What are your experiences with sharing the Gospel?
- Thread starter Jeffin
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I do most of my work online in forums. I have done a lot of chat room work also. I believe i have helped a lot of people on their way. But me seeing someone brought to believe Jesus has been a very rare event for me. Often it seem to me that most posters on forum have already made up their minds on Jesus.
On the athiest forums i go to most of the posters appear to be on an anti-christian crusade. But i live in hope that i can plant a seed or two inside them that may take effect later. Also i am always mindful that most people who are unsure or are not firmly set in their minds about God. These people visit forums and read what is said without ever posting anything themselves. They are the ones i feel most hope for when in athiest forums.
Same goes for theist based forums like this. Many posters have their minds set on what they believe about God And they more focused on giving the message they believe at the expense of listening to what others have to say. So hear again it is the people in the background who are reading on but who may never post that are my greatest focus/hope.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
On the athiest forums i go to most of the posters appear to be on an anti-christian crusade. But i live in hope that i can plant a seed or two inside them that may take effect later. Also i am always mindful that most people who are unsure or are not firmly set in their minds about God. These people visit forums and read what is said without ever posting anything themselves. They are the ones i feel most hope for when in athiest forums.
Same goes for theist based forums like this. Many posters have their minds set on what they believe about God And they more focused on giving the message they believe at the expense of listening to what others have to say. So hear again it is the people in the background who are reading on but who may never post that are my greatest focus/hope.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
Hi Adstar! A very interesting post. What you've expressed is that whether it be atheists or Christians most seem to have made up their minds, and so that is that. I've been on atheist forums also as well as Christian, and sadly have to agree with you.
1. Part of it seems to be that whoever we are, what we believe at this moment is RIGHT ("we are right and they are wrong!") A decade later we may have considerably changed, yet with the new things we believe we are still RIGHT! Interesting, isn't it?!!
2. The other thing I've noticed most of my life is that few people are open-minded. I would have expected Believers to be, or at least BECOME open-minded at conversion, but it doesn't seem to be. I personally am literally much blessed of God (and KNOW it!) that I am open-minded - and am also truth-seeker no matter what the cost!! That is, I have NO fear whatsoever of something NEW!
I firmly believe that Christians should be open-minded. I don't think it can be denied that the denominationally-based churches in our societies play a large part in this. We hear from the pastors the same truths (or errors) again and again over a period of literally years. By that time, of course, we're going to have absorbed and believe what they've taught us! - and it can be mighty hard to 'break out!' (most especially from the strongly authoritarian ones of which today there are many).
3. Then there's the difficulty of being able to truly SEE something you're really close to. Beloved and I both have serious ill-health that took us OUT of churches nearly 2 decades ago. Being AWAY from denominational teaching opened my eyes and allowed me to see SO MUCH that I'd never been able to see while active in my church. Being open-minded, and upset at seeing so much church error (all churches have them - note their differences) I very earnestly asked God for the Holy Spirit to teach me the TRUTH direct from His Word (yes, it took a lot of TRUST in Him to be game to do this) - and ultimately set down what I was taught in the Inner Room messages and other threads in my Sig below.
Anything anyone can ever see I've got wrong I will THANK them if they tell me (and WON'T thank them if they don't!) I will openly check it, and if I can see that I'm in error I will publicly say so, and CHANGE!! To me that's what Christian open-mindedness and truth-seeking is about...
Glory to the One Who IS the Truth!!!
- BM
1. Part of it seems to be that whoever we are, what we believe at this moment is RIGHT ("we are right and they are wrong!") A decade later we may have considerably changed, yet with the new things we believe we are still RIGHT! Interesting, isn't it?!!
2. The other thing I've noticed most of my life is that few people are open-minded. I would have expected Believers to be, or at least BECOME open-minded at conversion, but it doesn't seem to be. I personally am literally much blessed of God (and KNOW it!) that I am open-minded - and am also truth-seeker no matter what the cost!! That is, I have NO fear whatsoever of something NEW!
