Are You Ready? - Part Two

 As promised last week, I am offering a few tips on preparing for the time when you encounter someone who needs to know about Jesus.

 I want to talk first about witnessing to someone you know of who needs Jesus.  I call this INTENTIONAL WITNESSING. Here’s how we can prepare ourselves for success.

IDENTIFY.  What is the name of the person God has placed on your heart? Write that name on a card and place it in a conspicuous place where you’ll see it several times a day. The bathroom mirror, the refrigerator and my computer monitor have all worked for me. Once I made the name my screen saver.

PRAY.  Prayer is the best place to begin any endeavor. Pray for your person by name as often as God brings them to your heart during the day and every time you see the card you’ve posted. Set a firm foundation by praying for your person for thirty days. Ask God: 1) to help them recognize their need of a Savior; 2) to tenderize their heart to receive the message you will bring; and 3) to give you an open opportunity to share with them.

PLAN.  Think about how to approach them and what you’ll say. What do you have in common that can be incorporated into the conversation to put them at ease? Again, this is an opportunity for prayer, asking God to direct your words and give you the courage to follow through.

RESEARCH.  If you feel you need a proven method to use or as a backup if words fail you, there are many good plans available that are tried and true. I’ve included some helps at the end.

ACT.  This is where the rubber meets the road. No matter how well you have prepared up to this point, you will lose the battle with satan for this person’s soul if you fail to act. Go in confidence, knowing you are prepared. Remember, the ultimate outcome of witnessing is in God’s hands. You are His tool. Don’t be discouraged if your person doesn’t accept Jesus after you talk to him/her. It may take several attempts to win them over. Just like planting a garden, God may use you to prepare the soil, or plant the seed, or water the seed someone else planted, or weed out the stray influences that are choking the life out of the young plant. Sometimes you will get to reap the harvest.  

Often we leave home unaware of the witnessing opportunities we’ll encounter that day. I call this UNINTENTIONAL WITNESSING and preparation is key.

PRAY AHEAD. The opportunity will come, so bathe it in prayer before it occurs. You can even radically step out and pray that God will use you in this way.

PLAN AHEAD. My brother found himself sitting next to a gentleman as they both waited to get their oil changed. The opening came and Tommy turned their conversation to spiritual matters. Tommy had a Gospel of John tucked in his pocket, offered it to the man and asked him to read it. Tommy wrote his phone number on the back of the booklet and asked the man to call him when he finished reading it. Lo and behold, the man did call. They talked and the man accepted Christ as his Savior over the phone.

Do you have a life verse or a scripture you’ve used to get through a rough spot? Use it to witness to God's faithfulness. No one can deny the validity of your personal testimony. Write it out and rehearse it out loud so you can present it smoothly. Carry a tract or other witnessing tool with you and offer contact information in case they have a question later. Remember, you may only have 3-5 minutes to make an eternal difference in someone’s life. Be ready!

Filled with joy because of God’s gift to me-

Cathy


The first help I'm offering you is as easy as A-B-C. Learn it and store it in your arsenal of tools. 

 

 

The A B C's of Salvation
 

Admit:

Admit to God that you are a sinner. Repent (turn away from) of your sin.

Romans 3 : 23    "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

I John 1:9  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins

and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Believe:

Trust that Jesus is God's Son and that God sent Jesus to save people from their sins.

John 3 : 16  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever

believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."

 

Commit:

Give your life to Jesus. Ask Him to be your Lord and Savior.

Romans 10 : 9-10  That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

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The following link is for the Steps to Peace with God pamphlet from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. I believe these are free for the asking.

https://secure.billygraham.org/testimony-tract/images/stp.jpg

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The Roman Road to Salvation         

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

We all have sin in our hearts. We all were born with sin. We were born under the power of sin's control.

- Admit that you are a sinner.

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Romans 6:23a "...The wages of sin is death..."

Sin has an ending. It results in death. We all face physical death, which is a result of sin. But a worse death is spiritual death that alienates us from God, and will last for all eternity. The Bible teaches that there is a place called the Lake of Fire where lost people will be in torment forever. It is the place where people who are spiritually dead will remain.

- Understand that you deserve death for your sin.

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Romans 6:23b "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Salvation is a free gift from God to you! You can't earn this gift, but you must believe in Jesus to be saved.

- Ask God to forgive you and save you.

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Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates His own love for us, in
that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"

When Jesus died on the cross He paid sin's penalty. He paid the price for all sin, and when He took all the sins of the world on Himself on the cross, He bought us out of slavery to sin and death! The only condition is that we believe in Him and what He has done for us.
Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!"

- Call on Jesus for salvation!

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Romans 10:9,10 "...That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"

-Pray the Prayer of Salvation


This is a great tool to use and only your Bible is required. Find the first verse in your Bible and mark it. At the bottom of the page, write the next reference so you'll know where to go next. At the bottom of that page, mark the next verse you'll need and so on until you finish. The only thing you need to remember is where to start. You references at the bottom of the page will guide you through each step.

The references (marked in black above) are listed first. The explanation of the reference in simpple terms is next (marked in blue). The parts marked in red are action steps for the person you are witnessing to.