Sharing Lord Christ 'Til Heaven (song)

 It's been said that everyone wants to go to Heaven but no one wants to die. Of course, death is the door to eternity. Sadly though, many will enter that door to eternal condemnation and suffering separated from God in Hell. Sadder still, there are many who think they will enter into eternal peace and rest in Heaven but they will find they are mistaken and are still on the hook because they put faith in someone other than Jesus. It is only through faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection that pays for all sins that we can escape the Hell we deserve and instead enter the Heaven we don't deserve. 

     The only Doctor who can give us the right medicine for salvation is Jesus Christ. There is no other way. We need to share this Healing Balm with everyone we can. One thing we can't do in eternity is share The Gospel with lost people. We must witness and share The Gospel with all people- that's our Great Commission from The Lord Jesus. So let's make the most of every moment because the days are evil and start sharing Lord Christ 'til Heaven.

"Sharing Lord Christ 'Til Heaven" 

(parody of "Sharing The Night Together" by Ava Aldridge and Eddie Struzick as recorded by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/25/2020)

(Romans 10:9-13, Revelation 20:15, 2 Kings 7:9, Acts 1:6-8, Matthew 7:12-23, Matthew 10:26-33, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 9:42-50, Luke 16, John 15:8)

You're looking at an unholy world

With your Bible unused as you walk through (Yet you claim Christ)

2 Kings 7:9- those dudes

Get a gold mine! Cannot sit on it- they've found food (Must share- Mark 9)

If Christ seems to come on too strong

Christ spoke The Truth- please understand

The lake burning- folks are dying and going

'Cause they don't know Jesus- but they can

That's if we try

Sharing The Light together- Oh yeah!

Sharing The Way to Heaven- Oh yeah!

Sharing Lord Christ

You should read all Christ's warnings, girl

In Luke 16- go Matt. 10

And on the broad road find many hell-bound

That there should change our bent

Matthew line

7:13- destruction! Oh yeah (Background vocals: Share about Christ)

7:14- To Heaven! Oh yeah (BGV: Share about Christ)

Heaven's through Christ

Well, Lord Christ commanded us, see, to go please

All nations- That's The Great Commission, dude

Matthew's last lines- 28:18-20, dude

Disciple and baptize

(In) Father, Son, Spirit Who are Three in One

Teaching them to obey Saviour

He's there with us always- behold!

So we won't be alone- no, never!

Eternal life's at stake so start sharing Lord Christ- (BGV: Share about Christ)(Repeat until end)- for Heaven's sake, yeah

Share that He died for sinners- Rose again

Trust in Lord Christ for Heaven

Romans 10:9 to get there

Sharing's too late in Heaven

(Keep) Sharing about Christ 'til Heaven 

Season for the Reason: Riches and Righteousness- Do They Add Up on Earth as it is in Heaven?

(Note: This entry is derived from conversations with a friend about what can seem to be a blind spot for Christianity at times. While the church is always concerned for the spiritual needs of people- and thus makes sharing the love of Jesus top priority- is it always as concerned about the physical needs of people in the here and now? Are we too full of ourselves and our earthly riches and not emptying ourselves enough to help others in the name of Jesus and through His power? We need to be concerned about both physical and spiritual needs because both are important. And people are not going to listen to you much when you're preaching The Gospel to them and they're starving to death. As James 2:14-17 gives us the example, what good does it do to tell someone poorly clothed and lacking food to go in peace and be warm and filled- but not do a thing to help them with those needs? That's why faith without works is dead. Show your faith by your works.)


James 5:1-6

"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of The Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you."


