Psalms 51:12

Many bible scholars who study the end times say that we are in the lukewarm stage. It's evident no matter what church you belong to. People are comfortable sitting in their pews each Sunday morning, but that's about as far as it goes. My dad did a sermon a long time ago- I'm thinking it was about 35 years ago that I have listened to many times. But it never really spoke directly to me until this year. Our church started a couple cycles of Evangelism Explosion last year. We now have an evangelism Pastor- Pastor Lew Howard. For those not familiar with EE, it's a training program created by the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, who just happened to be my uncle's pastor. I loved to hear his sermons on the radio and on TV. He was an awesome Christian man.
Well, I had felt the tug at my heart when the first cycle of EE started. But the fear took hold of me, the excuses, and I gave into my flesh. I didn't sign up, but I had been convicted some time later even more so. I had thought at the time, this was definately not my gift. There was just no way I would ever go to a stranger's home. So then this sermon of my Dad's surfaced, I listened to it again and I was convicted. I was just as lukewarm because I wasn't speaking out for my Lord.
So then this new Evangelism course was presented. It was geared for reaching those who you are close to. Okay, that's me- I have my husband who is lost, several family members- but I still questioned- would I have to go out- I signed up anyway. There was that conviction again in my throat. Would I let another opportunity for more wisdom, that I had prayed for, to slip away and to let God down yet again?
So 10 days after my last post, the classroom and homework was finished and we had our first "fishing trip". In other words, we were going out witnessing in our community. Oh, that week- I had that lump in my throat every single day. I had knots in my stomach- even a type of stomach flu that day of the fishing trip, but I was determined I would not let satan win.
Of the class of about 30, only 15 came. We divided up into groups of three and went out all over the community. I ended up with Pastor Lew- that made me even more nervous. And then one of youth group kids, Josh was also with us. We went to toward the end of Ludington Street. The first stop was the 8th Street Coffee house. Pastor Lew had felt led there. He did all the talking with a man in a wheel chair there. Josh and I prayed silently for Lew, with our eyes open while he did. It was AWESOME!!! The seed was planted.
We went across the street. The plan was to walk past this one lady on a bench talking to someone else and then come back. As we did, we came up to a father and his son. Now, let me paint this picture. When you see certain individuals, you can draw some conclusions about them- first impressions. This man had piercings on his face, was covered in tattooes and seemed to be waiting for someone. I was SCARED- my heart was pounding- I'm with a nearly 70 year old Pastor and a 13 year old boy- we were vulnerable. And so... Pastor Lew gave him a million dollar bill/tract. And just as Pastor Lew had told us, the Holy Spirit took right over our words and the whole situation. I actually did alot of the talking with this man I was so petrified of, and it was great!! The guy had moved here from downstate, was trying to find a decent job, and was engaged. He went on to tell us how he was involved with AWANA when he was young but had strayed from God. I explained about our youth program and he gave us his address because he wanted his kids to come to church that very Sunday- and they did!
We moved down the block- Pastor Lew was witnessing to the lady on the bench and another older lady came by and I witnessed to her. I had been praying all week that God would put people in our path that would be broken- that would listen to what we had to say- and that we would bring glory to Him. This woman I was talking to, had just the day before- wrote out her obituary because she was feeling so down about her health and life. Is that not a divine intervention? In the two hours we were out- our group alone, witnessed to six people. Pastor Lew says if you can talk in depth with one person, you are doing good- so we were pleased. When we all met back at church, you could barely hear yourself speak. Everyone was so excited about the night, about the people that they talked to, and about how God worked. And even a few weeks later- this verse is on my heart just as it was that day. It's a verse I have been praying for a while.
Psalms 51:12
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
And so I challenge anyone who reads this, if you are comfortable in your present state of your Christianity- ask yourself this question. Am I fulfilling the Great Commission? It's not enough to just live your life as example to others. Most often our faults are being examined by the unsaved, not the eternal things we do that they do not see. Even Moses had excuses when God asked him in Exodus 3:11 and 4:10. But God says he will be with him and will help him speak and will tell him what to say. Same with Gideon in Judges 6:25-27- again God says he would be with him. And Paul in 1 Cor. 2:1-5. And I can tell you that God was with us as well.

If God has been working on your heart in the area of witnessing- this Way of the Master program is awesome. They have a radio program and also a television program- their website for these are http://www.wayofthemasterradio.com/ and http://www.wayofthemaster.com/. Our church is doing the course again and also an intermediate class. The tracts are great conversation starters and the basis is the 10 commandments. It speaks directly to the conscience(the place of the knowledge of right and wrong). You will be blessed beyond measure.