Sharing the Gospel

[branchesofHim]

I read in another post earlier today where it was commented that "there must not be any souls to save". The comment was most appropriate in the light of the discussions there. And I began to remember something that happened to me years ago as a teen ager. Hopefully this will be encouraging to those new in the faith, reassuring to those who have slacked in witnessing to others, and confirming to those who know life here is truly short in the world.

James 4

13: Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

"14": Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

"15": For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

At the age of 12 I was born again by the Spirit of God as I accepted Christ in the lobby of a small town hotel where I lived with my dad. There's no question about it ... that was when I met Jesus Christ the Lord. Although young I was doing all I knew to do in serving Him. I was baptized, began attending church, and truly loved the Lord I'd met. He was as real as anything was to me. After a year and a half or so I had moved from that small town and began to live with my mom and step-father. I was invited to a Youth Ministry at a local church and began to attend while regularly growing in faith and knowledge. I remember them having altar calls and the Spirit of God drawing me to the Lord every time.

As I began to become a young man (ha ... I got my driver's license ...) I began to become friends with some other boys (honestly we were all boys ... not young men) who had families that drank alchohol and consumed other drugs. As a result they, too, did the same and I learned that lifestyle quickly. I was still born again mind you. The Spirit of God continued to deal with me regularly even though I was not living as I knew I should have been. (God was so gracious and kind to me then I now realize.) I still wanted to share the Lord with those I knew. Some who knew me and had seen my lifestyle would really cut me short when I began to talk about the Lord. They would say things like "Oh man ... are you doing that again? ..." when I'd start talking about Jesus. It hurt me. But they were right in a way. I wasn't sharing the Gospel in my lifestyle all of the time.

I'll never forget one time when I was impressed urgently in my heart to share the Gospel with another "young man" whom I'd buddied with in the improper lifestyle. He was sitting by himself at a table in the local convience store/gas station/game room (small town mind you) and I was sitting at another table facing him from the other end of the sitting area. I'll never forget the "lost" look on his face. He looked to be so very sad. In my heart I wanted to go tell him about Jesus but in my mind I could hear those hurtful words of others making fun of me when I'd talk about Jesus. I wasn't living a clean life, my heart condemned me. So what did I do?

I reasoned it out that he wouldn't have listened to me, got up, walked by him with a casual "see ya' later man" and left. I forget if he'd even replied but I surely remember that long, lonely expression on his face.

Only a day or two later there was much unquietness at school because of him. Girls cried and boys stomped around with anger as they wanted to find who did it! When I asked what happened it hit me like a hard punch in the stomach as I was told that the buddy I'd failed to tell about Jesus just a day or so earlier was dead. He'd been stabbed and then thrown out of the back of a pick-up in front of a semi that tore his body apart. He was no longer with us. His time had came.

Why such a story you may ask. Because I want each of you to realize that regardless of where you are with the Lord, if you are born-again then He is dealing with you in someway. And regardless of what you are doing or not doing, God wants to save souls. Everyone is important to Him. God used a donkey once to rebuke a prophet. So if God can use a donkey to speak to a man can't He also use you or me? Donkeys are stubborn. And oftentimes we can be as well. But God can still use us in a way that will make an eternal difference for someone. And He will too. I'm not saying that you can live in disobedience and let God minister through you to others. Please understand that is NOT what I'm saying. If your not living as you know you should then you'll be like I was to that buddy - no good at all. He needed Jesus and I knew it. But because of my failure to serve the Lord and follow His leadings it's possible that young man didn't get to know Christ as his own personal Saviour. Maybe not or maybe so. Only God knows that detail.

The point is that how we live does affect others. And can do so eternally.

Be encouraged in ever seeking to serve God with your whole heart and life always. Jesus said we are to share the Good News with everyone. And we truly need to be where we can do that at any given moment.

Peace.