         Amen! Important warning here. This passage in James echoes Jesus' warning to those who are rich in this life- don't lay up treasures for yourself on earth but lay up treasures in Heaven instead. (Matthew 6:19-24 talks about this.) In Matthew 16:24-28, Jesus says that to follow Him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for Christ's sake will find it. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? You can't serve both God and money. The Bible talks numerous times about money and wealth and how they are a reflection of our hearts.In Matthew 19, Jesus encounters the rich young ruler who refused to give up all his riches and give to the poor and follow Jesus. Jesus then tells His disciples it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
         The disciples then ask who can be saved and Jesus tells them that with man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.Of course, we have evidence of this in Luke 19 as a chief tax collector who was rich (as verse 2 plainly says) named Zacchaeus was saved by Jesus. (He is, of course, the short guy who climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Jesus over the crowds). Jesus broke all kinds of rules of the religious Pharisees when He went to stay at the house of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector and sinner. (He took taxes from his own people for the Romans and he profited handsomely off his fellow Jews by cheating and charging them way more than they owed.) Zack proved he had truly repented though by pledging to The Lord to give half his goods to the poor and paying back anyone he cheated 4 times over!Then Jesus said salvation had come to his house that day.In Luke 12, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool who stored up things for himself on earth but God crashed his party when He told him his soul was required that night- who gets all his stuff then? Jesus said that's how it is for the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.And all 4 Gospels record Jesus flipping over the tables of the moneylenders at the Temple and chasing them out with a whip He made because they were cheating people and making The Lord's House of prayer for all people into a den of thieves.I think one thing is key in all these verses- we must always be rich toward God. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven" but He didn't mean physically poor here. He meant spiritually poor- those who know they have fallen short of God's righteousness because of sin and know they need the Saviour.How we use money is a great indicator of where our heart is- that's for sure.
           1 Timothy 6:10 warns us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils and some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs because of this craving.Verses 17-19 go on to command the rich in this present age as to what they should do with the wealth God blessed them with- first of all, don't be haughty. Second- don't set your hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God,who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.Third- The rich in this present age are to do good, be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, this storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life! Again- another reminder that lasting true treasure is in Heaven, not on earth. Jesus told a parablein Matthew 13 of a hidden treasure in a field. When a man finds it, he sells all he has in order to buy the field with the treasure. That's what the kingdom of Heaven is like. Jesus also used the picture of a merchant in search of fine pearls and when he finds the pearl of great price, he sells all he has and buys it. That's what the kingdom of Heaven is like.That is the call Jesus puts forth to those who would follow Him- forsake all you have in this life and focus on the treasure of Him instead. For those who follow Him, our passion should not be in heaping up stuff on earth that will all burn one day anyway but rather on storing up treasure in Heaven by living for Jesus each day and sharing His love and forgiveness with everyone.That's why I'm not real worried about making a ton of money or if others make lots more than I do. Where people are being cheated and defrauded, I certainly try to help stop that if I can and I definitely don't support corruption. But I can't control what others do- only what I do. So I try to use every good and perfect gift that my Father gives me to help others. And I try to stand up for the poor and those in need. God is the One who provides everything for me and it's all His to begin with and He loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 8 and 9 talk a lot about this.) I definitely need to remind myself of this often and verses like these are a big reason why I try to do a purge of my belongings every so often because I don't them to become an idol before God to me. I want God first and I want to want Him and want nothing else. (Psalms 23:1)
