I can't keep it in- my soul is screaming!

[Note: This is another entry from the archives, which I'm slowly converting all over to this blog. Considering that I've heard some great sermons on God's transformative power today, from Ezekiel 37 and Isaiah 6, respectively- and evangelism has definitely been part of the emphasis today- this blog post seemed particularly appropriate for today. This one I originally posted back on February 26, 2008. It's slightly updated and edited here. Enjoy!] 

"Hey you! I'm into Jesus! I've seen the truth- and I believe!" :-)

(I've been listening to DC Talk's "Supernatural" album again some at work whenever I can- wow, I love this album!)
And of course, as some may know- this is the song I got my email address from. (With a "N" for the initial for my first name- so it still carries the same meaning, but it's like saying "Nathan's into Jesus" :-))
Yeah- Jesus rules! (And I mean that literally!) He's Lord, God and Savior. And He loved us all so much that He died on the cross for us and rose again from the dead. He made the ONLY Way for us to get into Heaven! WOW! I can never praise Jesus enough- or ever stop talking about how AWESOME He is! :-)
Lately, it's something that's been hitting at me. I think witnessing is something every Christian struggles with- and I certainly feel like it's something that I've always felt when I was younger that I wasn't as vocal about Christ sometimes as I could have been- and I've wanted to be bolder for God.
And it's something that we don't have a choice on- Jesus commands us to go! (As a great Keith Green song says- not to mention Matthew 28:18-20!)
And Acts 1:8 tells how to go- first preach in Jerusalem, then move on to Judea and Samaria- and eventually to the whole world! If we take the geographical aspect into mind, we basically have this parallel for us. Start telling people about Christ right where you are in your own neighborhood! Because people everywhere need to hear about God's love. And then you can start reaching out to the rest of the state and all the 50 States that make up the United States of America! (God bless America! Woohoo! Yay for America, its founders and leaders! And while its faults are many, I certainly pray that God will "mend thine every flaw." 'Cause it's still America the Beautiful as far as I'm concered. And God rules over it and the whole world!- yeah, I'm really patriotic- just threw that in there. :-))
And eventually we are called to take the Gospel out to the whole world!
The fields are white with harvest- beseech The Lord of the harvest to send more workers into His fields!
Okay- well, as I'm saying all this, I thought I'd also share a few encounters here. Just the other week I was at a gas station and my bill happened to be $7.77 (not to fill up my tank- wow, I wish! ;-)) Anyway, I just mentioned to the dude that it's the perfect number. (The number 7 in The Bible is associated with completeness and perfection. 7 days in the week, 7 marches around Jericho's walls in 7 days with 7 marches and 7 blasts of the trumpet on the last day- 7 seals, 7 trumpets and 7 bowls of God's wrath in Revelation)- and there's probably other examples. And it's really neat when you get three 7s, because that can also signify the Holy Trinity- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
So I thought it was neat that the dude actually knew what I was talking about and mentioned, "Oh yeah, like in the book of Daniel?" So I told him, "Yeah. It's a good book. Have you read it?" And then he told me that he read The Bible and that he considers himself something of a Christian (it sounded a bit shaky to me, but I think maybe he was just not where he needed to be with God at the moment)- but he did tell me that he went to the charismatic-type church nearby my apartment. So that's way cool. And that was the extent of the conversation, but I prayed for him after I left.
Not a real big deal necessarily- but it was an opportunity to talk about God with the guy. And maybe that little conversation helped give him the spark he needed to get back closer to God. I hope so.
Anyway- this was just to say that God presents us with all kinds of chances to talk to people about Christ- and that's why we have to be ready at all times to share the reason for our hope in Jesus like 1 Peter 3:15 talks about. (in the Greek- apologia- which is where we get apologetics from in English- and where ApologetiX gets their name!)
And interesting that I should mention That Christian Parody Band- because this is kinda where this is all going. Lately I've just been excited to see God moving in the lives of people I've been praying for and I continue to pray and trust that God will work to bring people I care about to know Him as Savior.
(And let me also state that there are plenty of times where I've blown it and felt awful as I'm left thinking- I should have done something more- I should have specifically told them about Jesus.) But share what you can where you can- and definitely share God's Word whenever you can! Isaiah 55:11 tells us that God's Word never returns to Him void but it accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it out! :-)
Ive been reading in Jeremiah lately and this is a great read to show you the compassion and desperation Jeremiah felt for his own people- and the fervence with which he prayed for them and tried to warn them of God's impending wrath and destruction He would bring. And this just got me thinking of how much America (and the world in general for that matter) still needs to hear that message- that God is a God of wrath and will punish sin with finality one day- but that He's also a God of unending love who longs for every single person in the history of the world to be with Him in Heaven- and that's why He paid the price of sin for us by dying in our place!
Look at the all the other religions of the world- there's no other god who's ever been so personal with people that he would die for them to pay for their own sins! Jesus is that personal of a God! He loves us!
Amazing love! How can it be that thou my God shouldst die for me?
Charles Wesley asked that question in a rocking hymn called "And Can It Be?" and wow- that song and question still blows me away every time!

And check out this verse in Jeremiah 20:9
"But if I say, 'I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,' His Word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."

WOW! We've got a message to give to the nations- so let's get busy for Christ! (And remember that witnessing is equally important in the areas of your vocal witness- AND your lifestyle witness! Both have to match up!)