Evangelism

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   Virtuous1posted 12 years ago

   Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
   
   DO you struggle with witnessing to people who don't know Jesus? The easiest way to witness is telling others what Jesus has done for you?

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      A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The mission has been completed, there are disciples for Jesus in all nations, so no one needs to continue evangelizing. Please stop.

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      SirDentposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is very good advice.  The Bible states that we are overcomers, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.   We can only be witnesses to what we have seen or heard personally.

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   3. 77

      Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I should think the main struggle people have trying to "witness" (a.k.a. promote, push, pimp, proselytize, sell, and convert) religion now days is how many people are doing it. It's everywhere, non-stop.
      
      Back when Jesus was saying that, nobody knew about his teachings. Now, in our times, his teachings are everywhere. They are being crammed down our throats at every turn, sometimes by people who have what he said marginally understood, most of the time by people who have a completely corrupted version of it as fed to them by some megachurch in search of knew hands to drop money in the collection plate far more than in search of new hearts for Jesus. I get my door knocked on at least twice a month, usually more. I realize that A Troubled Man's comment probably came of blunt or a bit snide, but the message in it is pretty on point. I think Christians would do much better to stop "witnessing" and go actually do some of the stuff Jesus talked about. And not the easy stuff, like talking about it. I mean, the hard stuff, like loving and helping people. Actively doing so, all the time. Taking their wealth and turning it into charity. Living barebones so they can distribute their earnings amongst the poor and destitute.
      
      Imagine if even HALF the self-proclaimed Christians in America were to actually turn all their wealth but that which they needed for basic survival into help for the poor and needy. Think how amazing that would be. Think how that would raise the glory of God in the eyes of the rest. Non-believers would watch the nation being remade around them, not with tax money stolen by the government and ineptly spent on failed redistribution attempts, but with given money, given money and more importantly, given TIME spent turning America into a kind and loving place in actuality not in words. The non-believers would be like, "What is this? How can this amazing thing be? What are you guys doing? How do you find the strength?"
      
      THEN, the Christians could tell their stories, do their preaching and converting. Because they would have an audience that was interested now. You want to win one for Jesus, stop selling it with words, and convince your fellow Christians to start walking the walk and stop talking the talk for a while.

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         kirstenblogposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         This would be lovely. I find religion offensive, this sort of action would turn feelings of offence and disgust into genuine respect. I wont be holding my breath tho, in my experience christianity and religion as a whole is not about gods love and is instead about ego, gaining power, and attention seeking.

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      2. 67

         ptosisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Uh-oh! I spotted an Ayn Rand viewpoint! I hate Ayn Rand! As I hate all those who think her viewpoints are worthy to be repeated!
         
         One of the central tenets of Ayn Rand's philosophy is that "taxation is theft". .... a totally selfish b1tch who had not the least regard for the welfare of others. here's a telling quote from the psychobitch
         "Evil requires the sanction of the victim" - Ayn Rand".
         
         http://sierravista.craigslist.org/rnr/3211404417.html
         
         I guess you are against taxes to build road, bridges, sewage systems, border control, etc - or is it just poor people you object to?

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         1. 77

            Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Never read Ayn Rand. Not even Atlas Shrugged. But it's nice to know that in any dialogue with you, you are going to come prepacked with assumptions and prejudices, rather than an open mind and a desire to ask questions to clarify viewpoints first.
            
            Now, for what its worth, I will be honest and say you are partially right about me. I don't have the least regard for the welfare of others if those others are corrupt banking executives who defraud the American public out of billions and billions of dollars. Had you taken the time to actually read what I wrote, as in slow down and read it rather than throwing yourself into some sort of gasping assumptive spasm about Ayn Rand, then you would have easily ascertained that there was a very particular use of tax dollars to which I was referring.
            
            If you can pull your lips off the nipple of partisanship and stop nursing from the juices of propaganda to which you clearly have attached yourself like some unthinking lamprey, you might find there are at least a few people in the world still using active brains and trying to have genuine dialogue about the condition of America. 

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            1. 59

               A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Two thumbs up!

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            2. 67

               ptosisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               
               
               I must have Lamprey Disease!

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                  Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  So it seems. Perhaps you should get that checked!
                  
                  (bleh, that's gross lol)

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   4. 60

      MelissaBarrettposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is the single biggest reason that there is so much animosity towards Christians.
      
      There might be 100 normally functioning adults in the United States... if that... who don't know about Christianity.  By aggressively seeking converts Christians are actually turning people against God and Christ. 
      
      If you don't understand that think about how annoyed you would be by getting ten telemarketing calls a day or having a cashier follow you around the store asking if you've tried how absolutely wonderful a loaf of bread was.
      
      The hard sale is annoying as hell and only works by essentially having the victim give up so that they will be left alone...  Is that how you want to make converts?

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      1. 60

         twosheds1posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Not following Jesus's actual philosophy (e.g., the Sermon on the Mount) is part of it, too.

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   5. 72

      CMCastroposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Experience of a Christ Believer and The Word Believer can be gradual process. The ones who are just nourished with milk are Babes who just know what Christ Jesus did for us, and those believers who know that Christ lives within. And those who make the effort to imitate Christ but fall into their lives in the world are still in need of learning the Word on a daily basis. Developing a daily communication with the Lord and asking for forgiveness and accepting the forgiveness with the knowledge of the Truth ushers in His Holy Spirit gifts. In the letter to the Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 11 and 12, outlines what the different roles of the members in Ministry are:  "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ":   This scripture lets one know that the role of Evangelism is appointed by the Lord. God wants us all to believe in Him, To imitate His Son, Jesus, and Do what His Word tells us to do. Those are the precursors to receiving Spiritual gifts. The best way to be an evangelist is to always make your request known to the Lord, and just wait on Him for His appointed time to unleash that gift that is suitable for one to exercise their faith in.