         I appreciate people sharing their views on these issues that can become blind spots for the church. I have said many times that the church sometimes needs to have a mirror held up to itself to really see ourselves and see places where we need to repent and be more Christlike. (Psalms 139:23-24) One place that is often mentioned is the disconnect in the pro-life position that Christians generally hold. I also disdain the hypocrisy of pro-life stances that are really just about unborn children and don't seem to care about others too. As the saying goes, I am concerned about life at all stages- from the womb to the tomb. I'm glad to live in a country that affords us the chance to vote our conscience and advocate for our views with free speech rights. I think it's important to clarify a few terms though on other matters. I get the argument about churches being only concerned with conversion and not with people's physical needs and this is not Biblical- and I'm concerned about that too. Both the spiritual and physical needs are important. And it should be noted that no Christian converts anyone. This is only the work of The Holy Spirit. This is important to note because it changes the approach to missions quite a bit. Yes, I want people to hear the Good News of The Gospel of Jesus Christ, how He paid for all sins by His death and Resurrection and how we can have forgiveness of our sins by faith in Him. But I just present information. Everyone must make their own choices about it.
        People are free to listen, receive, believe and act on it in faith or dismiss it in derision and disgust or maybe store it away to think about later. My job is to be faithful in telling people since Jesus commanded it (Matthew 28:18-20) and to love God with all I've got and to love my neighbour as myself. I have a number of friends of many religious backgrounds and some of none and some agnostic or atheistic- and they are all still friends regardless of their stance on Christ. My care and concern for them doesn't change. While of course there have been examples of the church using friendship evangelism as social control and manipulation, like the papacy did (which is one reason Martin Luther led the Reformation against it), there are lots of examples of Christians who are true friends and evangelists without seeking to manipulate.
         For example, consider Jim Elliott and his team, who gave gifts to the Waodoni of Ecuador to build a friendship. They were eventually killed for their efforts. The work continued though and the children of some of those killed went on to forgive and befriend the very people who had killed their parents when The Gospel changed these murderers into new people who were now friends. Consider also Mother Teresa and Lottie Moon, missionary ladies who lived lives of poverty, serving the poor in Asia, motivated by their faith in Christ. (Lottie Moon gave away her own food to the poor so much so that she starved to death herself as a result!)
       Many churches worldwide, if not all, have ministries to meet people's physical needs along with the spiritual needs. As it's been said, it's hard to tell someone God loves them when they're starving to death. Feed them something nourishing for the body before trying to feed them something nourishing for the soul.
Charities like The Salvation Army, Red Cross, YMCA and YWCA and World Vision were all started by Christians because of their faith in Christ and who seek to help all people. I love how World Vision responds to disasters the world over and helps everyone regardless of religious belief. They are very much concerned about aiding those in need and stopping human suffering because of their faith in Christ. Yes, The Gospel is preached too because sin is the root of the world's problems. Corruption, selfish practices, greed- it all is sin. That's one reason Jesus made clear we can't serve both God and money.
         It's worth noting that Jesus loved His enemies too and healed those who didn't believe in Him. He healed 10 lepers and only 1 foreigner returned to thank Him- the other 9 Jewish guys didn't. Judas Iscariot betrayed Him but he was still one of Jesus' disciples and Jesus still washed his feet. Jesus replaced the ear of Malchus (part of the arresting party) when one of Jesus' disciples cut it off. Luke 9:51-56 relates the account of a time when a Samaritan village did not accept Jesus and in retaliation, James and John asked Jesus if He wanted them to tell fire to come down from Heaven and consume them! I love Jesus' response here! "But He turned and rebuked them. 'You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man came not to destroy people's lives but to save them.' " (Luke 9:55- for translations newer than KJV, make sure to read the footnotes for that verse. Some manuscripts add it, so it's listed that way in many newer translations. And I'm SO glad it was included because I LOVE it!)
         And when the stakes are eternal, it's worth sharing the Gospel for that reason too. As I was saying earlier, I present this information to people about Heaven and Hell and what Jesus did to make sure we could be with Him in Heaven if we'll choose to go. Logically speaking, we can either be in God's presence in eternity or away from Him. As C.S. Lewis said in "The Great Divorce" (I'm paraphrasing here)- In the end, there are two kinds of people. Those who say to God, "Thou will be done" and those to whom God says, "Thy will be done".
Thus, God gives people their choice as to where they want to be. But God always loves them and wants them to be with Him- Jeremiah 31:3 says He loves us with an everlasting love. But Love doesn't insist on its own way- Love bears all things.
          Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller fame- an excellent magician and noted atheist) said something interesting about proselytizing. He said he has a real beef with religious people who don't do this.

