By Aleena Denison
The following are the testimonies of individuals who, because of their love for God and their staggering zeal, went out to spread the Gospel-- but without preparation or correct training:
• Witness #1
Well, I was thinking about how I needed to tell people about Jesus, so I went up to a boy in the park and said, "Hi there little boy. Would you like to know Jesus?" He said no, so I said, "But I'll give you candy," because I know that all kids love candy and will do just about anything for it. Well, he said yes, so I gave him a few pieces before I started telling him about Jesus. Before I could finish, he ran away with the candy. Later that day, my mom told me that she'd gotten a call from a friend whose son had been given candy in the park by a girl (with my description). He'd eaten it all before he got home because he knew his mom wouldn't let him have it, but what he didn't know was that he was really allergic to something in the candy. He's in the hospital now, but the scary part is over and he'll live. So all you people out there, my mom says not to bribe someone into hearing about God, and I say, listen to what she said. Oh, and make sure people aren't allergic to anything before you give it to them!
• Witness #2
So, I'm like, sitting with my friends at lunch, and God says to me, "Dude, you gotta tell these guys about Me." So I like, suddenly stand up and yell, "Hey, do you love God?" I have to yell because they're all making all kinds of crazy noise. All the punks look at me like I'm crazy and say, "No." One dude was like, laughin' at me, so I got filled with the Holy Spirit and picked up my Bible and nailed him on the head with it. Then I opened it and smeared his face in it and said, "Accept Jesus, NOW! I love Jesus, and you'd better, too, if you don't want to burn in hell! If you don't have the Bread of Life, you're gonna be toast, punk!" The principle of the school wasn't filled with the Holy Ghost like I was, so I got expelled for a week.
• Witness #3
I decided that I needed to get out and do me some soul-winning. I dressed up how I thought a soul-winner should dress, prepared me some ideas, grabbed my big Bible (because I'm not ashamed of the Gospel) and set out the door. Well, after positioning myself in a certain place, I didn't think I'd have long to wait before a sinner came along, and I was right. A man came along, so I stepped in his path and struck my soul-winner's stance. I immediately jumped into my conversion speech. "Do you know if you were to die tonight, would you live in heaven with Jesus forever?"
The man was obviously going to blow me off, so I immediately continued. (I know that if I get the Word out, it won't come back empty) "That's what I thought, SINNER! You'd better turn or burn! You'd better get right or you're gonna get left! You'd better get sanctified or you're gonna get chicken fried! You'd better get glorified or you're gonna get french fried! You'd better get in the know, or to hell you'll go!" I then began a series of awful cries and screams.
"Do you know what that sound is? That is the voices of those who didn't repent and are in a place where they cannot return; a place that is meant for them-- where you'll go, SINNER! Your soul is as dark as your shirt, you pagan! You need Jesus! So what do you have to say for yourself?"
The man jumped in with an answer (like I wasn't going to let him talk or something), "Listen, man, if you'd have given me a minute earlier, I would have told you that I'm a believer, too. In fact, don't we go to the same church?"
I turned around and went back home.
Although zeal for God is important, there are certain approaches that should never be used in evangelism. It is important to learn the proper approaches so that negative confrontation can be avoided. In today's culture it seems that fewer people know anything about God or the Bible, so it would be a mistake to jump in with condemnation and hell. They should first see the holiness of God so when they are confronted with sin, they'll see how ugly it is before a holy God. In order for them to see the love of God, a loving approach must be taken. If you want to be heard, speak the truth in love so that they will want to listen, and may God give you courage.
Aleena Denison has a heart for seeing the message of the Bible presented in a clear way,and is dedicated to sharing Jesus with the lost and helping believers see their responsibilities in evangelism, discipleship, and Bible study. For more information and free downloads, see http://www.goodseed.com
Source:www.isnare.com |
