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Billyeah
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Posted: Wed May 31st, 2006 01:30 am |
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Now that I have been clean for a few months I have grown spiritually. One of the things that God has really layed on my heart is evangelism. We have the truth and we need to share it with the world. We have the light for the blind, and for us not to share that light would be horribly cruel. To see someone walking blindfolded towards a cliff and not trying to stop them is just wrong. I have been taking an evangelism course and am learning so much. The problem with sharing though, is you are bound to make some enemies. Not everyone wants to learn they are a sinner, and are going to be helplessly lost without a savior. I will, without a doubt, make enemies, maybe even within my own family. This is not my intention but it is going to happen.
This is especially hard for my wife to grasp as she would much rather we keep our comfortable lifestyle and live happily ever after. For me though it has gotten to the point of "Woe unto me if I don't preach the Gospel" I can't just turn my back on God's calling.
So my request to you, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, is that you pray for me and my family. That no matter what kind of persecution lies ahead, we will rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for His names sake.
Any comments, advise, or questions would be appreciated as well.
God Bless
Bill
Last edited on Wed May 31st, 2006 01:32 am by Billyeah
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guitarist63
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Posted: Thu Mar 8th, 2007 10:32 pm |
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Billyeah, thanks for posting this topic - Spreading the Gospel. I would be interested to talk about the subject because I've started working with a team of people from different churches in my town. The team worship and pray from 9.30 p.m. to around 11.00 p.m. at a local hall and then go out to the market street to give out free drinks of tea, chocolate, and coffee to passersby. The leader of the team encourages us not to speak too much of the Bible to start with, until we get to know the people a little. It's a different kind of evangelism to the type where a person is giving out tracts or standing on a street corner and shouting. That's not to say there isn't a place for these other forms of evangelism. We're getting a lot of response, people coming back week after week to continue their conversations. My own approach tends to be to start speaking about the Gospel and Jesus and a little about my own testimony pretty soon after engaging in conversation, if led to do so, but I am naturally shy and this is very hard to overcome but with experience, this shyness is bound to become less an obstacle. I'd value your ideas and opinions on evangelism as you experience it and practice it. Stephen.
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Billyeah
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Posted: Thu Mar 8th, 2007 11:10 pm |
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Hey praise the Lord that you are spreading the Good News! I personally think it is something that Christians as a whole have been ignoring.
You have a slightly different style than I do, but hey no one way is the only way. I would personally be supportive of the guy on the street corner, but it does matter what his message is. All too often street preachers come across as self rightous. If a preacher can get the message across, that he is just as wretched as the next person, and it is the blood of Christ that saves him, and not any good works he has done, then I think it can be beneficial.
Look in the Bible, there are street preachers everywhere: most of the old testiment prophets, Jesus, Paul, Peter, the list goes on. So it is Biblical and can be effective if done right.
I would really recommend for you to check out http://www.wayofthemaster.com and listen to "Hells Best Kept Secret" It is possibly the best message on evangelism that I have heard.....ever! It explaines how to reach a sinners conscience by using the Law of God the Ten Commandments. You have to listen to the message to really get it. I can't really explain it that well.
Let me know what you think. PM me if you want.....
Bill
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guitarist63
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Posted: Fri Mar 9th, 2007 01:32 am |
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Thanks for your encouraging reply, Billyeah and the very useful website http://www.wayofthemaster.com which I will of course have a look at. I'll contact you privately about the evangelism over the weekend. I am out on the streets again tomorrow with the group at midnight until after 2.00 in the morning. That time, we meet all the heavy drinkers, the rough types and the general public out late enjoying themselves. It amazes me how open a lot of people are to hear the Gospel. You're right about street preachers. I am just too introvert to survive more than a few seconds trying that myself. My father, once a Baptist minister, used to stand in a local playground and preach to his own generation when he was 16 years. His style, so he told me, was to tell the Gospel "from creation to Calvary." That was more a monologue, he said. He was also preaching in his church that age too! I heard him preach - he was very inspiring and his sermons packed full of spiritual nourishment as well as holding the attention. I am open to correction about my ideas on evangelism - especially because I am a novice at it. I did go out with a door to door evangelism team in my "new frontiers" church that I joined at the age of 16 in 1979 but I didn't repeat that again. We also sang at street corners and gave out tracts, and groups (Christian rock, etc.) performed concerts with talks between songs as a way of reaching out to the local people. I even persuaded one of these groups to visit my school and sing to the classes there.
Last edited on Fri Mar 9th, 2007 02:00 am by guitarist63
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geeky_student
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Posted: Thu Apr 5th, 2007 07:07 pm |
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Thanks! Yeah, like i said, i was feeling worried about "whether am i truly saved or not". Good thing the Lord reminded me that I need to repent my old ways.
I think I have taken the grace of God for granted--"hey I am forgiven, it doesnt matter if i sin." I pray that God will take such false thinking out of my mind and transform me into the person He wants me to be.
Reminds me, about evangelizing, God has done some amazing things in my heart--as i became a believer, at first i was immature and thought to bring people to Christ as soon as possible so it would show how i am such a great Christian (getting glory to self instead of God), then i have been lukewarm--many times I hear the Holy Spirit tell me to approach these people, but i didnt want to because there were others around. Now, amazingly, God has softened my heart and let me talk to others about Him during a daily conversations, so i am not as afraid as before. I am kinda pushing the boundaries to talk about Him directly. And He has blessed me truly in many ways. Thank God!