          “I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward—and atheists who think people shouldn’t proselytize and who say just leave me along and keep your religion to yourself—how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.”

           I believe Mr. Jillette is absolutely right. Thus, the eternal stakes motivate me to share my faith in Christ in love because Christ commanded me to do so. Jesus has saved me and changed my life infinitely for the better and I want others to experience that and know that joy for eternity. As Jesus said in John 10:10, the thief (i.e. devil) comes only to steal, kill and destroy, but He's come so that we might have life and life abundantly! I believe that starts now and goes through eternity. And thus, I believe it's important for Christians to be good stewards of the earth God has entrusted us with and to work to alleviate and end human suffering. Christians are the hands and feet of Jesus on earth and a suffering, dying world should see His love in us in practical ways.
C.S. Lewis said in "Mere Christianity"-

      "Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth 'thrown in': aim at earth and you will get neither."
          The point of Heaven is union with God for eternity, as God intended all along. A belief in Heaven and concern for eternity and faith in Christ is actually what motivates me all the more to actively show Jesus' love to all in need here on earth right now. Heaven will bring the ultimate healing but it also reaches to the world today through Christians as a healing balm to the nations. In a sense, Heaven is only for a few people though, since Jesus said that the road to destruction is broad and many are on it. The road to Life is straight and narrow and hard and only a few ever find it. Yet Heaven is open to whosoever will put their faith in Christ. 
I do hope and pray everyone reading might decide to do so one day but I hope you know that you are eternally loved and infinitely valuable regardless. And I will be your friend and help you in any way I can no matter what you decide to believe about that. 
          I hope that helps some some in any case. I am certainly not the best example and I fully agree with those who point out that the church has often failed miserably at living out Christ's Gospel.  And it is important to keep charities and certainly Christian ones accountable. (https://religionnews.com/2016/11/23/ministries-and-money-christian-charities-that-use-your-money-wisely/) That is one reason I urge people to consider Jesus' perfection and the way that He does work in His followers to do a lot of good in this world when we are obedient to Him. To love one another is a mandate that is always in place regardless of the response. Christians are commanded to love and pray for enemies too, after all. That is always foremost among the commands- love God first with all we've got, love neighbours as ourselves- and speak The Truth in Love. May God's will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Brotherly love and/or shove

