THE WINSOME WITNESS

"In your hearts set apart 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." (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

The word evangelism once conjured up for me mental images of Bible-thumping, fist-pounding, loud-voiced preachers. Now I think of evangelism simply as a plain, white candle. It's flame burns hot and strong, spreading light in the darkness. But as I grasp that candle, it feels cool to my touch and I have no difficulty holding it in my hand.

That's the kind of witness I feel called to be. My faith can burn brightly, but at the same time I can remain calm and cool. I am to speak about Jesus, but that does not mean that I get into heated arguments. I am to tell others about Jesus, but not in verbal battles. I am to have an answer for everyone who asks the reason for my hope, but I am to give my answer with "gentleness and respect" as Peter says.

Pushing our beliefs on others seldom meets with success. The winsome witness is a person in whom the light of Jesus shines brightly through gentle words and acts of love. 

-- Tanya Ferdinandusz in “The Upper Room”

Lord Jesus, help me to be a light, honoring You in my heart so that my words reflect Your love. Make me ready -- not just with answers, but with compassion. Let my hope in You be visible, my tone be gracious, and my life be a testimony to Your goodness. Amen.

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ALWAYS BE PREPARED – Part 2

The confused look on the man’s face told me I wasn’t [making sense]. Shifting gears, I decided to tell him how I became a Christian. Several minutes into my story, he interrupted me to explain he had to get off the train at the next stop. Not sure what to say in the last minute or so, I stuttered and stammered awkwardly. When the sliding doors opened, he stood and looked at me before politely speaking words I’ll never forget. “Oh well, thanks for trying.” He stepped off the train, and I watched the doors slide shut.

The apostle Peter says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). Maybe you can relate. You’d like to be ready for anything, but you’re afraid you might choke under pressure. Preparation -- studying and thinking about what you’ll say -- will give you confidence.

Not every chance to share will be set up for you as obviously as it was for me on that train. You’ll recognize some opportunities -- clearly presented to you by God -- in which you are called to take the initiative. But no matter who starts the conversation, if you engage enough people, you’re going to be amazed how many of them are genuinely hungry to hear the truth from an honest, caring heart. 

-- Craig Groeschel in “The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn’t Exist”

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SLEEPING WHEN THE WIND BLOWS

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.  Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the old man's response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

MORAL: When you're prepared, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.  We, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves firmly in the Word of God.

-- Author Unknown

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PREPAREDNESS

“God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.”  (Hebrews 6:18-20a NIV)

As Amos the prophet saw the day of judgement fast approaching for Israel, he warned the people to prepare to meet God (Amos 4:12). The word preparedness should be a key word for everyone.

It is strange that we prepare for everything except meeting God. We prepare for marriage and for a career. We prepare for athletic contests. Athletes working to make the Olympic team practice their sport hours a day for years, before considering themselves prepared. But we do not prepare to meet God. Even though most of us see the storm clouds gathering on the horizon, by and large we are making few preparations to meet God. This is a time for repentance and faith. It is a time for soul-searching, a time to see if our anchor holds. 

-- Billy Graham in “Who’s in Charge of a World That Suffers?”

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ALWAYS BE PREPARED

“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,…”  (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:15 that all Christians should be prepared to explain why they believe what they believe -- and to do so… with gentleness and respect.

In a world where the media often trumpets claims by skeptics, best-selling books hawk atheism, and many university professors seem bent on destroying the beliefs of young Christians, it’s increasingly important for all of us to be able to articulate the reason why our faith makes sense.  

-- Lee Strobel, in the Foreword to “On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision” by William Lane Craig

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LIVING IN A SENSE OF ANTICIPATION

“So stay awake and be prepared, because you do not know the day or hour of My return.”  (Matthew 25:13 NLT)

Every generation of Christians has expected Christ to return in their lifetime. And they have had one thing in common: They have all be wrong…

Supposing Jesus had said, “I’ll give you three millennia to evangelize the world, and them, on January 1, A.D. 3001, I will return at precisely 9:00 GMT.” What would the promise of His return have meant to generations of believers who lived in the preceding centuries? In the midst of their suffering, exiles, and martyrdom, what comfort would they have derived from His promise, knowing that He would not come soon? And what would have been the effect on the church if they had known that they still had a little time to do what they wanted to do before getting around to doing what He had told them to do? Where would have been the sense of urgency, the challenge of holiness, and the keen sense of tiptoe anticipation?

Jesus’ point was that all His disciples should be living in a sense of anticipation, actively on the job, working hard to bring about the consummation of His purposes and living consistent lives so they would not be ashamed at His coming.

-- Stuart Briscoe


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