No one is too far away to be reached with God’s Word and the love of Jesus Christ. Benjamin was no exception.
He had small children at home, yet cared more about his own pleasures. He often abandoned his wife and family for days while he numbed himself with cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol. When he did return home, it was only to take whatever small amounts of money his wife had earned so he could go on another binge. He knew in his heart he was an evil man, yet he felt trapped in his addictions. But even in the depths of spiritual darkness, total restoration was on the horizon.
Thawing frozen hearts
Friendship evangelism is a powerful and effective one-to-one strategy employed by Bible League International trained workers. In a gentle and non-threatening manner, friends come along side and begin to speak God's truth to troubled and lost souls. It's not a one-time outreach; friends are committed to sharing the love of Christ over the long term. With great patience and persistence, this method of evangelism is thawing frozen hearts.
It was in just this way that a friend told Benjamin that Christ loved him despite his failures. To Benjamin, this was unbelievably healing news. "You mean that even I, as wicked as I am, have a Savior who loves me and died for me? This is what I asked my friend," Benjamin remembered, "and he kept telling me ‘YES'."
Having hope
The next step was to study the Scripture together, and as they did, God's Word penetrated his heart. Over time, God changed Benjamin's way of thinking and behaving. He became willing to halt his substance abuse, and he replaced those negative activities with prayer and Bible study. Soon, Benjamin was a Bible study leader within his community, and a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. He enrolled in evangelism and discipleship training from Bible League International, and today God is using him to mentor 18 young people in Venezuela. No one is without hope, as God's Word never returns void. Praise God for changed lives like Benjamin's!