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

      Isn't that what it seems like many times when you talk with people about any controversial topic? It's particularly true when it comes to spiritual conversations, as the verses indicate. And of course, there is a spiritual reason for this. As 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the glory of the Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God." As Ephesians 6 makes clear, our struggle is not against flesh and blood- it's against the spiritual powers of darkness in the heavenly realms! There is a real, unseen battle going on for the hearts and souls of people. While The Lord Jesus desires to bring all to salvation, offered to us through His death and Resurrection, the devil still wages war, seeking any whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
       And as Jesus Himself told us, people are going to hate us because of His Name. So we know that we can expect many to reject us and our message of hope and salvation in Jesus. John 3:16-21 talks about this phenomenon as well. Even though God loves the whole world and has offered us free salvation- it's there for whosoever will take Him up on it- many in the world still reject Him and His offer because to partake of His offer would mean they would have to fully admit what they are in His sight and reveal their deeds. The truth is- like it or not- we're all sinners and we all have done wrong, do wrong and without the grace of God working in us- will keep doing wrong. And to come to the Light of Christ means we have to bring all our ugly, dark deeds into light. And Jesus said that many refuse the Light because it exposes their deeds and they know their deeds are evil and thus don't want to reveal that about themselves. But that's the whole point of Christianity- admitting that we are poor in spirit ragamuffins who can't help ourselves and desperately need God's grace and mercy. And instead of beating ourselves up about it, God decided to beat Himself up about it- Jesus was beaten and whipped for us- and by His stripes we are healed. And when we're honest enough to admit our need and accept the only cure for our disease of sin- the Truth sets us free indeed. :-)
      So what do we do as followers of Christ when people tell us that we're shoving our religion and Bible down their throats? That's an interesting phrase to me. How does one measure when the conversation has shifted from friendly and informational to the forcible entry of Scripture and doctrinal teachings down another's oral orifices? What's the difference between "shoving down the throat" and simply relaying information? Surely people need to hear the Truth- as it is, their throat is an open grave! (Romans 3:12-14). And ultimately, we just pray "the high praises of God be in their throats" (Psalms 149:6). I think the answer to those questions is found in one word- love.
As 1 Corinthians 13 describes for us, love is patient and kind. Love does not envy, does not boast and is not proud. Love is not rude, self-seeking or easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. And as Ephesians 4:15 tells us, we must always be "speaking the truth in love".
      1 Peter 3:15 tells us to set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts and always be ready to share the reason for the Hope that we have- but do this with gentleness and respect. Love must always be our motivation in sharing anything- love for God and love for the people He's made. And it's that love for Christ and the people He's made, all of whom He loves and desires to be with Him in Heaven (2 Peter 3:9), that compels us to share The Gospel in gentleness and respect with all whom God gives us opportunity to speak with. (And of course, it's Christ's command to preach The Gospel in all the world that also drives us. [Matthew 28:18-20].) But witnessing is simply testifying to what Jesus has done in our lives. It's testifying to what He has done for us all on the cross, how we personally came to believe in Him and receive Him and follow Him as Lord and Savior- and how He's been working in our lives since. And we leave the results to The Holy Spirit. No one has ever been argued or insulted into Heaven and no one ever will be. Don't look to your great oratory skills and don't worry about your lack thereof- look to God The Holy Ghost and pray and trust Him to work. And speak the Truth in Love wherever God gives you opportunity.
       It's important to note too that no matter what the outcome of the conversation is (and remember that that outcome is up to God alone), the relationship still stays on a good level, hopefully. I always look to praise the things someone else holds to and believes that are truly praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8) and agree with them on the things I can Scripturally agree on first. Then from there, I have to respectfully agree to disagree and leave it at that. We have to agree to disagree agreeably. ;-) And in the end, I'm still on good terms with the person and still consider them a friend and still love them with the love of Christ, whatever they decide at that moment. (After all, God always loves everyone no matter what they choose about Him.) And we must love everyone too just as God has loved us. (John 15:12)
       And what do we do indeed when someone has determined that our heartfelt and impassioned spiritual conversation with them, motivated by love for God and them which continues no matter the outcome, has moved beyond the realm of sharing information and is now shoving Jesus and/or The Bible down their throat? (And remember, that while I'm poking a little fun at our inability as a society as a whole to tolerate opinions and values different from our own- and that goes for Christians as well [If you want people to be willing to listen to your point of view, you must be willing to listen to theirs as well. From there, apply 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid all appearance of evil."]- I don't mean to belittle people's feelings in saying this. But it is important to remember that this phrase can genuinely be accurate when we refuse to listen to people who plainly tell us that they are not interested in a spiritual conversation and when we as Christians put them in an uncomfortable spot [like the infamous bait-and-switch deal where we invite non-believer friends to a church sponsored event of some sort- dinner, sports tournament, movie, etc.- while neglecting to tell them that there will also be a Gospel presentation]. I know that we see the urgency and need to get people introduced to Jesus as soon as possible with all of eternity at stake (2 Corinthians 6:2, Revelation 20:15), but even so- we must see their point of view and remember that Jesus also commanded us to do unto others as we would have done unto us. (Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31). So we need to be honest with people and let them know all that is involved when inviting them to evangelistic outreach events. And ultimately, we keep persevering and reaching out to others in love with the love of Christ. And we keep being their friend no matter what their response is- and thereby prove to them that they are more than just a project or point on our Heavenly crown- but rather a person made in the image of God whom He loves dearly and we are commanded to do the same.
       "But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." (1 Timothy 4:5) Keep fighting the good fight, running the race and keeping the faith. (1 Timothy 4:7)
       
         

Salty seasonings :-)

"In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, Who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach The Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage- with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16)

