Ways to witness

[RigMedic]

When witnessing to someone or doing a little open air preaching, what methods do you use to springboard yourself into the gospel? I personally prefer to witness to someone one on one. I find that when doing this the person is much more honest with thier answers and is more likely to respond to the gospel, even if I may never see it. Plus, with one on one, its less likely for the topic to get derailed, IMO. I firmly believe in giving the law to the proud and grace to the humble. The reason being this, How can someone appreciate the grace of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, when they're not even fully convinced that there a sinner in need of that grace.

Romans 5:20 KJV

Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

When a sinner examines himself honestly using the 10 Commandments, it causes their sin to abound. This in turn makes grace really abound.

For example:

If I were to walk up to someone and hand them a vial of liquid and say here's a cure for your disease, they would look at me like I was nuts and probably be offended that I'm insinuating that they have a disease that they don't believe they have.

However if I take the time to explain to them that I can see 10 signs and symptoms of this terrible disease they have and they become convinced that they have it, then when I offer them the cure, they're gracious and happy to receive it. Why would someone accept a cure for a disease they don't believe they have? I don't believe they will until they are convinced of the disease itself.

[RigMedic]

Gotta say, im a little bit surprised at the lack of interest in this topic.

[Willa]

Only the Holy Spirit can convince of sin, righteousness and judgement.

The first thing I do is to pray and ask God to guide my thoughts and fill my mounth with the right words.

So each opportunity is unique. Sometimes it is easier to engage someone who is engaging me---such as a salesman or a mormon missionary. So I am looking for an opportunity.

Once we were asked how long we had been married, which was over 45 years at the time. The salesman shook his head with disbelief and made a disparaging remark about his wife. I urged him to attend a christian couples retreat and learn what his wife throught were ways she expressed love for him, because at the top of my husbands list was that he let me eat onions! Who would have thought. Then I was able to tell how God had change our lives and our marriage.

I suppose that handing out tracts may be a good way to open up the subject. But I usually urge people to attend the church of their choice as long as they believe and preach the Bible, or else I recommend several good ones around town rather than lead them to believe it is about a church. It is about Jesus.

I don't always get to lead a person through the sinner's prayer. Sometimes we are interupted or derailed by others. But I am still able to witness about my relationship with God and how he has changed our lives.

[RigMedic]

Wow, 45 years! Thats wonderful, im going on 6 myself. I agree that it is important for the person to attend a Bible believing church. However how would they know what kind of church he should go to if he is not saved? Whats to stop him from finding a church that would fit his agenda? IMO I dont think the sinners prayer is necessary. I believe people can be led to Christ, repent, and fully trust Jesus with their salvation without reciting the sinners prayer. However if someone is truly repentant and they understand whay they are saying in the sinners prayer and it brings them to Christ, then HALLELUJAH!!

[Fez]

I have one approach, and have been using it for a while. 

 

In the rural area surrounding my little town is an area of Zulu homesteads, mostly mud huts, and some cement block buildings. It can be dangerous area, and a week after the wife and I ministered to one such "household"(a mud hut made of poles and mud with a roof constructed of old plastic, no water, no gas, just firewood for fuel), a young man was killed in the dirt track above the home. his throat was cut in a drunken fight. 

 

But, I walk into these villages with my wife (did it again this morning), armed with the most precious commodity I can bring. Food. People are starving, 35% of pregnant women are HIV positive, most households are run by grandmothers because parent are dead from AIDS (one such household had 14 children under the age of 5 being run by three women all in their late 60"s (when they die, what then?). The creche that the wife and I support has 31 children, many of whom are dropped off in the morning so that their mothers can go to school (some are 16, some sometimes younger). Of the 31 kids, at least 30% are HIV positive. One has the name iSimangaliso (miracle in Zulu), because his father is HIV positive and he is not.

