Enjoying God and Other Rare Events - Steve Sampson

8
Provoked and Staying
8
Provoked
T
“Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and
to good works”
Hebrews 10:24.
he plane had leveled off at 35,000 feet on the flight from
Houston to St. Louis. I welcomed the opportunity to study
for the next ninety minutes. Lifting my Bible from my briefcase,
I almost anticipated the next words. “Are you a minister?” the
man next to me questioned. When I affirmed that I was, he
immediately wanted to talk about his beliefs. Although I sensed
his heart was not open, I let him talk for awhile. But the more he
talked I realized how unscriptural and ridiculous his beliefs
were. Having a very religious background, he twisted the
simplest of scriptures into what I had to call a hopeless angle of
the gospel. The more scriptures I quoted in an attempt to refute
his way of thinking, the more he contorted them to fit his
particular religious philosophy.
Nothing was accomplished during our conversation as far as
I could see, but something wonderful happened in me. God has
used this stranger to provoke me! I got off the plane in St. Louis
with a new fire in my spirit. I was provoked to search the Bible
more and to pray for those deceived by religious and seducing
spirits.
The Bible plainly says that we are to have answers to give
those in darkness. “Let your speech always be with grace,
seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to
answer each one” Colossians 4:6 (also 2 Timothy 2:24-26 and
1 Peter 3:15).
God is provoking His people from a state of complacency to
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