The Fumble

You were nervous. You shifted your weight from one leg to the other as you began to speak.

“Uh, fellows,” you started.

We turned and looked up at you.

“I, uh, I just wanted, uh, to invite . . .”

You were way out of your comfort zone. I had no idea what you might be about to say, but I knew that it had nothing to do with work.

“I just wanted to tell you that, uh, our church is having a service tonight and, uh . . .”

”What?” I couldn’t believe it. “He’s talking church? Out here? With us?”

“I wanted to invite any of you to come along.”

Silence. Screaming silence.

****

Have you been there?

You were uncomfortable and perhaps after your fumbling attempt you thought of what a mess you made of the whole situation. You re-think and analyze what you said and did. You apologize to God for your “failure” at witnessing. You are embarrassed for presenting “church” instead of Jesus.

Wait a minute! God is sovereign and is not hampered by our humanity. God used this man’s apparent failed attempt to invite construction workers to church. Max Lucado was laying pipe that summer and was with the workmen on their lunch break. Five years later, he remembered this man and gave his life over to Christ.

Your efforts may have seemed insignificant or even like they were wasted. God sees the bigger picture, however. You don’t know what God will do. Just be available to Him.

NOTE: The above excerpt is from Max Lucado’s testimony in Chapter Seven of In the Eye of the Storm. Read the entire story online on Google Books.. Search for “Thanks for the Bread” which will take you to the chapter heading.

The Ministry Around You

Recently, I had the incredible privilege of talking to seven people in twenty-four hours about the hope and forgiveness they can find in Jesus Christ!

Each encounter is its own story, so I will try to write them individually in the next week or two. Until then, here’s an overview of the amazing twenty-four hour day.

Caring for the Earth … and for People

I glanced at a jade pendant dangling about two feet from my face.

“Your necklace is interesting,” I said as Lindsay tied a latex strap around my arm.

“It is a Japanese good luck charm,” Lindsay said, as she gently tapped my vein.

I found out within a few minutes that this young phlebotomist was a Buddhist.

“That’s obviously your choice,” I commented, looking at her pale skin and blue eyes. “Why did you choose Buddhism?”

“I like the way they respect all of life. That’s also why I went into this work.”

I commended her for wanting to help people and then asked, “Well, did you know that Christianity also teaches us to take care of the earth?”

No,” Lindsay admitted.

I encouraged Lindsay to go to my blog site to watch a YouTube presentation of the Good News. I wrote down the blog address on a piece of paper and then asked, “Will you take some time to investigate what Christianity really is?”

Lindsay assured me that she would.

I left the clinic rejoicing for God’s work in Lindsay’s life.

NOTE: Sending her to the right link was a little complicated, but I have improved this technique. Click here for more ideas about sharing web addresses when witnessing.

Meaningful Tweets

John Piper sees Twitter as an opportunity to add something meaningful to the Twittersphere. Read more of his perspective on using Twitter to minister.

Here are a few examples from his Twitter page:

DEALING WITH YOUR SIN: Don’t minimize how many times you’ve failed. But magnify how firmly they’ve been nailed (Col. 2:14).

Through the years I sought peace. I found ecstasy, anguish, madness, loneliness. But peace I did not find. Bertrand Russell

“I have no business to object to the universe as long as I have nothing to offer myself–and we are all bankrupt.” CS Lewis

NOTE: You can also subscribe through RSS feed if you would like to receive his Tweets in your reader.

I have added his Tweets to The Sower sidebar.

The Delivery

“Would you like to have this magazine?”

I stared at the Awake magazine twenty inches from my face.

Startled, I replied, “no way!” I kept walking and reflected on the encounter. I thought some other shoppers probably will take offense at these two women walking the store aisles like they do when going door-to-door in our neighborhoods.