 

I bring a small food parcel of rice, maize meal, tinned fish, oil, candy for the kids, etc. And I tell the (mostly) women that are running the home that Jesus has blessed us in so many ways, and I want to, am driven to, share my blessings, because everything I own is His anyway. (the testimony of how this started is another story, all the Glory to God). And then we pray, and I tell them the good news, and we move on. We go back to the most dire of the homes and often take more food, and clothing, and blankets (for the older women).

 

So how do I minister? Practically and with the Word. We have never been greeted with anything but rural hospitality and grace, and even when an old plastic drum is pulled out for me to sit on, it is done with grace, even before they know I have brought some relief from hunger for a few days. 

 

What this is doing is changing me, teaching me about real need, real hospitality, and the true meaning of having nothing except one's Faith.

 

So when I get a bit exasperated as a moderator on Worthy with subjects like are angels actually extra terrestrial beings driving spaceships (seriously it was a thread), or arguing over the meaning of one word in the bible, please excuse me. 

 

We are told to make disciples of nations and to  Jas_1:27  Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. 

 

There are many Christians who need to be witnessed to as well.

 

Thus endeth the rant....

[Wildstar]

I suppose that I shouldn't share my methods to people of unknown faiths.  I was going to answer at one point but I pulled back.

 

People with sin in their heart need to repent still, not spread the gospel.  

[RigMedic]

I have one approach, and have been using it for a while.

In the rural area surrounding my little town is an area of Zulu homesteads, mostly mud huts, and some cement block buildings. It can be dangerous area, and a week after the wife and I ministered to one such "household"(a mud hut made of poles and mud with a roof constructed of old plastic, no water, no gas, just firewood for fuel), a young man was killed in the dirt track above the home. his throat was cut in a drunken fight.

But, I walk into these villages with my wife (did it again this morning), armed with the most precious commodity I can bring. Food. People are starving, 35% of pregnant women are HIV positive, most households are run by grandmothers because parent are dead from AIDS (one such household had 14 children under the age of 5 being run by three women all in their late 60"s (when they die, what then?). The creche that the wife and I support has 31 children, many of whom are dropped off in the morning so that their mothers can go to school (some are 16, some sometimes younger). Of the 31 kids, at least 30% are HIV positive. One has the name iSimangaliso (miracle in Zulu), because his father is HIV positive and he is not.

I bring a small food parcel of rice, maize meal, tinned fish, oil, candy for the kids, etc. And I tell the (mostly) women that are running the home that Jesus has blessed us in so many ways, and I want to, am driven to, share my blessings, because everything I own is His anyway. (the testimony of how this started is another story, all the Glory to God). And then we pray, and I tell them the good news, and we move on. We go back to the most dire of the homes and often take more food, and clothing, and blankets (for the older women).

So how do I minister? Practically and with the Word. We have never been greeted with anything but rural hospitality and grace, and even when an old plastic drum is pulled out for me to sit on, it is done with grace, even before they know I have brought some relief from hunger for a few days.

What this is doing is changing me, teaching me about real need, real hospitality, and the true meaning of having nothing except one's Faith.

So when I get a bit exasperated as a moderator on Worthy with subjects like are angels actually extra terrestrial beings driving spaceships (seriously it was a thread), or arguing over the meaning of one word in the bible, please excuse me.

We are told to make disciples of nations and to Jas_1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

There are many Christians who need to be witnessed to as well.

Thus endeth the rant....

I feel that this is a sad but yet wonderful story. The situation that these people live in is truly terrible but your ministering and your actions act as a beacon of hope for these people. Living God's Word to the fullest is definitely a powerful tool in leading one to Christ. I pray for your protection as well as the children and families that surround you. May God bless you and raise up these tiny children as instruments of his righteousness.

[B3L13v3R]

"Ways to witness "

Depends on the situation for me RigMedic,
                                                                    As  Willamina mentioned, pray! At all times, prayer to start the day and throughout the day! I enjoy many aspects of evangelism. I do look to discern the moment if one on one.
As mentioned, give God's law to the proud who think they are good, and grace to the humble who already have a good understanding of God's law and are convicted and yet unsaved. Followed up by always pointing them to Jesus Christ who is the only One who can pay their fine of sins and get them into heaven.

