Thursday, July 16, 2009

If I Can Help Somebody As I Pass Along


"Then I will teach transgressors your ways." Psalm 51:13 (NIV)

What did Jesus describe as the ways of God?

Mathew 25:35-36: “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home. I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.”

How many times do we hesitate to share our faith with others? Maybe we are too busy, or maybe we are afraid of rejection. Sometimes we may look for excuses not to share our faith. That is not what Jesus commanded when He said we are to take the gospel even unto the ends of the earth. Jesus cared enough about mankind to leave His throne in Heaven to come down here in order to save us, and He sacrificed His life on the cross so that whoever would believe in Him would not die but live for ever.

The late Rev. Wade Watts once said, “I am obligated by God to tell you the truth (Ezekiel 3:17). These old people living in the slums are my mothers and fathers; those in poverty are my sisters and brothers; those trapped on drugs are my sons and daughters. I am obligated to help them; I am obligated to clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, feed the hungry and administer to the sick. If I can help somebody as I pass along…”

The next time you feel the urge not to share your faith in Christ with a stranger, remember your decision may effect their life one way or the other.

Roger Simms was hitchhiking home when he was picked up by Mr. Hanover. As they drove towards Chicago, Roger felt God urging him to share his faith. When he overcame his fear and asked the man if he would like to receive Christ, Mr. Hanover stopped, bowed his head on the steering wheel, began to cry, and accepted Christ. "This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me," he said.

Shortly afterwards he dropped Roger at his house and went on to Chicago, which was about an hour down the road. Years later, while preparing for a business trip to Chicago, Roger came across the gold-embossed business card Mr. Hanover had given him years earlier. When he arrived in Chicago he decided to look up Hanover Enterprises and found it located in a skyscraper downtown. When he asked the receptionist if he could see Mr. Hanover, she said, "No, but his wife is here."

"You knew my husband?" the woman in her 50's asked. Roger explained that her husband had given him a ride and how he'd led him to Christ. "When was that?" she asked. "May 7th, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army." She began to sob. After several minutes she regained control and said, "I prayed for my husband's salvation for years, believing God would save him. But right after he let you out of his car, on May 7th, he was killed in a head-on collision. I thought God had not answered my prayer, and I stopped living for Him five years ago." That day she recommitted her life to Christ.

Yes a life can be affected, one way or the other. Share your faith - somebody needs it! If I can help somebody as I pass along…….

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Why You Should Share The Gospel




By Pastor Johnny Lee Clary


How many times do people not share the gospel from someone they either just meet or have known awhile that is not saved, for fear of rejection? I speak to people all the time that tell me that they have been yelled at, told off and even threatened by people they have tried to share the gospel with. When this happens a lot of people fear ever doing so again. It is really sad that someone would take offense at someone trying to show them how to keep from going to Hell and attain eternal life instead.

One thing that can be said when someone takes offense is, “Excuse me sir or ma’m. If I saw you in a burning house I would do my best to try and save your life. Sorry I cared enough about you to try to get you a ticket to Heaven instead of seeing you spend eternity burning in Hell.”

I know that probably sounds offensive too but believe me it works. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

"How much does a so-called Christian have to hate you if they really believe in Jesus, Heaven, and Hell and never tell you about it?"

An atheist even said once that what irritated him even more than someone sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with him, was a person who claimed to be true believers in Jesus Christ, Heaven, and Hell, but thought so little about people that they never told them about it!

That atheist was right to say what he did. Jesus thought enough of us and loved us enough to leave His throne from heaven, come here to Earth, get rejected and ridiculed and then go to the cross to suffer the most horrible death ever known to mankind so that we could have eternal life! And then we are going to be so selfish as to not wanting anyone else to know Jesus?

Who are you telling about Jesus? Better yet - who are you not telling about Him that really needs to hear His story and yours? Are you sure you believe in Jesus and in Heaven? If so, why not tell everyone you know about this amazing news we call the Gospel?

Tomorrow is not a promise. It is only a chance that you or I will be here. Maybe we should think about taking every opportunity to rescue people that are on that Hellbound train and getting them a ticket to Heaven instead!

They might tell you to buzz off, and you might feel rejected, but remember that it is not you that are really rejecting, it is Jesus. Then again, maybe, just maybe they won’t tell you to buzz off and maybe you won’t feel rejected. You may be able to reach them just at the right time in their life, so why not give it a try? God needs you and why? Because God works through people. You may be the only person that can reach that person you are sharing the gospel with. Your pastor can’t be everywhere and neither can the guest evangelists that your pastor invites to your church. You have to opportunity to meet people through the week at your workplace, your neighborhood, the local bar, the ball game, or even in your family that your pastor does not. You may be the only Jesus that they ever get a chance to see if they do not go to church or watch preaching shows on TV. Why not take advantage of that opportunity? What are you going to say to Jesus if you don’t?

I do not care what these new age politically correct idiots say about how we are to keep our faith to ourselves and not infringe upon the rights of others by sharing it. I obey what God’s word says instead of man. Acts 5:29. It also says in Ezekiel 3:18 “Suppose I tell you that wicked people will surely die, but you don't warn them or speak out so that they can change their wicked ways in order to save their lives. Then these wicked people will die because of their sin, but I will hold you responsible for their deaths.” Jesus said we are to go into all the world and share the gospel. (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 1:8)
If you truly believe in WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) then you will work as hard as possible to get people off of that Hellbound train.

That’s why you should share the gospel!