Go ahead and dunk that toe!

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’”  Mark 15: 16

Ah evangelism... it's a toughie!  We all desire to see our fellow man bathed in the
glorious light of association with Jesus. We all do not relish in the fact that those who
do not know Him will perish to everlasting darkness without God... and that's a 
terminal sentence.

Yet it really is most difficult to really pick those moments when God presents
opportunities to share the love of and trust in Christ Jesus.

Well, having been allergic to physics my entire educational life, I do understand,
at a rudimentary level, what happens with a body of water when one places a
toe into its surface. It's the ripple effect and it's quite fun to watch and admire.
That initial plop of the toe creates a series of 'waves,' if you will, that carry way
on out for awhile.

Evangelism is, in many respects, just like that. I am currently batting zero, that's
a whopping 0 for 2, when it comes to 'projects,' folks I sincerely want to come to an
understanding of our Lord. I was encouraged, one evening, when, upon sharing my
sadness over my 'evangelist batting average,' I was assured that many times we
never find out what our small efforts yield, when it comes to sharing Jesus.

That smile one shares with someone on the street, that little act of kindness that
may seem insignificant when done, that encouragement we share with someone
in the name of and to the glory of our Lord Jesus may eventually turn into a
movement in the right direction in the lives of those out there on the edges
of the ripple we have started.

Just think what a cannon-ball might accomplish...  Yet, I am thinking that sometimes
a subtle, toe drenching effort may very well be the one God encourages when
we reach out to someone.

Take off those shoes. Submerge that pinky. Do it for Jesus and do it for one of
His created!

Praise God.

Lost sheep without a shepherd

 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10-9

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28: 18-21

Evangelism. It's a tough topic; yet, it is clear that this is supposed to be something we do
actively as part of a Christian life. I would rate myself "poor" at best in this aspect! There
are a couple of folks that I care very deeply about that I have been clumsily working on
in a rather subtle way. I'm sure that the Spirit is working within me to help but it is
slow going, at best.

There are many lost sheep out there that need to be find their shepherd. I believe that God
seeks all people, taps them on the shoulder, makes His glory openly clear to them and then
waits for their response or lack thereof. So it is God, certainly, that reaches out to these lost
souls. Our job is to be willing, when we are placed in situations where we can communicate
our own knowledge of the gospel and our love of Jesus Christ, to share ourselves and our
love of Christ Jesus.

The responses to my own efforts have been weird and, probably, common. "I have a lot on my plate right now, do not have time for this!" I have gotten the "humorous" responses
given to deflect any serious discussion of Jesus. Sometimes that humor can be blasphemous
and that is very scary! I haven't really run into any especially rude situations, but I tend to
limit myself to "safe" situations. Ravi Zacharius I am not! 

I tend to convince myself that I don't know enough, yet, to carry on a successful conversation, to answer questions clearly and correctly...the fact is that it is the Spirit 
speaking within us that allows for the "right things" to say. "Preach the gospel at all
times, when necessary, speak," is a rough approximation of a quote by St. Francis of
Assisi that really captures a means of sharing God and Jesus. 

We need to relax and approach the need to share with confidence that God is within us
and working to gather His sheep. What a blessing it is to be placed in situations where we
can praise Him and share His life-saving gospel of salvation through the sacrifice of His
son upon the cross. Thank you, Father God!