Good Soil

     For the last couple of weeks, the parable of the soils has really been on my mind.  In the last few days the Lord has started revealing why.   Ministry in Italy is slow going.  Everything is slow in Italy (aside from the crazy drivers), so that shouldn't be a surprise.  Many lies have been sown into the lives of my friends here, so every time the Lord brings an opportunity for a spiritual conversation a great majority of it is correcting false teachings against the Word of God.  One example is how a friend told me she used to pray when she was little, then when she asked the priest about it he said she wasn't allowed to talk to God..that God was too busy to concern Himself with her life.  He told her if she wanted to ask God for something, she needed to go through him (the priest)...heartbreaking, and a direct contradiction to Hebrews 4:14-16.  Things like that contribute to the widening gap between Italians and the Lord, yet one I see that Jesus desires to fill.
    Monday was a fantastic day, because Silvia (my friend and language partner) and I had our first spiritual conversation!  She told me her background of faith/no faith, and how she's at a point in her life where she wants to decide what she believes for real.  The Spirit completely guided our conversation, and I was so thankful that our friendship has grown to a point where she trusts me to talk through such matters.  We're actually going to start reading the book of Matthew together, which makes me so excited.  After we made that plan she said, "maybe this will show me what I'm looking for," to which all I could think was "ohhhh yes, you have no idea!"  Please be praying for her in this time, that the Lord makes Himself known to her in a clear way.  For me also, that He gives me the wisdom I'll need to answer her questions and guide her through learning about Jesus.
    Between Monday's conversation and Taylor sharing at house church last week how she's been praying that our friend Marco will be good soil, I know the Lord's given me this story for a reason.  Now I know of three friends who are either directly or indirectly seeking God and coming to us for help, and now it is so important to pray pray pray that Silvia, Marco, and Manuela are good soil.  They're on the brink, in that I know God is bringing them to Himself in ways they can't even see yet, so please join me in prayer that the enemy will not take away the word, that the seeds of truth will take root, and that my friends are not choked by distractions or lies.  We want good soil, Jesus!

"As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience."

-Luke 8:15

"Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

-Hebrews 7:25

     How powerful is that verse? So powerful that God gave it to in our time together the morning after I met with Silvia, when I was thinking of and praying for her.  Let's claim it as His promise!