Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.
This year in the River Bible School we have come to see the fruition of everyone’s efforts in soul winning in Tampa. All last year we went continually, week by week, to several communities to share the gospel with the people, love on them, and encourage them to become a part of the body of Christ.
As this school began in September I noticed that I would run into many people in these communities that I was seeing on Sunday’s at the River church! People would open their doors and greet me with “Oh I know you, you’re from the River; God bless you!” It went from finding many unsaved people in the communities the year before to now being able to barely find any at all who hadn’t heard and accepted the gospel message of salvation! Praise the Lord! The communities are visibly affected now as well.
There is joy and love evident everywhere and people are connecting to neighbors so much more now through the amazing bus ministry we have here at the River which picks up all the church goers for our “Main Event” service on Sunday mornings. I have been so blessed to see all of my seed come to growth in these people. Seeing people I have witnessed to last year now coming to church is something I cannot even describe in words! I can only liken what I am witnessing every week in the Tampa communities I visit to the parable of the sower who had an amazing harvest of fruit after sowing out the seed of the gospel of Christ.
The word of God truly changes people, families, and even communities all together. It is such a pleasure to go out now to these communities and share insight from the word of God, encourage and build up the believers, and pray for whatever needs they have it is daily ministry.
Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.
During a super soul winning Saturday a friend from school and I teamed up and went door to door in some apartments off of Fowler. The first door we came to was a woman sitting outside with her kids. I began to read the script and asked her to say a prayer after me. As soon as she said the part “I’m forgiven” she began to cry. She said that God was touching her and she believed what she said.
Right after that we went up to the next flight of stairs and we came to this woman’s house who said she was already saved but wanted to get baptized in the Holy Spirit. I began to tell her how important it was to have the Holy Spirit and I was telling her my friend would find a scripture in the Bible that confirmed what I had just said. She then repeated a prayer after us and asked the Holy Spirit into her heart. She said as soon as she said the prayer she felt like all the burdens were off her shoulder and that she didn’t feel pain or hurt anymore. We began to explain to her they were not our words, but His and that the Holy Spirit will keep her safe and guide her.
That day was such a great harvest. Our group saw many miracles that day including a blind woman seeing and kids putting their drugs down to give their hearts to the Lord.
Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.
Soul wining changed my life. I was a Christian but I never had told anyone about Jesus other than to say that I had Jesus in my heart and knew of him. Not to tell them that He was the savior of their life. Nor to tell them all that He did for them. My walk with Jesus was all about me and what was going to happen to me at the end of my life. Coming here to the River Bible Institute and learning how to go soul wining changed all of that. It made me see that there is more to life than me. That when I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior that I also accepted the responsibility of Mark 16:15-17. And just as much as soul wining is about giving people the chance to have a real relationship with Jesus, it’s about getting them healed, set free and delivered.
After being here for two years now I look back at when I first went out soul wining, where I was full of the Holy Spirit and scared out of my mind. How could I just walk up to a stranger and tell him that God loved him and had wonderful plan for his life? Surely they would look at me like I was crazy, but they didn’t I still didn’t even believe while it was happening. I was so shocked that it worked; that I just had to try it again and again it worked. To the point now that I have led over 2,000 people to the Lord, with the help of the Holy Spirit. I have a boldness to do what the Lord has called me to do no matter what it looks or feels like. He paid the ultimate price for me and for you how can we not go out and win souls. If His love has been shed abroad in hearts Romans 5:5 then we can’t help it. His love for us compels us to tell others about His love for them.
Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.
Soul winning is a life changing encounter. It not only changes your life because you are giving but it also changes many others who you give to. It is an action that is not about you. It is sharing the Gospel, and sharing the Life which is the Word of God. I really enjoy outreach and going to locations where we invite people to ride on the bus after we share the Gospel.
I also enjoyed going on the Great Awakening Tour where all day we would do nothing but share the Gospel. It is awesome to know an amazingly good God and be able to share Him with others who are crying out for His love everyday. People want to be loved. They want to be fulfilled and we have that Life inside of us that meets every single need. I love sharing the Gospel and seeing their countenance change. I have met so many people who were so thankful I spoke to them. There were some who cried because the love of God became real to them in their hearts.
God has healed people through the speaking of His Word. I met this lady in Montana living in some apartments. She said she had been in depression and I was an answer to her prayer. She recommitted her entire life back to God and then had to sit down after praying. She told me she had pain in her knees and so I prayed a simple prayer and prayed Is. 53:5. After I said “amen”, she jumped up and gave me a huge hug.
There was no more pain and she was crying with joy touched by Jesus. God touched her life. But all I had to do was obey and do what He has asked us all to do.
Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.
Our Mission and focus in life as believers is to win souls and see people enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Bible Says in Proverbs, he who wins souls is wise. The River at Tampa Bay Church has been out on the streets being wise! To see people who have never even heard the name of Jesus, be presented with the very hope that will rock their worlds, is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding things in life.
The Bible also says, in Matthew 28 that we are to make disciples. One definition of disciple is to be a follower. It is so important to share the Good News, but also important to see them become disciples and to continue to follow Jesus. Salvation is more than just a prayer to pray. It is so cool to see the ones who have been changed and are being disciple going forth winning people to Jesus and raising up disciples as well. It has definitely made me look at people differently. People that I walk by, and come in contact with everyday are not just bodies.
They are souls who need the same hope and life that I have received. It would be selfish and stupid for me to keep it to myself. I had to realize that, yes, Jesus died for me, but He also died for everyone else as well. I question salvation if you don’t have a heart to see the kingdom of God populate every minute of the day, and every day of the year. It can be frightening, but the reward over powers fears. Your life and way of thinking will never be the same after encountering the love of Jesus flooding and unbeliever’s heart for the very first time. It’s MORE than worth it.