I firmly believe that Christians should be open-minded. I don't think it can be denied that the denominationally-based churches in our societies play a large part in this. We hear from the pastors the same truths (or errors) again and again over a period of literally years. By that time, of course, we're going to have absorbed and believe what they've taught us! - and it can be mighty hard to 'break out!' (most especially from the strongly authoritarian ones of which today there are many).
3. Then there's the difficulty of being able to truly SEE something you're really close to. Beloved and I both have serious ill-health that took us OUT of churches nearly 2 decades ago. Being AWAY from denominational teaching opened my eyes and allowed me to see SO MUCH that I'd never been able to see while active in my church. Being open-minded, and upset at seeing so much church error (all churches have them - note their differences) I very earnestly asked God for the Holy Spirit to teach me the TRUTH direct from His Word (yes, it took a lot of TRUST in Him to be game to do this) - and ultimately set down what I was taught in the Inner Room messages and other threads in my Sig below.
Anything anyone can ever see I've got wrong I will THANK them if they tell me (and WON'T thank them if they don't!) I will openly check it, and if I can see that I'm in error I will publicly say so, and CHANGE!! To me that's what Christian open-mindedness and truth-seeking is about...
Glory to the One Who IS the Truth!!!
- BM
Hi Adstar!
I was tempted to join an atheist forum just recently because [reading between the lines] I could see that these particular folks were actually hoping that they were wrong and jokingly stated that no Christian would ever come on to their forum because they spent more time defending their theology and less time listening to what people were actually saying. Sad but true in some cases.
Amen! In my previous forum [which no-longer exists] I was mindful of the guests more than the members as I knew that they were in reality...the main target audience, many perhaps in need of some straight up answers about God.
Hi Bondman!
Praise the Lord! I really like your attitude about Christians needing to be open - minded. I would rather be wrong than to believe in a lie. That is why it is so good to see the brethren checking each other when we find that some of our long held theologies, may not be biblical. [2 Timothy 3:16]...with the deepest respect of course. As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (Prov 27:17)
My Christianity is very simple...just like yours is brother.
Kol od yheshnam ha'im, yeshna tikwa, Shav
I was tempted to join an atheist forum just recently because [reading between the lines] I could see that these particular folks were actually hoping that they were wrong and jokingly stated that no Christian would ever come on to their forum because they spent more time defending their theology and less time listening to what people were actually saying. Sad but true in some cases.
Amen! In my previous forum [which no-longer exists] I was mindful of the guests more than the members as I knew that they were in reality...the main target audience, many perhaps in need of some straight up answers about God.
Hi Bondman!
Praise the Lord! I really like your attitude about Christians needing to be open - minded. I would rather be wrong than to believe in a lie. That is why it is so good to see the brethren checking each other when we find that some of our long held theologies, may not be biblical. [2 Timothy 3:16]...with the deepest respect of course. As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (Prov 27:17)
My Christianity is very simple...just like yours is brother.
Kol od yheshnam ha'im, yeshna tikwa, Shav
Hello Shav!
I'm going to take a stab that you're Jewish, my friend (I can't read Hebrew, so please forgive if I'm wrong).
I doubt anyone's called my Christianity simple before, but yes, I see your point. The end of Revelation condemns outright all the 'extras' various churches put into people's lives. I just want the - yes, simple! - TRUTH, same as you!
Okay, it may not be all that easy to 'find', OR to live out, but it's SO WONDERFUL!!!! On the "simple to live out" aspect - because I've done it all my life without help as there's never been any effective help around - I've found it pretty difficult to get to what WAS the truth. Thus decades of... well, not a lot of actual certainty of what was truly the truth! But the time came when I got deadly serious and chose to go to the Scriptures with the Holy Spirit's revelatory help ALONE, ignoring man's intepretations, and ultimately all that I believe and live became wondrously clear and 'simple'.
I no longer struggle; I am at rest, with freedom, deep-down peace and joy daily ruling in my life. Okay, life around me is NEITHER easy nor simple - but I'm able to see it as simple and uncomplicated. I live life one day at a time, Matt 6:34, refuse to worry or fuss about ANYTHING as Jesus said, Matt 6:31:32, and then feel SO blessed to have a God Who's tirelessly worked with me over many decades, Philippians 2:13, Eph 2:10, chastised me as I needed it, Heb 12:5-11 (sometimes pretty severely because of how much He loves me), similarly brought hardships into my life for over 33 years (all of which I fully accepted) so that I could and would grow in the Lord Jesus Christ
Hey, those atheists sound a bit interesting! But how many would ultimately be open-minded? Would you mind telling me the forum in a PM? Thanks!
Bless you heaps, my brother, and much love in Jesus!!
- BM
I'm going to take a stab that you're Jewish, my friend (I can't read Hebrew, so please forgive if I'm wrong).
I doubt anyone's called my Christianity simple before, but yes, I see your point. The end of Revelation condemns outright all the 'extras' various churches put into people's lives. I just want the - yes, simple! - TRUTH, same as you!
Okay, it may not be all that easy to 'find', OR to live out, but it's SO WONDERFUL!!!! On the "simple to live out" aspect - because I've done it all my life without help as there's never been any effective help around - I've found it pretty difficult to get to what WAS the truth. Thus decades of... well, not a lot of actual certainty of what was truly the truth! But the time came when I got deadly serious and chose to go to the Scriptures with the Holy Spirit's revelatory help ALONE, ignoring man's intepretations, and ultimately all that I believe and live became wondrously clear and 'simple'.
I no longer struggle; I am at rest, with freedom, deep-down peace and joy daily ruling in my life. Okay, life around me is NEITHER easy nor simple - but I'm able to see it as simple and uncomplicated. I live life one day at a time, Matt 6:34, refuse to worry or fuss about ANYTHING as Jesus said, Matt 6:31:32, and then feel SO blessed to have a God Who's tirelessly worked with me over many decades, Philippians 2:13, Eph 2:10, chastised me as I needed it, Heb 12:5-11 (sometimes pretty severely because of how much He loves me), similarly brought hardships into my life for over 33 years (all of which I fully accepted) so that I could and would grow in the Lord Jesus Christ
Hey, those atheists sound a bit interesting! But how many would ultimately be open-minded? Would you mind telling me the forum in a PM? Thanks!
Bless you heaps, my brother, and much love in Jesus!!
- BM
What are your experiences with sharing the Gospel?
My friend and I went out yesterday and spoke to random people at a garden near place. We led one person to Christ. Others were really touched and would probably come to our Church. It was a great experience. We realized that we need a good prayer support people backing us if we are to do it again.
What are your experiences? I am hoping to learn from you all.
I have never gone out to pass tracts, or go looking for people to get saved. However I have managed to lead many of my family members and work mates to Christ.
Just last week I lead my cousin sister to the Lord. I had been praying for her for one year. When she came to visit, she had an epileptic fit.We invited her to stay for at least a month.(we suffered financially because of this, however what is a soul compared to money?).
Now she is growing in the Lord and has tasted the power of Christ by experiancing deliverence from nightmares.
Despite many succeses, I have also had failures. I rememebr a sikh at work was against me after I got saved. He acused me of changing my religion and a traitor to Sikism. The Lord instructed me to pray for him and speak to him.I kept on putting it off for tommorow and he got sacked. I now do not know where he is. He was really drawn and shocked by my testimony of being healed.I should have paid much attention.I could have done much more.
Another incident I rememebr is the first time I told a lady at work about the Lord and she just told me that I cannot tell her what to do. Her words pierced me like an arrow and I was deeply ofended for i was trying to help her. I did not dare to talk to others again until the Lord set me free from the demonic attack that came in from me recieving her words and paying alot of attention to her.
I have now learnt alot from the word of God and I now am getting many at work and in family to the Lord.
I just marvel at how many miracles Jesus has doone for these people.
One person I led to the Lord at work, went on to lead his wife to the Lord and stopped his daughter from aborting her baby.He is doing a great job for the Lord in his own family. He is a refreshing to my wery soul.
One sad situation was when Ijust got saved. I was woken up at night to pray for my mums sister, and I did.
However in those days I used to spend all my spare time playing playstation. I was saved and was enjoying my salvation and healing and freedom from fears. However I missed the leading of the Lord because of spending all time playing playstation rather that to continue to pray for others in my family and build myself spiritually with the sincere milk of the word.
