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Hi to my Forum Friends,

In the discussion begun by IamShouting! titled "How Can Anyone Deny This?" -- Nagel and I have been discussing the merits of sharing the Gospel with folks we meet.

In this discussion, Nagel tells me, "I don't pursue an active role in spreading the words of Christ because I do not wish to chase people away from Him. If some one is seeking Him and comes to me, I will gladly do all I can to help them find HIm. But I will not try to force Him upon people who are not looking, or people who aren't ready yet."

My Friend, if you feel that sharing the Word of God with people will scare them away -- then, change your approach in sharing. But, do not stop sharing His Word.

How will you know if someone is seeking -- if you are not sowing?

About ten years ago, I went to the Emergency Room for an infection on my foot. While standing in line to register, I noticed a young man, about twenty, standing behind me. This young man was very noticeable -- for he could have been the poster boy for the White Supremacist Groups. He had the shaved head, the muscle shirt, the tattoos all over -- the first thought that would come into anyone's mind upon seeing this young man was: White Supremacist.

After signing in, we went into the waiting room. I sat down, took out my Bible and began to study. I noticed that he also took out a book and began to read. As he held up the book to read -- I could see tattooed letters on his fingers. They read H-A-T-E. Yet, the book he was reading was the Bible. I was intrigued, but said nothing because there were other people in the room.

We both were called in to see the doctors and afterwards, I went into another waiting room to wait for my prescription to be filled. The young man was in this room also. When there was no one else around, I turned to him and told him, "I am very curious. Your hand says HATE -- yet, the book you are reading says LOVE. What is the story?"

And, this young man told me an interesting story. He, indeed, was a devout White Supremacist. His whole family were White Supremacists. And, the only music he listened to was what he called Dark Music, i.e., Satanic music (his words).

Then, one day he was walking in our town and a guy walked up to him and began to share Jesus Christ with him.

Would you have done this? I am ashamed to say that I most likely would have crossed the street and walked on the other side to avoid him. Yet, this on-fire Christian man walked up to this White Supremacist and shared Jesus Christ with him.

Nagel, you tell me, "But I will not try to force Him upon people who are not looking, or people who aren't ready yet."

Looking at this White Supremacist, would you have thought he was looking or ready to seek God? Would you have thougth him a good prospect for the Gospel of Jesus Christ? No. Most of us would have seen a hate-driven White Supremacist.

Yet, even though he saw no seeker, this Christian man walked up to this very obvious White Supremacist and shared Jesus Christ with him. And, right there on the street -- this White Supremacist repented and received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Now that young man is an on-fire Christian believer and an evangelist.

There, in the hospital waiting room, he and I began to swap our writings, our tracts, and both pulled out our Bibles and began to fellowship.

I was supposed to call my daughter to pick me up -- but, I got so involved that several hours went by. It was not until I heard my name on the hospital paging system that I remembered that I had not called her.

What would have happened that day if that Christian man had crossed the street to avoid the White Supremacist -- instead of walking directly up to him and telling him that he needed Jesus Christ? Very likely, that young man might never have become a Christian believer -- and others whom his life has touched and will touch -- might never become Christian believers. What a tragic loss that could have been -- except for one very brave Christian man who was not afraid to share Jesus Christ on the street.

But, praise God that man did not cross the street. No, he was not afraid that he would, to use your words, "chase people away from Him." I do believe this man was more concerned about letting someone slip through His fingers, slip away from Jesus Christ -- not worried about chasing people away from Him.

Nagel, we can all find reasons, justifications, for not following the Great Commission Jesus Christ left with us: Go, Make Disciples, Baptize Them, Teach Them (Matthew 28:19-20); Be My Witnesses (Acts 1:8); Preach The Gospel In All The World (Mark 16:15).

However, how will we explain to Jesus Christ on Judgment Day why we did not tell that man, or that lady, or that child, or that homeless man, or that White Supremacist, about His Gospel -- and let this person slip away into eternal condemnation? How will we justify that to Him?