      I feel like (or at least hope) this is one area that I have really seen The Lord build up in me. It's kind of a funny phenomenon. When we first come to faith in Jesus as Savior, we come in with a lot of excitement and are fired up to tell everyone we can about our experience and our newfound relationship with the God of the universe. And while this passion lasts for a while, it seems like it dies down over time. Soon we settle into the grooves of the "normal" Christian life (which is probably more like what we settle for as the "normal" Christian life) and somehow we suddenly become sedentary in sharing our Savior with sinners just as we once were at a time. (The only difference now is that we are forgiven sinners.)
      This slide is certainly a common one for many longtime Christians for sure. We can never settle for the status quo though. We can't just shrug, sit back and hope for the best for everyone else out there. Jesus Himself gave us a clear command to be His witness to everyone in The Great Commission. (Matthew 28:18-20). There is no getting around that. That is the primary reason God leaves us here to live our lives after receiving Christ as Savior rather than immediately lifting us up to Heaven on the spot. Therefore, if we are not seeking to share Christ and taking advantage of the numerous opportunities God gives us in which to do so, then we are sinning against God.
      As I was saying earlier, I feel like this is an area that God has helped me improve on over the years. I remember when I was in middle school or so I used to struggle a good bit with witnessing. I knew it was the right thing to do and it's what I wanted to do- but it seemed hard sometimes to find the right way to go about it and to have the right words to say and all like that. (There are always excuses to be found of course. We seem to find what are to ourselves perfectly valid reasons for ignoring and excusing ourselves from all of God's commands at any given time that we deem it convenient for us.)
      So I always would feel that I never was doing quite enough for witnessing for Christ- that I should be doing more. In retrospect, I think I would say that was The Holy Spirit's conviction, guiding me toward more and more obedience to God's Word. (He's still doing that in every area of course, whether we realize it or not.) And I do remember specific times of trying to encourage friends toward Jesus and sharing what The Bible teaches, especially around my junior and senior year of high school.
       I think it's continued to grow throughout college and graduate school and embarking into the whole pseudo-adult real-life take responsibility type professional job type thing... (It's still a very murky and sometimes scary world- lol. As long as it takes the faith of a child to enter the kingdom of Heaven [Matthew 18:3], I figure I'll keep my mental capacities about on that level too.)
And I don't write all this to brag by any means. I still have so far to go, but Jesus is getting me there in His time. (Philippians 1:6) Don't take this to mean that I'm anything- but Jesus is everything. Keep following Him closely- and I trust I could say as Paul said, "Follow me as I follow Christ."
       So here we come to the crux of the matter. We know that Jesus has told us to preach The Gospel as we go into all the world. Now keep in mind that God uses many different methods to accomplish this and they are all valid. I don't mean to knock any particular method- if people are brought to faith in Jesus by them, then I just say, "Praise God!"
        I am going to just try to briefly outline some things I think have worked well for me. First of all, and this is true for every Christian, we must move according to The Spirit's leading. As Psalms 127:1 says, unless The Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. The good thing with this particular activity is that you never have to question whether this is God's will. It's definitely God's will for none to perish and all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) However, while we know we have that imperative to witness, we also need to be sensitive to the leading of The Holy Spirit to know when and how to broach the topic and at what point we are no longer really witnessing per se, but more like badgering the witness, if you will. ;-) For a really good example of this, check Acts 13:1-5. The Holy Spirit singled out Paul and Barnabas and directed them to go to different areas to preach The Gospel.
(Now keep in mind that way back in Acts 9 Paul had already been out speaking in the Name of The Lord and sharing the Truth that Jesus is the only Way to Heaven- that He is The Life and we can only have real life through a relationship with Him. He died on the cross to pay for all our sins and rose again to give us salvation when we put our faith and trust in Him and follow Him. So Paul jumped right into witnessing right where he was when he got saved.) But then Paul got a specific mandate from The Holy Spirit to go elsewhere with Barnabas and so he did- and they continued preaching The Gospel in other areas.
