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Evangelism
by Bobby Bruno Evangelism is about seeking the lost and telling them about Jesus Christ, what He came for, and why they need Him in their lives. Evangelism is about showing the lost that Jesus Christ is the only way to live a righteous life. Evangelism is about showing the lost that there is a way to be found and restored to the creation that God originally made for and of their lives. Evangelism is about helping the lost get to Heaven through the forgiveness of God through the Holy Spirit. Evangelism is about getting to know someone on a level where you can begin to show them Christ in you, so they may see the reason they need Jesus to change their lives. Evangelism is about seeking the lost, period, and bringing them to meet the Son of God themselves, so that they may see His glory and His purpose for their lives. Evangelism is about making disciples one at a time and teaching them to live as Christ and to tell others about their love and excitement for Him. Evangelism is not about packaging a way to evangelize by selling a program or books by the millions. What good are these books if most who read them do not put the information into practice (guilty here!!!!)? Evangelism is not about getting a rushed decision from the seeker. Jesus never said to accept Him based on just His words alone, but to also let His burden be the teacher of their souls unto comfort and peace. Evangelism is about taking the time, however long that may be, to slowly show the seeker that Christ is the answer to their heart's yearning for forgiveness, a purpose, and a love like no other. Evangelism is about a face to face conversation, as this is the only way the seeker can see the excitement you have for Jesus and the excitement that He has brought to your own life. Like most new things, the New Testament church was riding on the wave of excitement the death and resurrection of Jesus started after He showed Himself to His followers after He was raised from the dead. They got to see Jesus in the flesh which spurred them on to telling all they came in contact with about the love and forgiveness of God. Today, we only see Jesus in those who desire to show Him to the world around us. Too many people go to church, go home, and think that it is enough to be a true Christian. Unfortunately, today we have many distractions that we'd rather do than to tell people about Someone they don't really want to hear about. Persecution is not a glamorous thing anymore; it's too troublesome to put oneself to all that trouble. Today it is not about finding the lost a home in Heaven, but is about hiding what you know even if what you know could save a life. Too many people are trying to protect themselves instead of helping to protect the lost from the devil's evil ways. Too many people have forgotten that evangelism is not about us, it's about the lost. If we just gave our all to Jesus in the area of evangelism, then we will have no reason to protect ourselves from any attack, from anywhere Jesus will protect us for His sake. Comment: "Just because a person comes to Christ doesn't mean they church should be finished with these people. I am one of those people, I got baptized and boom just like that I was so lost. I didn't understand what I was supposed to do next or even how I was going to do whatever I was supposed to do. I realized the hard way and am not a member of that church anymore." Author Response: Dee, I agree with you on this. I was one of these people back in 1983 when I was first "saved". I say first saved because the church I went to knew I was a new Christian, but didn't tell me what to do next or where to go to find out how to begin this Christian life. So, what happened next was, like the seed thrown on the hard path, I left that church and reentered the world and never thought of Christ again until my real salvation in 1999. The things I might have done for Jesus those 16 years! Comment: "When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit came to dwell in me, a desire to share my testimony, tell of how wonderful God and his love are, and share all the great things he has done for me came along with it." Author Response: I remember when I started going to church after I got saved. My zeal and love for Jesus had me looking for anyway to let people know how I felt about him. I got involved in a Foundations ministry that called people who put on their tear-off that they would like to receive Christ. I then help head two study group ministries: one that taught the foundations of Christianity to new believers; the other was a healing ministry where we talked about problems and life issues. I played drums on the worship team and then, later, the guitar in church, and did concerts in ministries outside of church. That was a fantastic time in my life where I was growing in the Lord quickly because I was serving Him with my whole heart and my time. Today I write articles about the Gospel, go to this school for training, and will later devote my time to getting my Bachelor's in psychology. My zeal for the Lord has never diminished and I pray it never will. Having zeal for the Lord is a wonderful thing, the thing is to sustain it even after many years since being saved. Never lose your zeal for the Lord, Darlene. It's the greatest drug known to Heaven! Bobby Bruno was saved 15 years ago in a way that left him no doubt that Jesus wanted him to reach others with His great and abounding love. He started writing at the age of 12 and hasn't stopped since. He achieved Associates Degree in Biblical Studies from Ohio Christian University in early 2014. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |