Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Comedian, Magician & Atheist - Penn Jillette of Las Vegas act Penn & Teller asks: “How much do you have to hate someone to not proselytize (evangelize, witness to them)? How much do you have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” Click the following link & watch the full video clip to see why an Atheist would praise a Christian - www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM. 1Peter 3:15-16 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
William Wilberforce – British Statesman who successfully lobbied Parliament to abolish “Slavery” stated in his 1829 book titled Real Christianity:” I think it should be enough to point out that all of us have the obligation to do whatever we are able to do to promote the welfare of our fellowman. If you love someone who is ruining his or her life because of faulty thinking and you don’t do anything about it because you are afraid of what others might think, it would seem that rather than being loving, you are in fact being heartless. Acts 4;12-13 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
The late Evangelist Dr. J. Vernon McGee stated on “Thru the Bible”, his radio ministry that goes through the entire Bible in five years, that is still broadcasting today, stated that if Jesus Christ and His saving grace were real to every individual, people wouldn’t be at the malls, at the parks, at the games or at home mowing their lawns and doing chores. They would be with us in church worshipping the Lord and Savior God. Jesus Christ lives and reigns in Heaven & on Earth. Why are we so ineffective at bringing those around us to the foot of the Cross and a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? We have to be careful that we care about those who are perishing more than our cares about self & things, promoting values in our culture that honor God and, thus, are good for everyone. Romans 10: 8-10 "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"(that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Are we fulfilling the Great Commission of Christ, doing all that we can to bring the message of salvation to those who have not heard it? Is being a church member, going to church regularly enough? Are we trying to live our lives as God would want us to? Are we uncaring and uncompassionate to the “unsaved” by not actively seeking out those who are not Christians, not telling them the “good news” of Jesus Christ and his promise of salvation? A close friend described it this way to me: If you woke up one night and noticed that your neighbor’s house was on fire, and you knew that they were asleep in the house, you would do everything possible to wake them, warn them, get them out of the house and escape perishing. So why can’t do the same for our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and acquaintances who are spiritually perishing? We are not all called to be a Billy Graham type evangelist or quote all the Scripture verses on any subject in the Bible from memory, but we are called to be a witness for Christ of the faith that we have and why we believe. By definition a “witness” is one who tells what they see and know. That is what the Lord calls each of us to do; tell our story of faith. What is social awkwardness when compared to someone’s very soul? If you & I could actually save someone from Hell by introducing them to God and Jesus, it would truly be something truly joyful that would make life worth living.
While accompanying my dad’s church on a short Mission’s Trip to New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief in 2007, one evening our crew was walking the Levee Boardwalk of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter. A young lady approached us and asked us if she could tell us about Jesus Christ. What a great feeling of the love of Christ came over me that this teenager cared about our eternal souls. I pray that that this person’s love is in me and you also. John 6:68-69 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Let’s get “The Word” out and stand for what we believe, with passion & compassion!
In Christ, Brian
Comedian, Magician & Atheist - Penn Jillette of Las Vegas act Penn & Teller asks: “How much do you have to hate someone to not proselytize (evangelize, witness to them)? How much do you have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” Click the following link & watch the full video clip to see why an Atheist would praise a Christian - www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM. 1Peter 3:15-16 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
William Wilberforce – British Statesman who successfully lobbied Parliament to abolish “Slavery” stated in his 1829 book titled Real Christianity:” I think it should be enough to point out that all of us have the obligation to do whatever we are able to do to promote the welfare of our fellowman. If you love someone who is ruining his or her life because of faulty thinking and you don’t do anything about it because you are afraid of what others might think, it would seem that rather than being loving, you are in fact being heartless. Acts 4;12-13 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
The late Evangelist Dr. J. Vernon McGee stated on “Thru the Bible”, his radio ministry that goes through the entire Bible in five years, that is still broadcasting today, stated that if Jesus Christ and His saving grace were real to every individual, people wouldn’t be at the malls, at the parks, at the games or at home mowing their lawns and doing chores. They would be with us in church worshipping the Lord and Savior God. Jesus Christ lives and reigns in Heaven & on Earth. Why are we so ineffective at bringing those around us to the foot of the Cross and a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? We have to be careful that we care about those who are perishing more than our cares about self & things, promoting values in our culture that honor God and, thus, are good for everyone. Romans 10: 8-10 "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"(that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Are we fulfilling the Great Commission of Christ, doing all that we can to bring the message of salvation to those who have not heard it? Is being a church member, going to church regularly enough? Are we trying to live our lives as God would want us to? Are we uncaring and uncompassionate to the “unsaved” by not actively seeking out those who are not Christians, not telling them the “good news” of Jesus Christ and his promise of salvation? A close friend described it this way to me: If you woke up one night and noticed that your neighbor’s house was on fire, and you knew that they were asleep in the house, you would do everything possible to wake them, warn them, get them out of the house and escape perishing. So why can’t do the same for our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and acquaintances who are spiritually perishing? We are not all called to be a Billy Graham type evangelist or quote all the Scripture verses on any subject in the Bible from memory, but we are called to be a witness for Christ of the faith that we have and why we believe. By definition a “witness” is one who tells what they see and know. That is what the Lord calls each of us to do; tell our story of faith. What is social awkwardness when compared to someone’s very soul? If you & I could actually save someone from Hell by introducing them to God and Jesus, it would truly be something truly joyful that would make life worth living.
While accompanying my dad’s church on a short Mission’s Trip to New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief in 2007, one evening our crew was walking the Levee Boardwalk of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter. A young lady approached us and asked us if she could tell us about Jesus Christ. What a great feeling of the love of Christ came over me that this teenager cared about our eternal souls. I pray that that this person’s love is in me and you also. John 6:68-69 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Let’s get “The Word” out and stand for what we believe, with passion & compassion!
In Christ, Brian
1 comment:
So beautifully put, Brian. I told a cousin of mine once that I wished that I could speak so eloquently about the Lord as she could and explained how much I had learned in her presence about him. She blushed and stated that it was not her speaking but the Lord through her. As I read your blog, I had the same feeling come over me. You truly have the Lord speaking through you to us all in a most eloquent way and I am so thankful to have found you after all these years to share this with. Your friend in Christ, Karin Sizelove
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