I believe that most people don't want to be bother because they don't see true Christians out there. The bible says to preach in time and out of time. Jesus said that if they didn't like Him what makes you think they are going to like you. We just have to be bold not caring if they are going to get offended or not of-curse with love but with the back up of the Holy Spirit. If we submerge in the Holy Spirit I believe the He will speak to our hearts and show us how to reach people.
...do We Need More 'conventional' Ways Of Preaching The Gospel?
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The true "Puritans" was not the ones who sought this bible..and the footnotes that was removed, where removed because they challenged ungodly authority such as had been exercised by the RCC and by "kings" who claimed to rule in Gods authority. And of course those who translated and worked on the translation were to answer to the King and not doubt to uphold him as having rule over their faith in some way... The Puritans call this translation "the devils bible" and was chased from England in large part because they rejected this translation. Those who first settled in America "the puritans" was fleeing from the persecution of King James and the false system of religion that he was attempting to establish in England.
I agree with another poster, the world really does not want to hear what we have say. What they want is to see someone living the life. They need to see the Word become flesh in the life of a Christian not just words without that reality in their life. We are to be living epistles known and read of all men, and only then will they be drawn to the one living it to ask what the reason is for there hope.
Before I was saved I worked for a company were I saw two guys who just got hired. They never said two words to me, but I could see the light, and love flowing out of them. Their life was a witness to me and I was reading their life before me. The light of God in the life of a believer can not be hid. It is open for all to see.
It was not for several more years before I received Jesus as my savior, and I have had many people witness to me about the Lord, but the two people I remember the most were these two guys I never met. I can still see their faces and the life they lived.
I struggled with at times especially when I felt I had missed an opertunity. It broke my heart and one day as this happened I felt the Lord tell me this. It's ok. If I would have needed you to go right then and there you would have known this and would have simply obeyed. He told me to keep renewing my mind in His word and it will simply begin to flow out no matter where I am at. Let me tell you this, That event set me free !!
I pray every day before I leave the house that I miss no divine appointment.
To get back to the origional question.....I think if we truly listen for the Lord we will know which way to share the Good News Of Christ with each person. One person may do better with a personal face to face and another with emails or going to a word preaching church and be drawn to an alter call. I think we need ALL ways availible to get this word out there. I mean if you got it, use it and every one knows........we will always have our mouth. lol
Thank You for this thread. It has me thinking that maybe one should be created about the different ways that work for each of us or something like that.
Any way Have thee most blessed and Wonderful week
Jim
I pray every day before I leave the house that I miss no divine appointment.
To get back to the origional question.....I think if we truly listen for the Lord we will know which way to share the Good News Of Christ with each person. One person may do better with a personal face to face and another with emails or going to a word preaching church and be drawn to an alter call. I think we need ALL ways availible to get this word out there. I mean if you got it, use it and every one knows........we will always have our mouth. lol
Thank You for this thread. It has me thinking that maybe one should be created about the different ways that work for each of us or something like that.
Any way Have thee most blessed and Wonderful week
Jim
One to one is by far still the most effective manner of preaching the gospel.
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6: 44
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. John 6: 65
It is imperative that one should be praying for the Lord to bring someone to you; or how you can serve the Lord today?
Evangelizing or witnessing to people is of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives wisdom and knowledge as needed in the process. That is the Spirit guides one in what to say, and often supplies the necessary Scriptures to mind.
It is good to have a KJV Bible on hand for reference to the pertinent Scriptures on salvation, such as John Chapter 3 and Acts chapter 2... to begin with.
A personal testimony to healings and miracles for oneself and for others that you have prayed for, is worth much in upholding the truth of the gospel being validated by signs and wonders; as outlined in Mark chapter 16...
Inviting people to come to a church meeting is the next step in the process of helping people respond to God calling them to him.
Personal interaction and continued support and encouragement may take for some people quite a while; with others they are ready to drink living water.
It is all to do with God's timing and him working in their life.
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 1Corinthians 3: 6-7
I have been witnessing and leading folk to our Lord for a long long time. The first person I led to Jesus was when I was in Bible College in 1976. A few of us were sent to a rest home near the College to witness and share Jesus with the clients there. I noticed a man in one of the rooms that no one ever visited. I asked a nurse about this. She said, he doesn't have any arms or legs and I guess the students are afraid to go in.
I decided I'd visit him. We talked a little while, he was very nice and very lonely since no one ever went in except staff. I asked him if he knew anything about Jesus and he admitted that he didn't. I asked him if I could read the 23rd Psalm. He replied, "oh yes." I left and returned every week. One day I asked him if he wanted to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior and he said yes.
Obviously there was a lot more to the story. In reality, I believe that the Holy Spirit had prepared him for some time to respond to the Gospel, I just happened to be the one who had that honor. One month later, he went home to be with the Lord that he just began to love.
I decided I'd visit him. We talked a little while, he was very nice and very lonely since no one ever went in except staff. I asked him if he knew anything about Jesus and he admitted that he didn't. I asked him if I could read the 23rd Psalm. He replied, "oh yes." I left and returned every week. One day I asked him if he wanted to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior and he said yes.
Obviously there was a lot more to the story. In reality, I believe that the Holy Spirit had prepared him for some time to respond to the Gospel, I just happened to be the one who had that honor. One month later, he went home to be with the Lord that he just began to love.
Amen Brother,
As I was reading I expected the words to pop up saying Yes sir I have been waiting for you to ask ! ; ) Thanks Chopper I needed to hear that today.