No, my Friend, we are not called to be Couch Potato Christians -- we are given a Commission in His Army -- the Great Commission; and we do not want to tell Him on Judgment Day that we refused His Commission.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

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I think there are times when it is appropriate to share the Word of God. And when these times come into our lives, they are usually quite clear.
However, I don't think, for example, if I were in a package store buying a case of beer or a few bottles of wine (has happened) it is appropriate for someone to call me out and say that drinking is a sin, and I'm not "right" on my walk with Jesus.
Nor, if a homosexual couple was walking down the street, would it be appropriate to say "Hey- you are going to hell!".
It's just a matter of time,place and appropriateness.
As St. Francis said, Preach the Gospel at all times, sometimes, if necessary, use words.
When Jesus said "go and make disciples", I don't think He intended pushing religion on people- rather, living an example that is Christ-like. That is what draws people in. Not the bible-thumping and scare tactics.
Very well written, nice story, happy ending.
nicely done, Sir.

it don't acctually change anything because i already know all the verses you quoted at me.

i also know that it's not my place to roam around and jump out at people and spout Jesus at them. I've had people do this to me, and i didn't like it. i don't like it now, and i am a believer.

what i wonder is how many people did your evangelical street walking skinhead converter cause to slip farther away from God before he got lucky that one time?

i also think that the guy was remarkably lucky that he didn't end up with a steel toed boot planted in his face, but good for him.

look, i'm not sure that i'll be able to make you understand my point on this, but i'll try.

I have a friend. he's a wavering agnostic at the moment. he used to be like i was, a devout atheist, but he WANTS to believe. he just can't find the faith in his heart at this time.

he was raised baptist, i think. very devout parents. good people.
The people at their church would show up at any random time through the week, and talk bible with his parents. it bored him (he was a kid, of course it did) so he always left the grown ups to chat and went to play. pretty soon at church the other adults would find him personally and push him about him not sticking around. and they pushed harder. and as he grew, little by little stopped going to church because he always got flak for not wanting to sit though hours of talk about the bible at 11 years old. so he pulled farther and farther away from the church. so they pushed harder. they started making visits to see him, specifically, and started telling him he was going to hell because of the path he was taking. someone from the church acctually showed up at his school, to harass him while he walked home.

while telling me all of this (we were in our middle ish 20's at the time) he likened the whole idea of religion to someone standing in front of you and putting a gun to your head and saying " Love me and obey me, or DIE!", only worse. he said "the guy with the gun can only kill you once, but their god promises eternal suffering for saying no."

He'd had religion beaten into his face for so long, it made him athiest. they litteraly preached the faith out of him.

now, he's slowly accepting the possibility he might have been wrong.

tell me, if i used your advise and went at him every chance i got, how long do you think it would take to break that hope and want to find God, and turn it right back into the same position he was in before?

now and then, he does come to me and says' hey, what about this?" and we'll end up discussing god, christ and faith in general for hours.

you use the idea of spreading his word like a hammer and a huge fishing net.

i'm a little more subtle. to continue with the fishing idea (which i might screw up, because i hate fishing) i would rather slowly and carefully reel in one lone fish, than to toss my net wide, get a few and scare others off.
if by vigorously trying to save someone, you cause them to turn away from christ, is it any different from me not saveing someone by not talking to them at all?

acctually, i think it's worse, because the guy i didn't talk to might decide he does want to talk about it and find someone, while the one you chased away might never come back.

Bill, i'm not going to tell you that you're wrong, but i will tell you that you catch more flies with honey, and people who take an up front in your face hardsell tactic to spreading the word have a tendency to sour the message.

to me, the verses you quoted mean that if given the opportunity, spread his name. they don't mean run around and beat people in the head with your religion.

quote:

How will we justify that to Him?

i won't have to. he knows what's in my heart, and why i do things the way i do them.

but for YOUR benefit:
I'll say to him, "I was making sure, that while trying carefilly to spread your words, i wasn't the cause of someone turning a deaf ear."

quote:

My Friend, if you feel that sharing the Word of God with people will scare them away -- then, change your approach in sharing. But, do not stop sharing His Word.


i did change my approach to something that won't scare them away.
but now you're telling me that i'm wrong for doing it.

/shrug.
Last edited by thenagel

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