FRONT PAGE - here you will find the last 20 postings about recent conversations. Please pray for these people!

Not There, Yet

9/16/18             Phillip  (video)              About 25

It can be a breath of fresh air to meet people who are not believers in Jesus but actively seeking after God.  People like Phillip, mid-20’s, who in my opinion is on the right road and headed in the right direction, though he is not there yet.

I was encouraged by my sidewalk conversation with Phillip because, like so many, he says he honestly doesn’t know what to believe about things like God or eternity and the meaning of our existence, and seems to be able to put all options on the table.  But unlike so many, Phillip doesn’t seem content to just shrug his shoulders and give up on his search for truth when he doesn’t find it right away.

Phillip is from a nominal Christian background, but told me he enjoys reading the Bible, even though he doesn’t understand much of it in the spiritual sense.  He has also been attending some Quaker Sunday gatherings, which are known for sitting and waiting for the Holy Spirit to move someone to share with the group. 

He didn’t tell of anything dramatic happening at these meetings, but my real encouragement comes from his willingness to just go invest time there and wait to see what will come of it. He was also very open to talking with me, a church guy reaching out to him on the street, and has frequent conversations with friends about religious and philosophical topics.  How many unbelievers are taking positive steps toward belief, like reading the Bible or attending Christian gatherings or talking about the difficult questions of religion regularly?

I’m encouraged for Phillip because Hebrews 11 says that God “…rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  and in Romans 2 Paul tells us “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” 

From our conversation, I believe Phillip is sincere in his search, that he is indeed seeking “truth” and is open to God and Christianity being included in that truth. 

Yet Paul writes later in Romans 3 that “there is no one who seeks God.”  This seeming contradiction tells me that anyone who does seem to be actively seeking God, or just truth in general, is doing so only with God’s help, so I rejoice that I see God working in Phillip’s life even though he is not a believer.  My hope is in God’s ability to find Phillip, not in Phillip’s efforts or ability to find God, so I rejoice because I believe I see God working in his life.

I believe Phillip is on the right path, and, like he told me, its very possibly that I was there for a reason, if only to walk with him on a short section of his journey.


PS – Phillip graciously allowed me to record our conversation, which can be seen in its entirety HERE

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