Blessings mt friend
jim
When I was first saved, my conversion was so over whelming I had this strong desire to witness to every one I saw! Even when I was in a restaurants I I wanted to stand on top of the table and preach the Gospel to every one there. Thank God I did not do that, but I wanted to. I started by preaching the Gospel to every one at work, and many came to salvation, and some did not. Some came later after I had preached to them, and then left that job. finding them out in the world I saw them carrying their Bibles. The Word never returns void. I could not believe that there was not a Church service 7 days a week somewhere. I needed the Word every day, so as to sustain this joy unspeakable and full of Glory.
I went to a "nursing" home where people rarely ever leave once they became a resident. I waited until I saw an old guy come sit down outside on a bench. I approached him and witness the Gospel to him and asked if he wanted receive Jesus as his savior. He said yes. I led him in the sinners prayer, and afterward I left re joying in his salvation!!! I did not know at that time I would find my soon to be wife, and that we would with her parents find our self's going to many many nursing homes playing music and ministering in the Word of God for years to come. Later we would go Church to Church ministering in music and the word where ever we had the opportunity. Never charged one penny. It was all free, and it was such a blessing to do to. One Church we minister to they took up an offering and we received $2.45. We laughed about for years. What a blessing it is to give the Gospel for free.
I went to a "nursing" home where people rarely ever leave once they became a resident. I waited until I saw an old guy come sit down outside on a bench. I approached him and witness the Gospel to him and asked if he wanted receive Jesus as his savior. He said yes. I led him in the sinners prayer, and afterward I left re joying in his salvation!!! I did not know at that time I would find my soon to be wife, and that we would with her parents find our self's going to many many nursing homes playing music and ministering in the Word of God for years to come. Later we would go Church to Church ministering in music and the word where ever we had the opportunity. Never charged one penny. It was all free, and it was such a blessing to do to. One Church we minister to they took up an offering and we received $2.45. We laughed about for years. What a blessing it is to give the Gospel for free.
Something that i have believed for a long time is that the Holy Spirit will lead us to the people that He wants us to speak to, and give us the words to say. And a lot of times we have been through the exact things that they have. Right in line with 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. We have a lot of people out there who will never step foot in a church, so our lives must show Jesus. Like others have said, Jesus walking in the flesh.
God always gives us opportunities to share our faith. But the question is are we up for it? And are we prepared to give a reason for the hope that lies within us?
God always gives us opportunities to share our faith. But the question is are we up for it? And are we prepared to give a reason for the hope that lies within us?
Oh yes, my good friend Cturtle. I am so very glad to see you here at this Forum. The fact that You and the Fish Catcher are here tells me that this is a good place to fellowship.
You hit a home run with your assessment of witnessing. I believe and have followed that pattern most of my Christian walk amongst sinners. I remember one Sunday around 1978 when as the pastor of a small country Baptist Church, I was leading a Communion service when a young lady come thru the front door, walked right up to the table and asked, "Can I be saved?" Wow, talk about Baptist people shouting? You'd think they were Pentecostal
. She did get saved and she disappeared never to be seen again.All that to say, God sometimes does lead someone right up to you for Salvation. And, I had no time to prepare what to say.
Effective evangelism generally has little to do with how you communicate the gospel. If you look at Paul in Athens, in Acts 17, he proclaimed the gospel to many, and only a few followed. It wasn't that his evangelical approach wasn't well suited to the audience, it was just that those few people were the ones God chose at that moment. Of course, I'm not saying you can just walk up and say "Jesus loves you" to a stranger and say you communicated the Gospel, but you do not need to be a "professional" evangelist.
For evangelism to be effective, the only real stipulation is that it is done in the spirit and in love. If you stand by that, and are willing, the lord will work through you in your mission, and the people will kind of "show up". There isn't anything wrong with going through your christian walk and not having anybody get saved at the moment you witness to them. It is wrong however to not proclaim your faith.
For evangelism to be effective, the only real stipulation is that it is done in the spirit and in love. If you stand by that, and are willing, the lord will work through you in your mission, and the people will kind of "show up". There isn't anything wrong with going through your christian walk and not having anybody get saved at the moment you witness to them. It is wrong however to not proclaim your faith.
What you say is true Klub. Over the years, I have used many different methods. I always center around Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. That's the power of the message. If I go out just to see if anyone is interested, I might say to someone, "Have you been thinking about God lately?" Being a Calvinist, at some point the "elect" if they are not saved, will respond to the Gospel. I said, "at some point."
I don't want to discuss anything about my doctrinal position, so please don't ask, I won't respond. I respect the rules about not discussing Calvinism.
I don't want to discuss anything about my doctrinal position, so please don't ask, I won't respond. I respect the rules about not discussing Calvinism.
We only need to be obedient to the Holy Spirit to be an effective preacher 
It's a miracle any of us get saved even with all the truthful information fully presented. It takes the Holy Spirit to say just the right word at the right time with the right power for a life to be truly saved. Salvation is a life-changing event. If there's no change, there's no salvation. The Spirit is the effectual event that affects change in one's life. Glory to God He is willing! 
It's a miracle any of us get saved even with all the truthful information fully presented. It takes the Holy Spirit to say just the right word at the right time with the right power for a life to be truly saved. Salvation is a life-changing event. If there's no change, there's no salvation. The Spirit is the effectual event that affects change in one's life. Glory to God He is willing!