THE FOUNDATION STONE OF EVANGELISM

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Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on February 16, 2010 at 1:01pm

SHARING OUR PERSONAL TESTIMONIES

One of the most exciting and interesting ways to share Jesus is to give a personal testimony.

Your testimony is the basis of your witness. It is your story, your firsthand account of what God through Christ has done in your life.

Your testimony has authority. There may be many questions about the Bible that you may not be able to answer, but you are the authority with your testimony.

Writing out your testimony will help you be ready to tell your story about Jesus to anyone who asks.

Your testimony is important, and if it is important to you, then it will become important to other people who who share it with.

As you prepare your testimony, seek the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Because you will have a very brief encounter with each person, it is necessary for His leadership in preparing to share your testimony.

God honors preparation. So carefully prepare your testimony so you can effectively share Jesus Christ with others.

Use short, simple phrases. Keep your testimony to the point. Remember, you are not describing the theology of how to be saved. You are simply sharing what Christ has done in your life.

A person might criticize, "Preparing your testimony is mechanical." Actually, as you share your testimony and relive the experience, God through the Holy Spirit can give your testimony a new thrust, a new dynamic, and new meaning, refreshing your heart and life.

God showed me the following way to share a testimony, It is really simple, all you need to do is fill in the answers and then share it with others.

The following might be some questions you might ask me about my faith.

Questions
Before you became a follower of Jesus Christ, What was your life like?
What was your family like?
What was your mindset?

Answer- My life was... My family was... My mindset was...




Questions
What caused you to begin considering God?
How did you come to the conclusion that Christ was the solution to your needs?
What finally motivated you to actually come to God for forgiveness, and to accept Christ as your Lord and savior?

Answer – It was because I ... I came to realize... it was when...


Questions
Tell me what took place, and tell me how did you receive Christ?
Did some one tell you how to do it?
Did you read the Bible?
Did you go to church?

Answer - I received Christ when...

Question
Since you received Christ into your life, and became born again; What are some of the changes that have taken place in your life?

Answer – some of the changes that have taken place are...

Question
Do you have a favorite verse which is important in explaining your Faith Story?

Answer – My favorite scripture is...

Question
I want to have what you have, please tell me what I must do to be saved?

Answer – This is what you must do to be saved ...

Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on February 20, 2010 at 6:00am

RESTORATION AND TRANSFORMATION
BY R BUSHMAN

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2Corinthians 3:18)

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

“ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2Corinthians 5:17)

“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” ( Ephesians 4:17-24)

There is surely a transformation and restoration by the work of the Spirit of God when some one surrenders their lives to Christ. The old things are passed away, all things become new.
That is why Jesus in John chapter three called it, “being born again.”
For many of us it was a tremendous transformation which has led to the restoration of our souls, (mind, will, emotions) but the restoration takes time although the transformation of the heart is instant.
The things that were so important to us before we received Christ do not have the same magnetism for us any longer, the motives of our hearts are changed, where once it was all about what the flesh wanted, but now it is about what is pleasing to God that is the motivation of our hearts.

God is a God that brings new life to the soul because He is a life giving Spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:45 Paul writes, “So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” Jesus has come and has brought to us life in our hearts where as before we were dead in trespasses and sins. (see Romans 5:12-16)

It is not behavioral modification which attempts to change a persons heart by changing their
behavior, but it is a change that comes from the inside out. We will never see permanent lasting change in a persons life from modifying their behaviors. The heart must be changed which will result in a change in the behavior.

Even as Christians we try to modify some ones behavior in the hope that a lasting change can result. This is nothing but legalism which is non-productive in bringing change for yourself or others.
This is so true with how we treat our children, trying to get them to behave, without helping them to come to know Christ who can change them from the inside out. Many of our children are growing up in the church and when they come of age they depart from it.

When I think of how I was so worried about my young children acting a certain way in church so it wouldn't make me look bad as a youth pastor; my heart grieves because instead of leading them to Christ I taught them how to be posers, and did not teach them to have a personal relationship with Christ and see them be transformed.

We need to bring others into a relationship with Christ, then allow the Holy Spirit to bring the changes that are needed.