       This kind of gets to the second point. Coming from a MK (missionary's kid) background, I am definitely a big believer in the importance of missions, particularly foreign missions. And that's just the thing- people get the idea that "missions" must involve going to a foreign country and sharing Jesus there through Vacation Bible School programs, street evangelism, big tent revivals, etc. And that certainly is part of it and an important part of it. I definitely encourage that by all means. However, don't think that that's all there is to it or that that's the only venue for it. You must be a missionary right where you are right now. I've heard it said before that if you're not being a missionary right now right where you are- you won't be a missionary when you go to some different land. If you're not already sharing Christ with people around you now, why would you think you will magically start sharing Christ with others in a different country that may not even speak the same language? So here's the thing- yes, we need people desperately to go to different countries and share Jesus there. But we also desperately need people to share Jesus with others right now where they are as well. As Acts 17:26-27 tell us, "From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."
        God had an important purpose in placing each one of us in the exact time and place that we are living and He is using us for His glory right now where we are- assuming we are letting Him do so. Keep in mind that you may be uniquely suited because of your life experiences and cultural understanding to reach some specific people in your vicinity that others may never be able to reach for Christ. (Though, yes, certainly God can use anyone He chooses to reach anyone.) But at the same time, I do believe He uniquely fashions us to reach certain people as He chooses- all the more reason to seek The Holy Spirit's leading.
        So the third point is pretty much encapsulated in those first few verses I posted at the start of this thing. "Preach The Gospel always- if necessary, use words." (as St. Francis of Assisi said.)
I believe he was meaning that the way we live our lives should loudly proclaim The Gospel just as much as our voices do with the things we say. And of course this is a great point. However, I do believe words are necessary at some points in order to explain to someone the reason for The Hope that we have. (1 Peter 3:15) And here is one key thing that addresses the concerns about knowing the right thing to say- just speak The Truth. Jesus said God's Word is Truth. So speak that- speak The Bible as much as you can. Remember what Isaiah 55:11 says- God's Word never returns to Him void but it accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it out. God always has a purpose in sending out His Word and He can and does use it to reach people with The Truth. Remember also that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, correcting and rebuking and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). So it's all important and all there for a reason. As I've said many times before, if God so desired, He could even use all those genealogies in 1 Chronicles and other places to bring people to Christ. From our perspective, we might find those passages boring and we might even be unsure of their purpose. But they are there for historical records and they do communicate at least one huge important characteristic of God- God cares about people! He loves people! He loves them so much that He found it important to list every single person there by name! God knows us all by name and loves us all so much. He showed that love for us by sending Jesus to die on the cross to pay for all of us, both collectively and individually. (i.e. Even if it was just you, God would still have gone through with it. :-)) And because Jesus lives again, so can we. (Romans 5:8)
         Anyway, one of my main approaches then is to just speak and share about The Bible and Jesus wherever I can. Sometimes I hear people already talking about a passage in The Bible or something related to Christianity in general and I chime in where appropriate to share what I know God says on the matter in Scriptures. Sometimes it's nothing more than that. And that in itself is still a good witness for Christ as it is spreading the Truth of God's Word and showing people that it is important and relevant for our lives today. Sometimes I can share a testimony with people about how I rely on Jesus to get me through each day (each work day particularly :-)) and I can tell them that God's mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness! Praise The Lord! (Lamentations 3:21-27).
And sometimes I can share with someone my personal testimony of how I came to put my faith in Jesus as a child and how I've continued to walk with Him and seek after Him and how I've continued to see His faithfulness as I've followed Him down this narrow straight road. And yes, God can also use nonverbal methods as well- a smile to someone feeling down; a kind hand to lift someone up when they literally are down and a compassionate arm holding the door open for someone. All these small acts of kindness and compassion are ways that can point people back to The One who is totally kind and compassionate all the time- to The One who is the source of all kindness and compassion. And the other big nonverbal witness is in the way we react to events. The way we keep our cool and do everything without complaining or arguing. (Philippians 2:14) The way we stay humble and think of others as better than ourselves. (Philippians 2:1-11). The way we work wholeheartedly as to The Lord and not to men. (Colossians 3:23) The way that we bear injustices done to us and remain faithful to do what's right anyway. (1 Peter 3:17) The way that we always speak kindly to one another with an encouraging word to build each other up and never to tear anyone down. (Ephesians 4:29). The way that we are always ready to forgive each other. (Ephesians 4:32)
