I have recently been reading a book by Mike Francen. This is a man who has a passion for the unreached souls of the world. He has been in over 50 nations of the world doing crusades and has started a program called "Wells of Life" - a program where he funds the building of a well in a community that has no water and builds a church so people may hear about the love of God.
The book is called "A Passion for Souls", and it has inspired me so much, I wanted to share an exerpt with you all:
"About 1 million people in the world die each week without Christ. Does this mean anything to you? Have we a pain in our heart for perishing men and women? Are you haunted day and night with the thought that millions are perishing on every side, that multitudes are going down to the regions of despair, without one ray of hope?
When a man has been endued with power from on high, he will have a passion for souls. Boast no more of your annointing if you love not souls.
The burden for souls- how it has charectorized God's annointed ones throughout the centuries! We must be persuaded that apart from the salvation of souls, the church has no grounds for her existence.
Where is your heart man or woman of God? Preachers who should be fishing for men are to often fishing for compliments from men. Where is your heart?
According to Christ, we have one mission: to save souls. Yet they perish! Think of them- hundreds of millions, one thousand million eternal souls that need Christ!
It is the passion of Paul,"Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel." It is the anguished cry of Jesus as He weeps over a doomed city," O Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered thee." Evangelism is the cry of Knox,"Give me Scotland or I die", and of Wesley," The world is my parish." Evangelism is Henry Martyn landing on the shores of India and crying," Here let me burn out for God!" It is David Brainerd coughing up the blood of his tubercular lungs as he prays in the snow for the Indians. It is George Whitefield crossing the Atlantic thirteen times in a small boat to preach in the American Colonies.
Our goal is nothing less than the penetration of the whole world with the Gospel message. Gods will is summed up in one powerful scripture: " The Lord is not willing that any should perish" (2 Peter 3:9)"
This is the heart of a passionate soul winner. I can aspire to nothing less! It is in my heart to do my part. I have to be Melissa to this world, and give the message of the Gospel. I have heard it said - we are responsible for our generation, and I believe that to be true. I am responsible for the ones God places in front of me. We are all responsible as ambassidors of Jesus Christ to tell His message to all. This is the purpose of the Church. Without this purpose the Church has no reason to exist. This is what makes our message so different than other religions. Salvation and eternal life, hope and peace, no need to big, and a God that backs up his message EVERY time!!
About Me
- shefrog77
- I believe that we are all responsible to reach out to people around us and make a difference in this one and only life we live. I believe the Gospel must be preached to make any impact. I believe when the gospel is preached miracles are produced, and lives are changed! I am so glad I know this and live this. I also believe that everyone should belly laugh at least once a day!
7 comments:
Hello melissa. I enjoyed this post. I'm really torn when it comes to this, however. Most people around me already know and understand the message of Christ. And many of them mock it. Don't you think the term "witnessing" is a bit one-dimensional?
I am not sure how to respond to whitnessing being one-dimensional.
I look at it as sharing something thats really important to me. When something funny happens, we share it with people we know will laugh, when something sad happens we open up to people to tell them. The Gospel is something that is so vital.
Even if they reject it, I still have to try. Its something I share with people because I really feel like they should at least get the opportunity to choose. I never really know if they know or not.
I realize it so uncomfortable, but its the most important conversation of their life. I always remind myself of that.
I appreciate the comment, and I hope my response did it justice.
What up home slice...
yea i understand that.
My problem is that witnessing e.g., "telling someone about Christ and what he has done in your life" is hardly relevant. I don't think witnessing means this. I think witnessing has to do with how you live your life. You know, how you might handle inferiors in the workplace, how you handle dissent, how friendly and caring you are, how earnest and giving you can be...etc. Just waltzing up to someone's door assuming your life insight supercedes someone else's and expecting them to make a visible change within half of an hour, then you've already lost.
Trust is built on relationships. I'm not talking about 2 week relationships. I'm talking about years of interaction. The only way to REALLY change someone is for there to be a mutual and earned trust between two people (assuming they aren't family members). This whole "go to Africa, build a porch, tell them about Christ", to me, is a huge copout and totally condescending. If you really want to change their lives, you go live with them, follow THEIR rules, submit to their way of living, and perhaps be open and prepared for them to change your life, conversely. Do you agree?
I cannot disagree with how important it is to be an everyday example to people in your life. On the same token, I cannot count on the idea that everyone will get an opportunity to see someone live Christ in front of them everyday for 20 years.
We are each responsible for our life, and the people in it. I get that, but I also understand that I will have encounters with people I don't know. I realize that there will be some people that have never had anyone care enough about them to waltz up and tell them that God loves tham and doesn't want them to go to hell.
We take for granted in the US that everyone has had an opportunity to hear about God, but its just not true. Maybe they have heard, but noone has ever taken the time to break it down for them. I am all for living a life to effect people for Jesus, and yes it is proven to be the most effective evangelism tool. However, to me it is a cop out for people to not speak up and take an interest in peoples eternity just because they don't know them.
People who just assume that someone will reach those people in Africa or the people around the corner are living in a constant state of "cop out". All I am suggesting is that someone has to ask the question. We just cant walk around assuming that someone else will do it. Thats the point.
Yes, lifestyle is important. Yes, we need to build relationships. Yes, we need to desciple people. Yes, we need to make sure people have the opportunity to choose heaven. It's all important.
I appreciate the banter and your input into the subject. Its good to get all sides of the coin.
All sides of the coin? A coin only has two sides. That is stupid, so are you. I know the truth behind this whole issue, you guys don't and Josh Sager is a motard.
ha! I'm not sure what david is babbling about but apparantly he is.
shefrog (melissa), I think I can learn something from you. Your words are noted.
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