She was later murdered by her husband leaving the children as orphans. I went to the Lord in prayer asking where He was and why He didnt stop it. I was shocked when the Lord asked me where I was when it hapeened. This was a real wake up call for me. I do not live a luke warm christian life any more. I do not play playstation any more and spend all my spare time in worship prayer and word.
I can tell you the details of my succeses and failures if you want. I have since learnt alot from the word of God and now am able to help many.
Thankyou, Jas. Wonderful post! You seem to have an evangelistic gift, and I love your honesty in sharing of your successes and failures. We all have them, of course, but you've learnt so much and grown and now are fully His.
May He continue to use you to lead many more to Jesus!
Blessings in His precious Name!!
- BM
May He continue to use you to lead many more to Jesus!
Blessings in His precious Name!!
- BM
Hey Jim!
I believe I owe Jas an apology for using such a strong word as 'unsuccessful.'
It seems clear to me from the NT, that if we speak the Gospel to any person in order to do just one thing: to bring due Glory to our God, then our evangelism is Scripturally right on track - no matter whether the message is accepted or not.
But this is provided that the Salvation Message is given in order to honour God rather than to offer something grossly man-orientated such as, "Oh, heaven is going to be great," and/or "This will save you from going to hell." This latter is NOT the NT message because it focuses on man and what he may want rather than the focus be to Glorify our Great and Mighty God. The former of these is Scripturally spurious and dreadfully fraudulent - while the latter is absolutely true to His Holy Word.
A quote from an old Preacher illustrates this:
"The difference is here's someone trembling
because he's gonna be hurt in hell!
[BUT] he has no sense of the enormity of his guilt
and no sense of the enormity of his crimes
and no sense of his insult against Deity!"
- BM
So true. Gods desire is that we repent from our sins Mark 1;15 believe in Him John 1;12 and receive Him as our Lord and Savior Rev 3 ;20 Then we will receive the gift of eternal life John 5;24 This part of the bridge illustration we used in Mexico which I shared at the beginning of this thread jan 13 2011
Hi Rumely and Jim!
Great comments, guys! Yeah, I loved that quote so much that I just had to use it!
Thing is, in the West most seem to sort of just throw in the word "repent" when telling someone about Salvation,** but Scripturally this is simply NOT ENOUGH. In the NT, it's not just matter of being sorry for our sin at all. Rather it's becoming utterly appalled and shocked to the depths of our soul at the life we've been living (which comes via conviction of the Holy Spirit) and we get to see the depths of our sin AGAINST GOD!!! (We simply have to get into the habit of thinking and esp. always saying "sin against the Lord God" NOT just "sin.")
Okay, so I DID sin against my mate John when I got angry at him, and had to apologise to him for that. But the worst part was that once again I'd sinned against the Person and Character of the Perfect and Holy One - at the same time happily grinding into the dust the massive Sacrifice of His wonderful and amazing SON!!
What I AM personally appalled at is that at age 72, after 54 years with the Lord , He is STILL reminding me of sin AGAINST HIM from the past - for me to repent and say sorry to Him for my utter disrespect and disregard of Who He is. Tho, yes, I did set out some months ago to do this, i.e., asking Him to bring these to mind, so I could deal with them - and get them right, and ME right with Him, via serious repentance. Worst of all, I must confess, is how major some of them have been (I'd seemingly first justified them, then somehow managed to 'delete' them... is there no limit to our sinfulness against the God Who loves us with an everlasting love?!!)
(Oops, sorry for moving off topic a little)
Love to both of you!
- BM
** I recently read on another Christian website where a Mod. (was a Mod here and proud of her doctrine) wrote down how anyone there could get saved. It was the usual simplistic and quite unscriptural "Four Spiritual Laws" type of thing, but the BIG shock to me was that she never even MENTIONED repenting!! (Made me think of Maxwell Smart's "missed by that much!" - but of course was not funny.)
Great comments, guys! Yeah, I loved that quote so much that I just had to use it!