There is a young girl I know who was into the whole punk rock scene with all the stuff that goes with it. She surrendered her life to Christ and no one said anything about her appearance, then after a few months she changed her whole appearance. I ask her one day what happened? She said, “I just wanted to look on the outside like I do on the inside now that Christ has changed my life.”

Are we willing to trust God with the work of transformation and restoration of those who are in our world. Maybe it is a spouse, or one of your children, or a parent, or a dear friend. God is the transformer of heart and soul. Our job is to trust God, and be ready to share with them the good news that God can transform and restore a broken life.

Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on February 23, 2010 at 2:05pm

Comment by Kenneth. C. Walker. 3 hours ago
Delete Comment Someone asked me whats wrong with being a Catholic? all I could say was the Pope is just another guy and there is no proof of Apostolic sucsession as all the records were destroyed in 70 ce.... what do you say? Help!... Your Brother Kenny



Hi Ken,
The worst thing we can do is to allow ourselves to get re-active when we are faced with some one coming up to us and asking us and asking; " What is wrong with Catholics?
The Word tell us to;
(1Peter 3:15 GOD'S WORD)
"But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence [in God] when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect."

I have discovered that many Catholics are born again, and many love Billy Graham and have excepted the lord by watching him on TV.

The reason that they would even listen to some one like Billy Graham is because he is always gentle and respectful. I have a Catholic Bible so if i ever have the chance I will use it to lead them to the Lord.

Permalink Reply by R. Evan-Gombach on February 23, 2010 at 9:25pm

Shalom Ken!
Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
It is always imperative to discern someones inner condition when we speak with them. It takes a lot of strict dealing by God in applying the cross to our outward man to do that, and also to be able to speak in the power of the Holy Spirit to reach their heart, rather than their mind. An intellectual gospel will always fail. For the gospel has to come, not in the plausible words of man's wisdom, but by the Spirit and power.
Anyways, I would say the same thing to someone asking "what is wrong with Catholics?" as I would someone asking "what is wrong with Protestants?". And the answer would be "which Catholic or which Protestant are you talking about?" Then I would explain that the gospel is a ministry of Life and not doctrine. Many have doctrine, wrong or right, but don't have the indwelling Christ. And many have the indwelling Christ, but their doctrine is way off. Nevertheless, doctrine cannot save you, no matter how accurate, only Christ can. Nicodemos had doctrine, but the Lord said, "Ye must be born again." So whether Protestant or Catholic, if someone is born of the flesh, they are flesh, if they are born of the Spirit, they are spirit. I would then go on to explain how I have known Protestants who have the Holy Spirit, and Protestants who do not have the Holy Spirit, preachers and teachers included, and that discernment can only come from the Spirit Himself. Also I have known Catholics who do not have the Holy Spirit, and I know Catholics who do have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. No matter what denomination, or what Paul calls divisions which are a work of the flesh, if Christ has received them then I must receive them as well. In Christ it is not Protestant or Catholic, or Baptist or Methodist, or Charismatic or Fundamentalist, but in Christ the middle wall of partition is tore down. One Body, One Spirit. Is Christ divided? No. So we don't argue doctrine, just as the Apostles, we preach Christ and Him crucified. We have to lay hold of all that that entails. "I died with Him". "Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God." "We were buried and raised with Him." "We are seated together with Him in the heavenlies." We should lay hold of all these things by faith and then we will "know" them in living and vibrant experience. Not just in our mind but actual experience. That is the life of faith. For faith is not faith until it has substance, which is the consummation of the experience of faith.
When Christ reveals the Church which is His Body to a believer, then all those questions of which denomination is right will leave. The Church can only be seen by revelation just as Christ has to be revealed by the Father. Not what the world sees as the church, they can't really see the Church, because they don't have the Spirit. It has to come by revelation from God. The Holy Spirit even shows this in Scripture in Peter's great confession of who Jesus was and the Lord's response.
Anyways, I pray the Lord will grant unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, what the glory of the riches of His inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe.
Yours in this Quest and Testimony,
and Greetings in the Lord Jesus, Our Beloved,
Rich

Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on February 24, 2010 at 4:44am

Rich thank you so much for articulating what i believe is a proper Christian response to questions like Ken raised. This is the exact dialog i desire to see here in this forum.

Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on March 26, 2010 at 8:02am