Witnessing Today

[Carol Walker]

While certain kinds of Tracts (Smile Cards) may not be a good way to represent our Christ, are there other kinds? Maybe donating Bibles is the best way to spread the Word if you don't really have the time to sit down for a long talk with someone about Jesus. I don't know a lot about witnessing, being a young Christian myself, but simply giving out Bibles doesn't appear to help if the person who's reading it has questions they don't know how to answer. So, what's another way?

 

[GallagherM]

Teaching. That would be the best method. Chapter by chapter introducing them to Christ Jesus. Prayerfully try to understand the scriptures. Also using external evidence like date written, history, background, audience. It’s not easy. But God will do building you just do the peddling you just gotta keep trusting him, and keep faith. Remember scripture says, helping one person understand the truth about Christ is better than the 99 who already knew.

Christ and God are heart changers. God gives us the spirit and a new heart.

 

[Sidon]

Teaching. That would be the best method. Chapter by chapter introducing them to Christ Jesus. Prayerfully try to understand the scriptures. Also using external evidence like date written, history, background, audience. It’s not easy. But God will do building you just do the peddling you just gotta keep trusting him, and keep faith. Remember scripture says, helping one person understand the truth about Christ is better than the 99 who already knew.

Christ and God are heart changers. God gives us the spirit and a new heart.

What if you only have 5 mins or less to deal with them about their soul, and you get one shot.?

I remember Charles Stanley stating that as a young preacher, he had been invited to some church, and was there from Friday till Sunday, preaching long hours all 3 days, and that Sunday night he had to get back to the Hotel.
He was exhausted.
It was night, and he was getting out of the Car that brought him to the Hotel...and on the way in a man stumbled by and Charles says he had that knowing in his heart that told him that God wanted him to witness to that man.
He didnt do it.
The next day, he got a newspaper early in the Hotel lobby and was having coffee and on the front page he saw the headline and realized that the man he saw that night before in the streetlight , was in the photo, and had been killed .

Sometimes if you dont have a lot of time, its good to have a Tract handy.
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But its best to always have an answer for their argument, as they always have one.

Ive witnessed to people in groups in the street and had one telling me he was going to hurt me if I didnt get away from him, and ive had others that asked me to quote John 3:17, to find out if i knew that verse, instead of John 3:16, as they'd heard that one shoved at them a million times before.
Did you ever read John 3:17 reader?
Its a good one.
Check it out.

So, you'll hear....

"well, i dont believe god would send me to hell".

" I'm not a bad person, i try to be good, in fact im better then that Priest in my city who was molesting boys in the Church basement for a few years, after Sunday services, that they just caught".

"Im not that bad".
"i was raised in church".
"i was water baptized when i was 34 mins old".
"I dont believe that bible, can you prove its true".
"there is no hell", "the devil is a myth, same as the easter bunny and snow white".
"im not going to be like those hypocrites in the church".

Here is what you dont do...
You dont get angry with them, as they already think God is angry with them.....so, no need to confirm their false fear.
God is not angry with them. God is waiting from them to come home.
Jesus is the WAY there.

Often, if you just share what God did for you.....that is the open door to their heart.
Sometimes, you can just say...." do you believe you are one day going to die? so, If you could be a part of God's family and go to heaven after you die, would you want this"..???????

Always let them know that God loves them.
Explain this as Christ dying for them because He loves them, vs, "he died for you because you are a dirty rotten sinner ... REPENT !!., as this is beating them with the Bible.
Not a good plan.

Here is the best thing to do, when you have no time to explain Genesis to Revelation.

Say...."Would you mind if i prayed for you".
They will say yes...
Ask them....is there anything that we can ask God to help you with?
They have plenty, no matter who they are and no matter how much money they have.....
From there, you LOVE THEM with GOD's LOVE.
See that open door ?
Jesus will take it from there.
You can trust Him Saint.

 

[GallagherM]

God has more time than I do. You can explain to them and encourage them to go read the Bible, but to understand that there is context to consider. @Sidon

The reality is seekers will seek.

Those who don’t care will not.

 

[GallagherM]

Context would be who it was to, who it was for, what is the purpose, and then that’s all you can do in reality. Or offer them a Bible study with teaching. It can simply be an hour. It doesn’t have to be nonstop three days.

 

[Sidon]

God has more time than I do. You can explain to them and encourage them to go read the Bible, but to understand that there is context to consider. @Sidon

The reality is seekers will seek.

