Dear Fellow Students,
Happy 2006! How long does it take you to actually write ’06 on you math page as opposed to ’05? I haven’t put down ’05 yet this year, so I’m very proud of myself, but I did put down ’03 the day after New Years Day. Don’t ask me how that happened.
Okay, so this month I want to talk about evangelism. Several of my very good friends have had the chance to go on mission trips this year. When they came back, their enthusiasm for the Lord, and the way that He had opened their eyes to more needs than theirs led them to becoming almost different people, having been changed for the better.
I don’t know about you, but I have never been on a mission trip. At least, nothing I would consider a mission trip. Sure, I’ve gone to work on the outside of an old lady’s house (in the pouring rain) with a lot of unbelievers, but that’s not really a missions “trip” is it? I’ve never gone out of the country to minister to incredibly poor, starving people. But, do those people need the gospel more than those unbelievers I worked side-by-side with on that rainy day?
God says in Mark 16:15 “Go ye unto all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” It is never a bad thing to go to a far away place and evangelize to people who are not blessed like us who have homes and food, bringing them the hope and love of Christ. Yet, some people, myself included, do not consider going to the grocery store, Blockbuster, or Sheetz “missions” trips. The only thing I can think about is “Come on, God, give me an opportunity to go to South America and evangelize there!” But, if it really is all about Christ, should I care where I share the gospel, or with whom?
How many times have I passed by an opportunity to witness to someone? Working with the people on the elderly lady’s house, sitting in the dressing room in the radiology wing of the hospital (where I have unfortunately seemed to be spending a lot of time lately), I could not dig up enough courage to ask the person beside me a simple question; “What do you think will happen after you die?”
What about you? Can you think of a time where you have missed a chance to witness to someone in need of Christ? To bring things into perspective, look at your watch right now and look at the second hand. Then think about this. Every time the little second hand on your watch moves, two people have died. Tonight as you are going to sleep, 150,000 people have passed into eternity. But where do you suppose each of them has gone? Mark Cahill speaks a lot about this, and he will snap his fingers every second. Ever since I heard him speak, every snap or click I hear makes me remember that fact that two people just died. Does that not give us more of a reason to witness as much as we can to the lost?
Going unto all the world does not have to be the Middle East or South America. If you are like me, without the resources to go somewhere like that, don’t be discouraged. Let Jesus fill you until everything you do shows the love of Him; everything you do makes Him shine out of you. Be kind to your brothers and sisters. First show them Jesus’ love. Then turn to your friends and relatives. Do not be afraid that they will not want to be around you anymore. We need to prove our love to them by showing them that we are concerned with where they will spend eternity.
In closing, remember these verses when the Holy Spirit prompts you to share. You may be nervous, and so will I; let’s pray for one another! We are nervous because we are afraid of being rejected. But rejection is never a bad thing; it is only the first step to great treasures in heaven. Luke 6:22-23, “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in Heaven…”
Sincerely,
Taylor Simpson