One person i am kind of afraid to approach, is the girl i love. She is Jewish and i dont know how she and her family would accept Christ. I have often thought the thought of her family thinking me as some guy turning her against them if i did that, or thinking that our marriage would never work out. On the other hand, i thought of Judgment Day, picturing her and her entire family thrown into the lake of pains me. I pray that God will soften their hearts and give me the words to say and let me speak when He tells me to.
God is with us, let us LISTEN to Him and OBEY Him!
I will continue praying for you guys!
Keep clean! 
____________________
For God, for her, for my parents, for own good.
tip: when tempted, think of God, think of that special someone you love.
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guitarist63
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Posted: Thu Apr 5th, 2007 08:34 pm |
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Hallelujah! Praise God that He is using you, Geeky, to spread the Good News. We should not worry about what words to say (that's not to be cavalier about it, though) but trust the Spirit to inspire us and give us the words to speak and the time to say them as well. I have heard folks talk of the sin of commission and of omission. I am not familiar with that at all. I think that it's always a good idea to share the Gospel, even if you do make mistakes about timing.
Yes, I think we're all guilty of taking advantage of God's grace and yes, we should not continue in sin "so that grace may abound" as St Paul tells us. Praise the Lord for your progress. Praise Him for the changes He has made to your heart.
With regard to the Jewish race - surely God says so much in His scripture about them that speak of being called, set apart, chosen. They are also within God's plan of salvation of the world. By the way, I have a Jewish friend who had cancer who was prayed for and he now doesn't have it. He's been clear for over three years now. Of course, God heals unbelievers as well as believers as we see in Jesus's earthly ministry in the New Testament, and carried on in lives of the apostles and believers of the early church. This ministry of healing surely continues unbroken to this day. Stephen
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truthseeker
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Posted: Thu Apr 5th, 2007 11:31 pm |
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Hi GS,
I'm not going to tell you that it has worked yet, but I have a Jewish friend with whom I share from time to time. I try to focus on what we already have in common, which is all of the old testament. I have talked about the foreshadowing of Christ in Abraham's intended sacrifice of Isaac, where, miraculously, a lamb was provided to take his place, and Passover, another beautiful picture of our salvation. The Psalms and Proverbs are also full of wisdom, with some of the Psalms being prophetic as well.
Praying for wisdom as you share, as well as your ongoing struggle...
TruthSeeker
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gaylon
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Posted: Fri Apr 6th, 2007 08:08 pm |
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geeky_student wrote: ... the girl i love. She is Jewish and i dont know how she and her family would accept Christ... Do a Google search on "messianic jew", and there are some good resources that could help out...
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guitarist63
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Posted: Sat Apr 7th, 2007 04:18 pm |
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Hey Geeky, I recently finished studying passages in the Old Testament that refer to a Messiah or would be considered messianic or suggest some aspect of Christ's passion or other reference to his life (birth, etc.). I expect you probably know a good few or all of them but here they are and I might have left some out:
Psalms:-
2, verse 7-12; 22, verse 1; verse 14-15; verse 16 "They pierced my hands and my feet." Verse 18, "They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." 31, verse 5 "Into Thy hand I commit my spirit." (Of course, Jesus knew the scriptures back to front and quoted them, as He did, even on the cross) 41, verse 9 (? suggests to me the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, although he is not mentioned by name); 69, verse 20-21; 26; 80, verse 17; 110, verse 1-3; 118, verse 22-23; verse 26; 129, verse 3.
Isaiah:-
7, verse 14-16; 9, verse 6-7; 11, verse 1-5; 16, verse 5; 28, verse 16; 42, verse 1-8; 49, verse 5-9; 50, verse 5-7; 53, all: verses 1-12; 59, verse 16-20.
Jeremiah:-
7, verse 11, "Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I even I, have seen it." declares the Lord. 33, verse 14-16; 23, verse 5-7.
Ezekiel:-
21, verse 27
Daniel:-
7, verse 13-14; verse 27
Hosea:-
11, verse 1: "When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son." (I interpret this as referring to Jesus, Mary and Joseph's return from Egypt where they fled to escape the wrath of Herod.)
Micah:-
5, verse 2-5: "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." Verse 3 Therefore, He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel. Verse 4 And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth. Verse 5 And this One will be our peace."
Zechariah:-
3, verse 8: "Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you - indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch."
6, verse 12 "Then say to him, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. Verse 13 Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices."
9, verse 9: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Malachi:-
3, verse 1-3: "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the Lord of hosts. Verse 2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. Verse 3 And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness."
I hope these messianic references help, Geeky. You may find others I missed. Blessings this Easter, Stephen
Last edited on Sun Apr 8th, 2007 12:18 am by guitarist63
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geeky_student
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Posted: Sat Apr 7th, 2007 11:36 pm |
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WOW 
thanks Stephen, for your time and contribution
tomorrow is Easter 
God is with us! Let us LISTEN to Him and OBEY Him!
I will continue praying for you guys!
Keep clean!
____________________
For God, for her, for my parents, for own good.
tip: when tempted, think of God, think of that special someone you love.
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