Those who don’t care will not.

God is giving us the time we have left.
Its not ours. Its His. Its a gift we are provided.

When i was first starting to minister, a very experience minister told me..

Remember that you are going to meet Jesus, and you are going to give account, for what you did for Him all your Christian Life that He Provided for you . So, live each day, knowing that you are heading there, and this will help you to keep the main thing, the main thing.

 

[GallagherM]

Ok, thank you for you kind words, Sidon. Not everyone is the same and handles the situation the same. It’s good to always put God first, then others.

 

[Sidon]

Ok, thank you for you kind words, Sidon. Not everyone is the same and handles the situation the same. It’s good to always put God first, then others.

Thank you for the Thread.

 

[iarwain]

Still, in my opinion, "you never know" only gives credit to God, it can't excuse or save the person who was so flippant with the Truth.

Well, God gets the credit anyway. Even if it's the most clever and insightfully written bit of preaching.

 

[Hvizsgyak]

Hello, Wolf

By allowing the spirit of Christ to flow through you, and pray for them. There are many people in this life who will do as you are expressing. And it may hurt to hear them laugh and mock, and if you know the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Think about Him, he was mocked, and even spit on his face, beat with fist of others, he was doubted, and laughed at. He took and bore all the sins of man kind, that people have had their sins paid for. They have the freedom of Choice to look towards God or not. Took me 26 years after my life of even mocking and laughing at God to realize that God was real.​

Pray for those who hate you, or despitefully use you Jesus had said to his disciples.​

Some will listen to the truth, some will not and reject it. The Gospel in the Bible of the Life, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ is the truth. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.​

​

In this day and age, it is really difficult (I feel) to evangelize to people. I kind of agree with you on your way of presenting the Truth to people and then let your words fall where they may on peoples hearts. But I feel too that most people of today do know some of the Word of God and reject it because secular society has done a great job in convincing people that God is who we want Him/her/it to be and that as long as you are a decent person, you'll be rewarded in the end. The people of today think we are just trying to get them come to our church to hear some priest/preacher talk about Jesus.

I feel we need to give people a reason to believe again. Some people can't afford to pay all the bills and fees they are faced with these days. Some people have lost loved ones and friends to COVID-19. Some people have lost loved ones and friends to senseless violence. Some people have lost everything to some form of natural disaster. Some people have traveled hundreds of miles to try to have a better life, only to be sent back to where they came from. If you are a person who has suffered some terrible event recently and you know that loneliness and pain but feel God's Hope - pass that message on the another who is suffering.

Let us share the Hope of something better that our God gives to people and that the world cannot give.​

 

[GallagherM]

hello,
@Hvizsgyak ; you and I feel the same way, about the difficulty. Though there are ways God provides for us to be able to share, at least in being able to teach. Though may simply believe and may not go formally seek for God by going through the scriptures that is okay. People make their own choice; and if they are a believer God is with them. Maybe they are still immature spiritually but God most certainly is with them if they believe in their heart. Only God knows the hearts of people. Because of that, you can rest easy knowing that God is with that person.

God is our judge not us the judge of others so to me it seems as though people make their own choices to either seek after God; or allow God to speak to their heart of whatever they have done in their life; if they are a believer. And they will show love towards others you know, but sometimes they will get caught up in their flesh but we all do sometimes.

You are right about many people losing their loved ones to Covid, children whom have been stole from moms and dads, mom and dads who abuse their children, murder that happens, and the most horrid thing you could image. Pain is real; and darkness is also real. The only light that a person can give is the love of God to another person.

There is hope of salvation, and a change from darkness into the light, but that path is so narrow and winding full of difficulty that some desire to just not have as much knowledge of the bible which is okay in my best estimation, people will do as they desire. As believers we can present the truth but after that the person has to make a choice from the heart if they desire to follow Gods way or their own way. None of us are perfect but there are people who are mature in the faith and desire for all to come to the knowledge of truth; just like God does desire for all to come the knowledge of the truth about the Son of God our Lord Jesus Christ.​

 

[Herbivore Wolf]

​

In this day and age, it is really difficult (I feel) to evangelize to people. I kind of agree with you on your way of presenting the Truth to people and then let your words fall where they may on peoples hearts. But I feel too that most people of today do know some of the Word of God and reject it because secular society has done a great job in convincing people that God is who we want Him/her/it to be and that as long as you are a decent person, you'll be rewarded in the end. The people of today think we are just trying to get them come to our church to hear some priest/preacher talk about Jesus.