Someone later suggested to me that I should complain to the store management. That thought also flitted through my mind as I headed to the grocery section. I decided I really did not want to see a sign on the store window saying: “The distribution of literature is prohibited.” After all, I hand out tracts regularly in stores.
Two minutes later, someone stopped me.

“M’aam, which one of these would be better in potato salad?”

I turned around and looked into the smiling dark face of a man in his early sixties. We discussed the merits of regular dill relish or relish with larger chunks.

As I began to leave, he still had a pickle jar in each hand. I offered “The Passage” tract to him and tucked it under his thumb.

“Thank you!“ He beamed, “I know the Lord!”

“Well, then you can share that with someone else,” I suggested.

“I will,” he promised.

I could not help thinking of the contrast of these two encounters. They were close in time and space but they were worlds apart in delivery.

Eduardo’s Wife Is Dying

Finally, Eduardo was stepping out to his car. I had been gardening and hoped he would come outside. I ran to get the Magdalena DVD waiting by the front door and rushed across the street.

“This is for your wife,” I explained. “It is in Spanish.”

“Thank you,” he smiled weakly, the gold glistening on his teeth.

Eduardo accepted the DVD and I went on to tell him the movie was about Jesus and about the different women He healed. He thanked me and I concluded our brief conversation with, “We are praying for you.”

I wrote about our neighbors, Eduardo and Luz, before. They are Jehovah’s Witnesses and do not speak English very well. About two years ago, they accepted a “Jesus” DVD from me. (I only recently learned that JWs are not allowed to accept literature, so maybe a DVD or the Who Is He? Mini-CD are the best things to offer them.)

In just over a year, three families near us have faced the loss of a loved one. First, a seven-year-old granddaughter died from a car accident. Soon after that Eugene, a man in his fifties, died unexpectedly of a heart attack. Now, Luz is dying at home and has daily hospice visits. I have been unable to communicate with Eduardo and Luz, but I have noticed her housekeeper has a Christian radio station bumper sticker on her car. I hope she has explained the Gospel to them and will also pray that Luz will be able to watch the Magdalena DVD and accept God’s free gift of life eternal or that God will miraculously heal her for His glory and to lead many of her family and JW friends to Christ!

This is also a reminder to all of us that we may not have more time to share with the people in our lives.

More help for reaching Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In His Time

“It’s you!” Angela exclaimed.

I looked at her with a puzzled look. She had just taken a sample for a blood test and I held out a tract for her like I usually do.

“I had just started working here last May when someone gave me a little booklet,” Angela explained as she took “Beginning Your Journey of Significance” from me. “Since I was new here, I did not know who gave it to me. I still have it and read it.”

“Yes, it was probably me.” I actually had been at the doctor’s office quite a few times in the past nine months, but not in the lab area. I continued, “Have you ever heard before about knowing God personally?”

Angela then told me how she was interested in church and her husband wasn’t, but he finally, reluctantly, went with her. He was interested after he discovered the church had a motorcycle “club” and got involved in the group. I learned more about her husband and asked if Gregg liked computers.

“Yes,” she replied.

I rummaged in my purse but did not have what I was looking for. “I will bring something for Gregg next week when I come back to see the doctor about the test results,” I promised.

After my doctor’s appointment the following week, I stopped off at the lab and waited for Angela to be finished with a patient.

“Hi,” she smiled.

“Here’s something for your husband,” I said, as I handed her the Who is He? mini-CD.

“Thank you so much,” Angela said, and then her next statement almost knocked me off my feet. “I’m so glad to have this for Gregg; and he will be interested in this because he just had a mild heart attack.”

God is so amazing! I am so grateful that Gregg survived his heart attack and apparently is more open to spiritual things. It could be that he was more open to receiving the mini-CD after his heart attack and now has a chance to learn more about Christ. It is such a privilege to step into the stories of people’s lives and watch God at work. I was only a bystander watching God fit different pieces together to woo Angela and Gregg to Himself.

