too much. But I encourage you, don't make the big jump. Don't go put your house up in the market and try to move to Hong Kong to minister with Jackie. But begin to do it in little ways. And then God will direct your path.

Worship and Giving to the Poor

God will give you wisdom. God will tell you how far, how much, and how long. Tonight, Steve, come on up. We're just going to sing a couple of songs, Worship the Lord. And we're going to put some buckets up here that you might be able to give of your resources to Jackie and that ministry.

But I want to be careful to say, let's don't look at this to placate God, to get him off our back. But to be a first fruit of what we're going to do. Not to get us off the hook saying, well, I feel better.

I gave her 20 bucks. But to say, Lord, this is just a first fruit of what I want to do in ministry to the poor. This is just a little down payment of what I want to be involved with. And then we'll see where it takes us from there.

So Mark, can you bring up three or four buckets and we'll just put them on the front here. And as we're worshiping during the next couple of songs, just come up by ones and twos as God speaks to you. Tells you how much you have and give it.

And it'll all go to Jackie. If you want to write a check, make it out to the vineyard, and we'll make out one check to their ministry. Okay.