Two Amazing Witnessing Opportunities - Part 2

As a Christian, I am so very grateful for God's Word. It reveals God's character, answers most of our questions, and provides examples of true discipleship.

I did a search for the word "continually" in the New Testament, using the NASB Bible. I found that Christ's disciples were, at times, continually worshiping Him (Luke 24:53), continually praying (Acts 1:14), continually learning (Acts 2:42), continually loving others (Acts 9:36), and continually sharing the gospel (throughout the New Testament, but see especially the Book of Acts). So, when we share the gospel, the wrong attitude to have is, "Been there, done that." Our attitude should be to continually share.

Unfortunately, too often this is not my attitude. Sometimes I am tired, or upset, or allow my pride to get in the way, or have a conversation that went poorly. Rather than continually renewing myself in Christ, I stop sharing the gospel.

Thankfully, the day I shared the gospel with Beth was not like that. I had set my pride aside, decided that I would not allow Beth's eternal destination rest upon chance, and had a wonderful conversation with a sister in Christ.

That's when it struck me: I don't know if her mother is saved.

My wife and I are part of a support group that enables Beth's mother to work regularly. Some people spend a few hours with Beth, we spend one day each week with her. Beth's mom frequently comes home very late, and very tired. "How," I thought to myself, "am I going to share the gospel with Beth's mother?"

It never ceases to amaze me how inventive the human mind is. We can imagine all kinds of scenarios where a conversation will go poorly, or circumstances will prevent us from sharing the gospel, or how the other person will be insulted, etc., etc. Here I was imagining all the reasons why I would not be able to talk to Beth's mom about Christ.

So, I prayed.

I prayed that God would give me an opportunity. I prayed that my pride would not get in the way, and that I would not allow the opportunity He gave me to slip by.

Just a few hours later, God answered that prayer when Beth's mother walked in the house early, and energetic!

She even sat down to play a game with the three of us.

After a few minutes, I started praying again that I would take the next opportunity to turn the conversation from worldly topics to eternal ones.

Then, something amazing happened. Beth said to me, "Why don't you ask my mom what you asked me this afternoon?"

I did not have to bring up the gospel, Beth did! It was almost as if God was saying, "You want an opportunity? Here you go!"

So, I turned to her and said, "If you died tonight, are you 100% certain that you would go to heaven?"

Our conversation went on for several minutes, and since then Beth's mom has asked some interesting questions about the gospel. I now have an ongoing opening to continue our conversation about the gospel. "Hey, remember that question you asked me?" is a sentence I often use to restart the conversation.

If you haven't witnessed to a friend or family member, please do. Then, start sharing the gospel with the next member of the family, or the next member of your sports team, your club, or class.

And please pray for Beth and her mother.

Why Do You Stand Watching?

The Book of Acts opens by describing an amazing scene.

Christ, the risen savior, has appeared to over 500 people on more than eleven separate occasions. He has walked with them, spoken to them, eaten with them, and shown them his scars.

Now, they stand on Mount Olivet and He gives them one final instruction: "you shall be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Then Christ rises into a cloud, to sit at the right hand of God the Father until He returns to earth.

What do His disciples do? They stand and watch.

Scripture tells us that two angels ask them "why do you stand looking into the sky?"

Today's Christians are too often like the disciples standing on Mount Olivet that night. We know Christ's commandments to "preach the gospel," to "be ready, in season and out," and to be Christ's witnesses in all the world, and yet, too often we stand around and watch.

We watch sports, we watch TV, we watch people walk by, we watch time tick away... when we should be sharing the truth with others.

Why do we stand watching?

Perhaps a better question is, how can we stand watching when we know the truth? How can we keep quiet when we know that the path to destruction is wide, but the road to righteousness is narrow? How can we watch people walk by when we know that without Christ those people are doomed on Judgment Day?

Today, stop gazing. Today, stop watching. Today, start sharing the gospel by handing out tracts or sharing the gospel with those around you.

For information on how to hand out tracts, or share the gospel, see the resources listed on the left-hand side of this blog.