Every follower of Christ has the power of Jesus within. Learn how to use His power to be faithful where you are. God hasn’t made everyone to be a preacher, but we can start with prayer. Start by praying for the lost, witnessing to your community and loving the unlovable. We each can find our own secret to living and witnessing by the power of the Lord.
When I was in Jamaica in 1993, there was a group of young people who showed me what it meant to really live for Jesus Christ. I wasn’t walking with the Lord, but they were. They shared a joy and passion for life. They were Christians, but not like the Christians I stereotyped as uninvolved and disassociated. These people had fun. They laughed. They loved life, made a difference in their community, enjoyed being together, and they were so fired up about life in Christ they reached out to everyone, including me. Though they were a tight knit group, they eagerly invited me along and welcomed me.
I can’t say how much I appreciate the fact that this group embraced me, just as I was. They didn’t treat me as an “outsider” because I didn’t yet know Jesus. They didn’t hold me at arm’s length or wait for me to get my life in order before befriending me. They were quick to welcome, and through them I saw what the Bible calls the “joy of the Lord.”
Are you part of a group of believers? If so, invite others to see and experience your joy. Let’s not be content to hang out only with other believers. Let’s live in true God-honoring community, yes! And then welcome in a world that is desperate to hear of God’s love.
In order to reach our world for Christ, we must cultivate hearts of compassion like Jesus. Jesus loved those who were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” You might ask, but Luis, where do I begin? As always, prayer is a place to start! As Matthew says, “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.”
We need to pray for workers who are already actively involved in evangelism, and those yet to be sent out. We can also pray for those who have yet to trust Jesus. Make a list of the unsaved family members, friends, neighbors, and classmates. Pray regularly for each person by name. Be persistent. To God, no amount of time is too long.
My wife and I know an elderly woman who prayed for 68 years for her brother’s salvation. When he was 80 years old, shortly before he died, he finally confessed the Lord Jesus as Savior. Not only was he brought into eternal life, imagine the joy that woman received when the Lord answered her prayers! Imagine what God will do when all of His people pray persistently for their lost loved ones! People will be changed!
Many followers of Christ don’t feel they have the gift of evangelism. Their picture of evangelism is public speaking, preaching in front of big crowds, and loudly proclaiming Jesus’ name in a spotlight. God hasn’t made everyone to be preachers. You can have a deep heart for the lost even if you don’t have the gift of evangelism. Take my father-in-law, Willard, a wonderful man who was such a quiet engineer. I couldn’t imagine him saying more than a couple of lines when witnessing to others. But he had a deep burden for his old college buddies.
As a result, anytime I spoke in town, he brought one or more of them. He didn’t give up on those he loved because he wanted them to know Jesus. And let them hear me proclaim. But Willard brought them. The secret is living and witnessing by the power of the Lord.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a teacher, an accountant, or whatever. The Bible says, “Whoever who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.” Be faithful where you are, and the Lord will open doors for you. Believe me: amazing things will happen as you begin to reach your world! The Lord will use you and give you just the right words and just the right approach.
The Bible says some very sad things about the hopelessness and agony of the lost. Hell is described as a place of weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Doesn’t sound like a place where you’d want to spend eternity, does it? If we believe the Bible, we are called to have a passion for rescuing the lost. Instead of halfheartedly wishing an unsaved friend would be saved, be driven to win that person for Jesus.
We can lose hope, when our friends and relatives seem hardened against the Good News Gospel. But keep praying, realize the fragility of life. Show your loved ones His presence by living righteously. The Bible says “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” It brings fruit in its season. The rest of the verse says “And he (or she) who wins souls is wise.”
If our souls live forever, isn’t the greatest wisdom to tell another’s soul about the living God? Even if we tell the same person over and over, the Lord’s timing is right. Trust in Him to work in the hearts of those you love, and the world will change, one soul at a time!
During preparation for an evangelistic festival in Latin America, a poor, shoeless man attended one of our week-long biblical counseling courses. It was unusual for this man, who was illiterate, to participate, but our team welcomed him. One evening during the campaign, every available counselor was busy--all except for the illiterate man.
That’s when a doctor walked in—refined, sophisticated, well-dressed. He was requesting counsel. Before anyone could stop him, the shabbily dressed man took the doctor into a room to talk. When the doctor came out, someone asked him if he needed any help. “No, thank you,” the doctor replied, “This fellow has helped me very much.”
The next day the doctor returned with two other doctors. They requested to speak to the shoeless brother. By the end of the week, that illiterate man had led four doctors and their wives to Jesus Christ. What a servant! So often we look on the outside when measuring someone’s spiritual power. What really counts is the power of Jesus within. As Acts says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.” Jesus equips us to reach our world! That’s the confidence we have.
For more resources and encouragement to help you reach your world, visit Luis Palau’s “Change Your World” website.
There you’ll find in-depth, biblical resources that will encourage, challenge, and equip you in your walk with God. Enjoy tools for your own spiritual growth, and utilize helpful resources for taking an active role in changing your community and your world.
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What does it mean to honor others? What does it mean to dishonor others? Honor has been an important cultural concept for thousands of years, and the Bible actually has much to say on the subject. It’s important to understand honor if we are going to share the Good News.
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