Green Valley Baptist Church, Hoover
In April, I had the privilege of making my second trip to Senegal. As with most Third World countries, it is a country of great contrasts. A few are very rich, while most live in extreme poverty. The beauty of the sun setting into the Atlantic Ocean compared to the starkness of the country’s interior. I am beginning to understand why Africa has held such an allure.
One of the great contrasts lies within faith. The majority are faithful to Islam, with a few dedicated new Christians.
A delightful teenage girl with a mischievous smile captured the attention of us on the trip. Sound like someone you know?
As our missionaries befriended her, she accepted God’s gift of salvation. As our missionaries translated her words, there was no need to translate her smile. The excitement shown more beautifully than the African sunset.
With her newfound faith, she set aside earlier beliefs, which cost her beatings from her family.
To experience the ultimate acceptance from Jesus means rejection from others. She continues to grow and anxiously awaits baptism.
In Senegal, it is illegal for someone her age to be baptized, but an upcoming birthday gives her the go-ahead for baptism.
Perhaps the greatest contrast lies in our own country. Freedom such as we enjoy is indeed a foreign concept compared with so many places in the world where the gospel is scarce.
In a country where the gospel is so prevalent, so many choose not to believe. You have the gift of reading this newspaper filled with accounts of God’s people at work.
The evidence of the joy of salvation calls you into a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. How is this accomplished?
It is the same here as it is for a teenager in Africa. Simply admit your sin, believe that He sent Jesus to die for your sin and confess that He is Lord of your life. Then make your way to a local Southern Baptist church. I am sure it will be ready to guide you in your new relationship with Christ.
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