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rl69
05-29-2017, 07:06 AM
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

—Romans 10:14

A while back, I was speaking with an interviewer about my book Lost Boy. He said, “You seem to be very natural when you speak. It must come easily to you.”

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” I told him. “Before I was a Christian, I wasn’t a public speaker.”

When I was in school, I remember a time in class when we all were required to give an impromptu, five-minute speech in front of the other students. I had been assigned a statement from the Revolutionary War: “Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes.” I hadn’t read the assignment, so I had no idea what that statement was about. I stood up in front of the class, frozen in fear. My mouth went dry, and my mind went blank. And I got an F on that assignment.

I was not a public speaker back then. But after I came to faith in Jesus Christ, I realized the best way to help people believe was through verbal communication, whether speaking in front of a group or with an individual. I discovered it was not about me. It was not about what I was comfortable doing; it was about obeying the Lord.

The primary way God reaches those who do not yet know Him is through verbal communication. Romans 10:14 says, “How can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” That “someone” is supposed to be you and me.

Have you ever led someone to the Lord? The Great Commission was given to every Christian. We are all called to share the gospel. We all have a part to play. God has chosen to use people as His primary communicators of His truth.

Pine Baron
05-29-2017, 07:19 AM
Thank you, rl, for this reminder. I've got to get out there more often

GhostHawk
05-29-2017, 07:31 AM
It is indeed our job to spread the good news. Good one RL

USMC87
05-29-2017, 08:23 AM
Amen, We every single one of us are Disciples and are to spread the good news.

Boaz
05-29-2017, 09:13 AM
A great lesson , should be part of our daily life . Thank you .

Blackwater
05-29-2017, 03:06 PM
Great post. And the sad fact today is that so many use that old "shake the dust" passage as an excuse for not witnessing when they're challenged. But that's such a CRUCIAL time to witness! It may well not change the opposition's mind one whit, but ... what about those who happen to hear the two of you? Turning away is an act of cowardice, in witnessing just like it is in battle. We need to be more pro-active, and less insulted when someone takes us to task for our faith. After all, nothing they can do can take our faith away from us, can it? That being so, then why do we turn away? First, we have to know and understand the reasons why WE believe. If we don't have that down pat, how can we relate it to anyone else?

This, I think, is the key to effective witnessing. Just quoting scripture and "pounding the Bible" is what non-believers EXPECT! Why not surprise them and tell them the REASONS why YOU believe? I've never seen that do anything but humble the non-believers who try to act haughty and "holier than thou". And when some on-looker happens to hear this, you may well have just given them the impetus to question their own disbelief, and maybe, open their eyes to a pathway to come to belief themselves. And folks, that ain't no small thing!

I believe we all need to be more proactive and less fearful of being made fun of or disparaged, and a LOT more pointed and honest and humble with our responses. We are indeed in a battle, and it's a battle for all souls. We like to think we know who will respond and who won't, but .... that's an awful lie, put there, I think, by Satan. Sometimes it's the one you'd least suspect might respond who comes to belief! We don't know nearly as much as we like to think we do, so .... why not cast a little bread when we're challenged? You really DON'T ever know who'll respond, if you do a good job in just explaining how reason is on YOUR side, while all THEY have is haughty denial, which is about as etherous and non-substantial as any thought can possibly get!

We've always had the high ground, but deniers have been pro-active from THEIR point of view. It's about time WE stood up for our Faith, instead of always finding reasons and excuses to disengage. If we did that, and did it en masse, I think it'd change the world. How could it not?