I feel we need to give people a reason to believe again. Some people can't afford to pay all the bills and fees they are faced with these days. Some people have lost loved ones and friends to COVID-19. Some people have lost loved ones and friends to senseless violence. Some people have lost everything to some form of natural disaster. Some people have traveled hundreds of miles to try to have a better life, only to be sent back to where they came from. If you are a person who has suffered some terrible event recently and you know that loneliness and pain but feel God's Hope - pass that message on the another who is suffering.

Let us share the Hope of something better that our God gives to people and that the world cannot give.​

This I can agree with. Talking to others with the weight of reality, the conviction of what we've known in our words... Like Sidon said, sometimes we don't have time. I would say it's a case by case basis. To live everyday displaying the work of Christ within us would be a good base, a quick word and something to give to those who have time to look when we don't have time to talk, patience to sit and speak when someone is looking for answers. Many times we will be rejected, rebuffed. Most people I encounter don't want prayer, they think my religion is a joke. They don't want Bible Study. For these people I just live around them, go to work, try to hold the love Christ gives me every day up. If they see it, may it help. If they don't, I'm doing it wrong, not living like Christ. I'm small. My witness may reach a few, by God's grace, but that's up to Him. I must take each occasion as it arrives, give it the approach that most fits the situation.

 

[Carol Walker]

I think I understand what you guys are saying. All these methods of ministering to others do seem to have a lot of benefits and ways they will work. It just gets frustrating when I try to live for our Christ before my co-workers and they pay no attention at all. Instead they tell me I'm a pure person or that I'm precious on my own. God has no part in their thoughts and when, as Wolf stated earlier, they want no Bible Study, prayer, or anything to do with Christianity, it can be very discouraging. Very hard to press forward and continue to believe they'll see Christ's light in me when some of them openly deny God and instead believe in pagan gods.
But it's not like I've tried everything. And mostly I do believe it is up to the Lord whether or not my friends at work listen to His promptings in their hearts. Especially if I can't really do any ministering for/with them. So I'll try to take some courage.

 

[Herbivore Wolf]

On another note, I would also ask how best to deal with the challenge of those who mock and ridicule us, those who have virtually no chance of listening to us? As I mentioned before, my workplace is full of these people, and living day to day knowing that displaying my faith can lead to loathing is very difficult, as I am a young Christian. It can't stop me, but it is hard.

 

[Hvizsgyak]

I think I understand what you guys are saying. All these methods of ministering to others do seem to have a lot of benefits and ways they will work. It just gets frustrating when I try to live for our Christ before my co-workers and they pay no attention at all. Instead they tell me I'm a pure person or that I'm precious on my own. God has no part in their thoughts and when, as Wolf stated earlier, they want no Bible Study, prayer, or anything to do with Christianity, it can be very discouraging. Very hard to press forward and continue to believe they'll see Christ's light in me when some of them openly deny God and instead believe in pagan gods.
But it's not like I've tried everything. And mostly I do believe it is up to the Lord whether or not my friends at work listen to His promptings in their hearts. Especially if I can't really do any ministering for/with them. So I'll try to take some courage.

At my work, its the same way. But I have learned from many years of evangelizing to people, be friends with them first and foremost. I'm not sure if any of you remember those hierarchical companies that were popular in the 90's. The ones where the more people you get to sell the products the more money you make. Anyway those people ticked me off because their approach was to talk friendly with you (as if they were genuinely interested in you) and then BAM - the marketing pitch came in. These people didn't have an interest in me or my life, they wanted me to work for them so they could get more money.

I feel that's how people in society feel today about people evangelizing to them. So my best advice to anybody evangelizing to anyone, be genuine. Each and every person on this planet was created by God. Be loving, caring and helpful to everyone. This is not a short term project. This is a true relationship with your co-workers. Get to know them, talk to them about everyday events. Aid them, laugh with them, console them, listen to their problems. Be there for them when they need someone.

I learned alot by doing that with all my co-workers especially that many of them are practicing Christians. But before, I was like that person who was trying to recruit workers to the hierarchical company. Be friends and get them in the door of the Church. Now, I realize God wants me to do more than just tell the world about Him. He wants me to truly love all His people. So I say to you Carol Walker, be patient with everyone and be as good of a friend as you can to your co-workers and your know when an evangelizing opportunity will arise. Don't force your words on a person, let God do all the talking through your actions.