Thing is, in the West most seem to sort of just throw in the word "repent" when telling someone about Salvation,** but Scripturally this is simply NOT ENOUGH. In the NT, it's not just matter of being sorry for our sin at all. Rather it's becoming utterly appalled and shocked to the depths of our soul at the life we've been living (which comes via conviction of the Holy Spirit) and we get to see the depths of our sin AGAINST GOD!!! (We simply have to get into the habit of thinking and esp. always saying "sin against the Lord God" NOT just "sin.")
Okay, so I DID sin against my mate John when I got angry at him, and had to apologise to him for that. But the worst part was that once again I'd sinned against the Person and Character of the Perfect and Holy One - at the same time happily grinding into the dust the massive Sacrifice of His wonderful and amazing SON!!
What I AM personally appalled at is that at age 72, after 54 years with the Lord , He is STILL reminding me of sin AGAINST HIM from the past - for me to repent and say sorry to Him for my utter disrespect and disregard of Who He is. Tho, yes, I did set out some months ago to do this, i.e., asking Him to bring these to mind, so I could deal with them - and get them right, and ME right with Him, via serious repentance. Worst of all, I must confess, is how major some of them have been (I'd seemingly first justified them, then somehow managed to 'delete' them... is there no limit to our sinfulness against the God Who loves us with an everlasting love?!!)
(Oops, sorry for moving off topic a little)
Love to both of you!
- BM
** I recently read on another Christian website where a Mod. (was a Mod here and proud of her doctrine) wrote down how anyone there could get saved. It was the usual simplistic and quite unscriptural "Four Spiritual Laws" type of thing, but the BIG shock to me was that she never even MENTIONED repenting!! (Made me think of Maxwell Smart's "missed by that much!" - but of course was not funny.)
I think this is such a crucial point in witnessing. Of course love compels us to seek the salvation of people so they won't have to suffer in Hell, but more importantly is that they be washed clean of their utter vileness, led out of the darkness, brought into the light and glory and holiness of reconciliation with God.
Oh I totally agree, my friend, that LOVE must motivate us! Just the right kind of love, in the respect that if we're not prepared to speak what is God's tough Scriptural truth to people (which few seem to, as they know no better) then no one will get to truly HEAR what they must hear if they're to become God's true man or woman. (And in the West, this LACK and ERROR has become almost wholly self-perpetuating from one generation to the next...)
Even without considering the above I read a serious report on the late teens in a strongly evangelical church in the States, where the findings were quite horrific - their knowledge of basic Christianity being almost nil compared to that of their parents.
It's a real joy (and encouragement) to me to read your posts and see your understanding of the Gospel! Blessings to you and yours!!
- BM
Even without considering the above I read a serious report on the late teens in a strongly evangelical church in the States, where the findings were quite horrific - their knowledge of basic Christianity being almost nil compared to that of their parents.
It's a real joy (and encouragement) to me to read your posts and see your understanding of the Gospel! Blessings to you and yours!!
- BM
Evangelism is a joint venture between the Lord Jesus and the saved person.
Luk 11:23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
Luk 11:23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
I always carry Gospel Tracts and give them to everyone I meet. I go out from time to time specifically to hand out tracts and chat to people about God. I haven't done any street preaching and am not sure that I will because I'm not really much of a public speaker.
I have just started to see the importance of evangelism and have started to become more and more serious about it. I tend to not seek people out, but rather have them seek me out. I believe this can be extremely effective for sertain personality types. I wear Christian shirts, put Bible verses up in my cube at work, etc. I am happy that God has chosen to use me.
i have been talking to people when I go out.
but can't share Gospel to them:/
i just first question them about their beliefs and thoughts, but the problem is I don't always have time.
Because
1- they know about religion/Jesus but just don't want to believe
2- I don't have time to talk to them, let alone even preach the Gospel to them.
if only i can meet someone who is keen on knowing -something- about Christian/Religion/Jesus
:/
but can't share Gospel to them:/
i just first question them about their beliefs and thoughts, but the problem is I don't always have time.
Because
1- they know about religion/Jesus but just don't want to believe
2- I don't have time to talk to them, let alone even preach the Gospel to them.
if only i can meet someone who is keen on knowing -something- about Christian/Religion/Jesus
:/