Posted on 03/27/2012 2:35:59 PM PDT by destinedforheaven
It's a slow process at times, but often just an invite to go with you to your church can bring surprisingly quick acceptance.
~ attributed to St. Francis Assisi
Money is a good opener if you can get on a "What supports this (dollar bill)?"
I explain the (your) faith that supports this piece of paper is wasted and more than what is needed to trust Christ as Savior.
So what does that mean?
Nail myself to a cross?
1) Love people
2) fast in secret
3) ask God to save people with an earnest heart
4) repeat
After a fast, I remember some people I had loved and prayed for ASKED ME TO LEAD A BIBLE STUDY.
That’s God.
Live a Christian life. Set the example. Let your actions speak for themselves.
Talking to strangers isn’t easy for most of us but the most effective way we have is the method Jesus and his disciples used: They went to homes, stood in the public squares, used opportunities in casual conversation, when brought before the authorities, in short, every chance they had.
They were to be at it as urgently. The only ones I know of doing that today are Jehovah’s Witnesses for the long term and Mormons.
For starters, I am not a fan of modern evangelistic gimmicks.
I do believe sharing the Gospel often requires one to get messy.
But in a nutshell, it all depends on the situation. There is no one size fits all method. Sometimes it is a long, drawn out process. Other times you only have a minute.
We once moved into a neighborhood, and on our first night there my wife and I went outside, maybe at 10:30, and prayed that God would clearly show us which of our neighbors He would save through us.
Two weeks later I was walking to check our community mailbox and a neighbor should “where you going preacher-man? Want a beer?” (All I can think is he saw us going to church one Sunday morning.)
I told him I’d love a beer. He was shocked that a Christian would drink a beer and asked if that wasn’t a sin. I explained that drunkenness was a sin, but reminded him that Jesus turned water into wine. He had never heard of such. Because I didn’t flinch when he offered me a beer, over the next couple of years I was able to unpackage the Gospel, answer many questions, and shortly after we moved away, the family professed faith.
I am convinced many Christians would be too shocked, too put off, to do anything but condemn people in this type of scenario, but I believe we must walk right and and be ambassadors of Jesus’s love.
Never give up, never get frustrated. Tell the truth. If you don’t know an answer, admit it and promise to get back to them.
Trust that is is not you who saves people, but God. We are just the messengers.
Granted my actions MAY get me a hearing, but words have to be used.
So there are no deaf people with faith?
I could not find my mom and finally I saw her in line with a lady holding her hand and the lady was crying. I waited until they were done talking and walked over to my mom and asked who the lady was. She gave me her first name and I asked what happened to her. She said she felt the Holy Spirit tell her to talk to this lady and ask her if she was ok. The lady started crying and telling my mom what was going wrong in her life. When the lady was done my mom told her that God cared about her so much that He sent my mom to her, to let her know God knows what's going on and cares. My mom invited her to church, but I don't know if she came. I seen this happen on several occasions. My dad said he would see her go up to strangers and talk with them several times too. My dad would tease my mom, when they were in a hurry, saying , don't start talking to strangers. My mom was actually a quiet person, but she would always say, if God tells you to do something, you better do it or He's stop speaking to your heart.
Of course not.
But my living a supposedly righteous life in front doesn’t save them either.
Sometimes it's better, and more effective to simply attract rather than to actively promote.
As Joe says:
Be an example
Be a friend. Don’t be afraid to tell a someone you love them, as God loves us all, bad and good.
Remember, ain’t none of us perfect.
Be a servant, for Christ was a servant to us all.
Keep the Faith, even when it gets tough.
My point is, words are ALWAYS necessary.
OK, my bad. Didn’t read far enough. You got me.
Amen, Joe. Meanwhile, I think another poster on here said it well regarding being sensitive to each situation. I’ve shared my faith with many people but in today’s climate, that is getting much harder to do.
And your words will have little to no effect if they are inconsistent with your actions. For example, you can preach to somebody constantly about the importance of honesty. You can pull every verse from the Old and New Testaments regarding lying and dishonesty.
And yet, if in your personal life, you lie, your words mean nothing. The manner in which you live your life directly impacts the weight and credibility you have as an evangelist. In fact, in spite of all the eloquent words, florid apologia and ability to quote chapter and verse, one who comes to be viewed as a hypocrite as the result of his actions will push people away from Christianity.
While the eternal Truths of the Gospel can not be undermined by the actions of men, the actions of men have a direct impact on whether or not others may accept or reject those Truths.
On the other hand, being kind to those people, letting them see how you personally handle adversity, etc., stands a much better chance of planting a seed in their heart that perhaps makes them question their beliefs (or lack thereof), and ultimately leads them to Christ.
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