There is a good friend of mine at work who use to make fun of Christianity (and his father was a preacher) and put it down quite a bit. He also had a un-Christian lifestyle. Twelve years, later after he had gone through some very dark times, he has come full circle and he talks about the love of God to everyone. God bless you.

 

[Herbivore Wolf]

At my work, its the same way. But I have learned from many years of evangelizing to people, be friends with them first and foremost. I'm not sure if any of you remember those hierarchical companies that were popular in the 90's. The ones where the more people you get to sell the products the more money you make. Anyway those people ticked me off because their approach was to talk friendly with you (as if they were genuinely interested in you) and then BAM - the marketing pitch came in. These people didn't have an interest in me or my life, they wanted me to work for them so they could get more money.

I feel that's how people in society feel today about people evangelizing to them. So my best advice to anybody evangelizing to anyone, be genuine. Each and every person on this planet was created by God. Be loving, caring and helpful to everyone. This is not a short term project. This is a true relationship with your co-workers. Get to know them, talk to them about everyday events. Aid them, laugh with them, console them, listen to their problems. Be there for them when they need someone.

I learned alot by doing that with all my co-workers especially that many of them are practicing Christians. But before, I was like that person who was trying to recruit workers to the hierarchical company. Be friends and get them in the door of the Church. Now, I realize God wants me to do more than just tell the world about Him. He wants me to truly love all His people. So I say to you Carol Walker, be patient with everyone and be as good of a friend as you can to your co-workers and your know when an evangelizing opportunity will arise. Don't force your words on a person, let God do all the talking through your actions.

There is a good friend of mine at work who use to make fun of Christianity (and his father was a preacher) and put it down quite a bit. He also had a un-Christian lifestyle. Twelve years, later after he had gone through some very dark times, he has come full circle and he talks about the love of God to everyone. God bless you.

I have often found that being genuine with people makes your religion genuine, while coming at it from too flat a view, only intending to evangelize is exactly what those whom you're talking to are on the lookout for. Ice concentrated mainly in just being friends now, but also showing no fear about displaying my religion. I'm trying not to evangelize directly, but also I'm trying not to be afraid to affirm my Christ in front of them. My co workers know I'm Christian, but I think sometimes they forget. It depends on how I display my faith.

My father always speaks about Christianity as something you're doing at every moment. Eating, sleeping, drinking your soda, putting away dishes, checking the mail, driving your kids to work, anything you do. I agree with him, for I've often found that if you are not with Christ constantly, others don't believe your faith is real. Why would it be real if you only adhere to it every Sunday, or when you pray before meals? Therefore to carry Christ with me always, to speak of Him as a real person, to continually address others as with Him in mind (even if you don't mention Christ or your religion) makes a difference in how you speak and act. My coworkers will see and understand, eventually. For now, I will be friends with them, and treat them as the precious, irreplaceable people that they are, despite how often they talk about how worthless they are. They will understand why later.

 

[Herbivore Wolf]

Since we have looked into that this subject, I would ask a variant question. I live in USA. Many of those around me support tolerance for the views of others around me, but look down on Christianity because they believe that Christians are too exclusive. There is only one Way, Christ himself. So it would seem that they are wrong, and that the various views of those around me follow Satan. Is this too simplistic a view, or are Christians being persecuted by those who would take such a stand? Do those who support "tolerance" have a point and how far does that point extend, and how do I stick to my beliefs faithfully while maintaining a good relation with those around me so that I can witness to them at my best? The Lord said that those who love Him will be hated by the world because we are not if the world. How then should we best respond to this?

 

[Carol Walker]

Since we have looked into that this subject, I would ask a variant question. I live in USA. Many of those around me support tolerance for the views of others around me, but look down on Christianity because they believe that Christians are too exclusive. There is only one Way, Christ himself. So it would seem that they are wrong, and that the various views of those around me follow Satan. Is this too simplistic a view, or are Christians being persecuted by those who would take such a stand? Do those who support "tolerance" have a point and how far does that point extend, and how do I stick to my beliefs faithfully while maintaining a good relation with those around me so that I can witness to them at my best? The Lord said that those who love Him will be hated by the world because we are not if the world. How then should we best respond to this?

The irony is that while the people around us support tolerance for other views, they do not tolerate views which disagree with their own. I wonder how they justify it.