The Sower and His Seed

I learned a lot from Joe Jack Dement. Since the excellent video on the Parable of The Sower, featured in the last post, is only on the web temporarily, I am posting some thoughts I gleaned from this 80-year-old wheat farmer. Jesus explains the seeds and the meaning behind the birds, the footpath, and the other parallels in His parable. Mr. Dement’s knowledge of wheat farming adds to our understanding of the parable.

WHEN and WHERE
Just as the farmer casts the seed away from him, we can drop a little word about Jesus, a Bible verse, or a Scriptural truth as we interact with people every day. For instance, one day last week, I ran errands to five different stores. What normally would be drudgery for me was a joy as I shared a little conversation and tracts with nine people! My perspective was sowing, not shopping, as I went about my work.

WHO
We do not choose who gets to hear God’s message. God wants everyone to hear. God promises His Word will be active in a person’s life, even if we don’t see it. The seed becomes a fruitful plant over time and under the right conditions.

According to Mr. Dement, birds gather around the farmer, waiting for the seed sown on the path. Pray for the people who are not open to God’s Word to retain even a little bit of what you have sown. You do not need to fear that “the enemy” knows you are sowing. Pray for those who need to hear what you have to share with them. They are really the ones under attack!

Shallow soil means the plant will have no resistance and will dry up and die before maturity. To grow in Christ, people need to grow in their knowledge of the Word. As much as you possibly can, help this person get into the Word and into fellowship with believers. Even so, they may still have trouble when their faith hits the bedrock in their soul, so again, prayer is needed.

The seed growing in a weedy area was competing with a huge weed and did not yield fruit. Many people, rich or poor, are worried about their things and other financial concerns. When I share my faith I may even find that the Christians that I meet have not dealt with the weeds in their life and bear very little fruit for God. I suspect a lot of Americans are in the weedy category. Perhaps God will use the current economic woes to bring more people to follow him wholly.

I was very fascinated with the seed planted in good soil. One seed resulted in twelve plants, each with its own head of seed. I could not help but think of Jesus’s twelve disciples with their disciples. Farmer Dement said that 85% is a good, and a typical, yield. What if EACH Christian could leave a legacy of 85 mature Christians who are also telling others about Christ?

WHAT, HOW, and WHY
I named this blog The Sower because I envision that my Christian readers will be encouraged to speak about Christ frequently and everywhere. Thank you for visiting and please come back for more stories and answers to your questions to help you share your faith.

The Disconnect

I was glad and sad when my husband bought a transponder for the van I drive. I liked the convenience of not having to stop to pay tolls, but was saddened that I would not be handing tracts to the toll collectors anymore.

Have you ever thought of the many ways we have been disconnected from the people around us? We swipe a card at the gas pump. We use an ATM instead of chatting with the bank teller. We can do our own checkout now at several stores.

Increasingly, we can do many things without interacting with people. When I have the choice, I’ll choose a person over a machine. If you can, make a choice to interact with people and to plant a thought about God and their relationship with Him.

The Message in the Writing

“Here’s $5.05 for your $2.02.” I handed the optician my money with a bemused smile.

“And here’s $3.03 for your $5.05,” he replied as he handed me my change.

We were both amused with how the money came out. I was still smiling as I offered him a tract, Would You Like To Know God Personally.

“I already know the Lord,” he said as he handed it back to me. “Please give this to someone else.”

“Here is something for you, then.” I took the tract from him and offered 4 Laws – Discovering God in Chinese Characters to him. “This tells how God preserved the message of Genesis in the Chinese language.”

“Thank you!” Keith was intrigued. “My boys love Japanese. I think they will like this!”

When I share my faith, if the person turns out to be a Christian, I still see this as an opportunity to share my faith to encourage or equip another believer. (See related stories on sharing your faith with Christians and another related story: What I keep in my purse)

Also, next time I use this tract, I plan to suggest a search on “Chinese characters” at Answers in Genesis if they would like to read more about the hidden message in ancient Chinese characters.