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2. 0

   Motown2Chitownposted 12 years ago

   I'm about to do something I've never done in my HP forum life, and something that makes me crazy when others do it.  I apologize in advance for quoting Scripture.
   
   To the OP, my sister in Christ, you really want to witness?  Start living the Gospel and stop talking about it!  EVERYONE in the free world has heard it.  No one has seen it.  That's why they want nothing to do with it.
   
   1 Peter 3:15
   "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."
   
   When people see you truly living the Gospel and how it impacts your life and your person every single day, they'll want to know what you have.  Be prepared to answer them.  Most people do not want unsolicited answers from strangers about their internal questions.  Especially if they've not even had the chance to give voice to them.

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      Disappearingheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Top answer.

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         Motown2Chitownposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, DH.

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3. 61

   Virtuous1posted 12 years ago

   Actually not everyone on the face of this earth has actually heard the gospel. And if a person has never accepted Jesus into his or her heart they have no idea what a Christian life looks like. Just like when Jesus walked the earth, He displayed the Father's love all the time by healing and doing miracles and still they never noticed the love of God in Him. And the reason being is this you can't notice the love of God unless you have the Love of God in your heart.
   
   Thank you all for your comments but showing love to a person is not going to make them think you are evangelizing. Jesus said Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
   
   17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
   
   18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
   
   19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
   
   20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
   
   No where in this scripture you see where Jesus said show your christian faith. He said to teach them what I have teach you and how does one teach and that is giving them the word.
   
   If a person thinks that their is nothing wrong with the way they are living than they will continue to keep living wrong, but only Jesus can show us in His word that when we disobey we are to repent for our sins and forgive men. But if no one never taught you that than you would never forgive anyone.
   
   That is why Jesus said in 2Timothy 2:15 we need to get a real understanding of His word and have the personal relationship with Jesus otherwise we will never be able to evangelize.
   
   Just because a person is good does not mean that they actually have a relationship with Jesus. What we might think to be good God sees things just a little better than we do...

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   1. 77

      Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      So you don't think that how the person going out "witnessing" and converting acts matters?
      
      It's perfectly fine to be selfish, rude, hypocritical, overbearing and to not follow even remotely, or just barely, anything that the Bible says and yet still expect people to listen to what "teaching" is being offered? As long as you are telling everyone what Jesus said, then it's all good, regardless of the example you set in your life?
      
      If you really believe that, then I suspect you have no concept of ethos.

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         MelissaBarrettposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Probably not Porthos nor Aramis either.  The only one anyone ever remembers is D'Artagnan.

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            Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            LOL. Yeah, Ethos was terrible with a sword, that's probably the only reason he went into public speaking.

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               MelissaBarrettposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Yes... His rapier wit made his skills with the sword seem largely rhetorical though...
               
               (Two puns in one post now that is a tragedy.... oh crap three)

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   2. 60

      Disappearingheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Funny, but I don't ever remember Jesus saying that we had to invite him into our hearts. He told us to pray to our Father, not to him and told us to simply believe who he was. I also see that he told the Church to do greater things than he did. So why don't they? Why do we instead get all this emotionalism, and talk?
      
      What is the gospel? He said it was that the Kingdom of God is near, imminent, at hand, in us, around us. He didn't say the gospel was "Believe in me or else I'm going to burn you in hell".
      
      What is all the obsession with 'His Word'? The NT is not his word, it's the memoires, views and opinions of those that believed. He is the Word. Why do you need a book to direct your life, to measure yourself against, to tell you what to do, to weigh you down because you don't measure up? This is just religion by self effort, a works based faith. The apostles didn't have a book. They simply had God within to direct, change, lead. That's all you need too and maybe you will start to do those miracles as well.

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   3. 59

      A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      And, so many more people on earth don't want to hear the gospel.
      
      
      
      Evangelists are living wrong.
      
      
      
      And, just because a person claims to have a relationship with Jesus does not mean they are a good person, which is what we usually find.

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4. 72

   CMCastroposted 12 years ago

   This is an offensive photo to me in regards to this forum and it has nothing to  do with the subject, evangelism,. According to wiki.answers.com, a lamprey is a water bound  parasite that latches onto fish.

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      MelissaBarrettposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You had to wiki that?

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      Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      1. If the existence of creatures in nature is offensive to you, I suggest you log off the internet immediately, bash in any televisions you might have with a hammer, and, frankly, you should probably do away with radio and even any books you have, as someone is likely to make an uncomfortably accurate description of a tentacle or a proboscis or, god help us all, some sexual appendage, and then, my for the love of all things holy, what will you do to endure the indignity of it all?
      
      2. Had you read what led up to that post, you would see how perfectly in keeping with the subject at hand that post/image is.
      
      3. If whatever it is won't pass naturally or with the help of laxatives, a physician can recommend a more aggressive treatment strategy. Help is out there.

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5. 57

   contentkaiserposted 12 years ago

   Hilarious.  This reminds me of the people I deal with on a daily basis when I'm helping Liberty students with their homework; the most insane and ranting postings of all time.

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      Paul Wingertposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      What's a liberty student?

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         twosheds1posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Liberty University?

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