107 Coldren Street, Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15904, United States
Pastor's Corner
To Our Dear Belmont Family,
“Just a Stray Cat”
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said to Paul, Almost thou hast persuadest me to be a Christian. Acts 26:27+28
We have a stray cat at the house I’ve named Patches. I think she’s a she but I’m not sure. I can’t get close enough to tell. But I want her to be a she because she’s so cute. As hard as I've tried to get her to get closer to me, I’ve failed. We’ve made progress but I can’t convince her to make the final step. I worry about her. I've got a nice warm place for her to stay at the top of the barn, but once again I can’t convince her that’s where she needs to be. Truth be told, she’s wiggled her way into my heart.
That must have been how Paul felt about King Agrippa. He tried every thing he knew to convince the King to become a Christian. He was close, but he couldn’t convince him to take the final step. Paul had a heart for the lost. That’s the heart we all need to have.
I often think about folks like King Agrippa, almost persuaded to become a Christian, but unwilling to take the final step If you like Paul have a heart for the lost, these are the ones who keep you up at night. I often question myself, should I have done or said something different that would have convinced them to take that final step. My mind knows that’s the Holy Spirit’s job, but my heart aches for the almost persuaded.
Back to Patches, I heard Bishop Greenway say, inside that cute cat is the heart of a man eating lion. Inside all of us is a heart of sin. Only Jesus can change that heart. Like Patches I’ve done all I can. I’ve fed her, watered her, bought her treats, talked nice, but in the end she’ll make up her own mind. But I’m going to keep trying. So should we be with the almost persuaded. Let the Holy Spirit do His job, but keep on praying, hoping, trusting that Jesus can do what only God can do. I was once an almost persuaded that Jesus and a whole bunch of prayer warriors never gave up on .
Keeping the faith,
Pastor Tom and Sherri