In street preaching to more than one, generally most just want to listen, for the few that do have questions, only too happily answering with the wisdom the Lord has given me over the years in reading His Word.
If I do not have an answer on occasion, I don't look to fill it in, just mention I don't know that one, and I would be glad to look into it and get back with them (if they would like) should I find an answer in the Bible. Most decline.

Many other circumstances besides the above depending on what the situation presents. Those that tell me they are hungry, I'll get em a bite, while witnessing the Truth of Christ to them. Generally covering the law of God, showing them they are guilty before God, need to repent, and believe on Jesus Christ for their sins to be forgiven.
One homeless man after I had witnessed to him, I gave him a small New Testament. He said he could not read as he no longer had reading glasses. So I gave him mine, he was extremely grateful. As a family, we have given out many Bibles.

Sometimes folks will tell me they're hungry, and when I offer to buy them a bite, they walk away. Many times in these instances they are hungry for more than food, likely whatever vice Satan has them under.
Always praying for these, as they walk off.

In previous years, while witnessing Christ Jesus to the lost, in mentioning their sin, some would deny it telling me how good they were.
Then they would walk off, merrily along there way with a prayer of mine following them...

For those same folks now, I definitely give them the law of God in His ten commandments. Truly I was missing this large nugget of Truth in the past for the naysayers. After running them by the law of God's ten commandments, their conscience convicts them.
The teaching "Hell's Best Kept Secret" was instrumental in pointing me in this direction. Free online. One of the best Evangelistic teachings I have heard in our generation.
Hell's Best Kept Secret is also "Non-Copyright." Which means you can make and give away copies freely or sell them. We always give them away for free, a stack of 100 CDs is $20 - $22 when on sale.

I always have good Christian tracts, with a solid salvation message, unless on rare occasion they all get passed out.  Looking to prayerfully pass them along for follow up for any and all that will receive them.
We (as a family) drop off a large number of Christian tracts in various locations also. Always praying the Good Lord would use them to His Glory!

While I'm not around the poverty that Fez mentions, from time to time have been to some high crime "slum" areas. Roofs falling in, broken plumbing, only a space heater for electric during the dead cold months of winter.
Just look to help out a bit where I can, and present the Gospel along the way.
Also worked with a homeless shelter for a few years that was sandwiched around 3 "crack" houses...  Busy place to say the least.

The Lord literally had me stop a man one day who was going to "clean up the town" with his pistol. After giving him the Gospel, and a tract, he was convicted of his own wrong doings and went home without killing anyone. Interesting day.

I'm more of a "sower" on my end, most do not repent and believe on Jesus Christ when I'm witnessing to them.
At the same time I tell more than a few, tomorrow may be too late.

Joh 4:35-37
(35)  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
(36)  And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
(37)  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

Look also to reach out to the false converts, one of the toughest of all in reaching with His Truth.
They think they're saved, and yet their fruit shows nothing but a lost individual.

Mat 7:16-23
(16)  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
(17)  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
(18)  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
(19)  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
(20)  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
(21)  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
(22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
(23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The cults are a tough crowd too, in prayerfully speaking God's Truths, letting their conscience convict them of their wrong doing.

Some of the so called "new missions" I see that are really off the wall Biblically, are those people who tell the lost of Christ, and then let them know they can keep their religion while serving God.
For instance, they can be a great Buddhist, while serving Christ as well. Sadly, there are a number of false preachers who teach this lie today.
Plain and simple, this is not the Gospel God calls men to.  

In all of the above, only looking to see God glorified in what my family and I do.
Some men look at us "starry-eyed" looking always to point them away from us and point them to Christ and His Word!

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

On my heart every time I set foot outside my door:
 
You Are Now Entering the Mission Field!

1Co 9:19-24
For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Amen Fez! A few more verses with yours!

Jam 1:25-27
(25)  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
(26)  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
(27)  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

 Willamina, congrats on over 45 years of marriage!

No apology for the long post, I could go on! God bless