Basically- the fruit of The Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23). These and more are extremely important witnesses as well- these must be coupled with all our verbal witness. Either one falls apart without the other. It's important for us to bear fruit and show ourselves to be Christ's disciples by our lives (John 15:8) And it's also important for us to let people know that the only good in us is from Jesus Himself and not from ourselves. (Romans 3:21-24).
        And of course, it cannot be emphasized enough that we must constantly be in prayer. We must pray and ask and trust God to work. God takes our obedience and runs with it and does wonderful things. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 simply says, "Pray continually". Prayer helps immensely in the very real spiritual battle that rages on for the souls of people. (Daniel 10 gives us a powerful illustration of this truth.) For another good example of the power of prayer, note Acts 4:23-31 and see the result of the believers' prayers. They prayed that God would enable them to speak His Word with boldness despite the threats made upon them. Verse 31 says, "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were filled with The Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly." And throughout the book of Acts, we see the early church continuing to stay faithful to Christ and seeking Him in prayer- and seeing God answer by bringing many to salvation. (Note also again that the believers were filled with The Holy Spirit- and this came after prayer. Of course, I do believe that we get all of The Holy Spirit that we're going to get when we get saved- but the question is, "Does The Holy Spirit have all of us?" We must continue to give ourselves over to Him in prayer each day.)
       One more thing I want to emphasize and I think this is one of the most key things out of everything. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus told us that the Greatest Commandment is to "Love The Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." And then He said the second is like it- "Love your neighbor as yourself." I try to keep these two commands that Jesus specified foremost in my mind. I always want to be doing these two things above all else. Of course, in keeping God above all- and then others before myself, I find myself keeping all the other commands too. And I also try to remember Ephesians 4:15, which instructs us to be "speaking The Truth in Love". I think this is extremely key. As 1 Corinthians 13:1 tells us, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." And if that's the case, then I should heed the sounding of the gong and get off the stage, just like on The Gong Show! Spouting off The Law and the teachings of The Bible to people without genuine Love in our hearts really doesn't do much for people. In many cases, it actually becomes more harmful than helpful. We share The Truth of The Bible with people out of respect and love for Jesus, in obedience to His commands and hopefully- out of genuine love and concern for people. If any of those reasons are not really in place- and particularly that last one- then people quickly see through it and us and become turned off to us and to Christianity in general. Remember that people are not prizes or projects- they are people. They are people loved immensely and infinitely by God and we are called to love them too. Love must always be our motivating factor and grace must always temper all we do. I know I have been guilty of lacking in that department of love and grace and it's something I've had to repent of and ask God to fill me with and help me in showing this to others. I trust He's still working to help me get better with that.
           I know there are many other things that could be addressed on this topic, but these are the key things I wanted to focus on with this. Share all that you can anywhere that you can with everyone you can and trust God to use it and work as He will. One last key thing to remember in all this is that we are not responsible for the outcome! God alone is responsible for that. He alone is responsible for convicting and bringing people to repentance. Remember that no one has ever been argued or insulted into Heaven. We must always keep our cool and be polite and respectful and gentle. But all we can do is share what The Bible says in a loving manner and respectfully share our experiences- and trust for God to work as He will from there. And certainly we must keep praying for those we are sharing Christ with and trust Him to work.
          2 Timothy 1:7 says that we haven't been given a spirit of fear, but rather one of power and love and of a sound mind. So don't let fear get in the way. Don't let apathy get in the way. Don't let worry get in the way. Just share as The Holy Spirit leads you and pray for Him to work. And pray for Him to give you opportunities as well. And pray that He will continue to light a fire in us to continually be more concerned about the eternal destiny of people, knowing that there are many dying every day who are headed to either Hell or Heaven- and we may be the ones God has put in their path to let them know about Jesus and His love so that they can avoid Hell and go to Heaven instead. For Heaven's sake- we don't have a moment to waste. Work, for the night is coming. God's building His church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.
        Lord Jesus, may Your Name be lifted up in us through our lives- both words and deeds. Use us as Your vessels to show people The Truth of Your Love and work mightily in people's lives to bring into Your kingdom of Love.