The Forgotten Ingredient in Evangelism
Do you have internet access? I remember when I first began using the internet back in 1995. I would carefully type in the “www” or world wide web address to go to a site. Sometimes I would type in the website and then go and a pour a cup of coffee or do some laundry. I did this because it often took five minutes to download one page of text.
Did you know that now you can download an entire book in a matter of seconds? You can also download a favorite song or even an entire album, I mean an entire cd, or whatever they are called now, in minutes.
When I was a boy in the 1970’s there was a company in Minnesota called K-Tel. They would sell record albums over the television. You could call a special 800 number or mail your money in to buy music records.
Delivery after payment was four to six weeks. That’s 30 to 45 days.
In 1986, my Dad brought home a facsimile machine. This miraculous device had the ability to send a piece of paper over the telephone to another facsimile somewhere else in the world. It took several minutes of screechy noises over the telephone, but it worked.
Amazing!
I like to read books made out of paper. I have several underneath my bed, one is from the early 1900’s by R.A. Torrey, titled “How To Work For Christ”. Some of his writings are antiquated, for instance he advises that street cars are not as favorable for witnessing as trains. However, consider his great advice on perseverance given in the following paragraph.
“Men are not usually won to Christ in a day. You must hold on to men day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year…Study how to get at men who are unreachable. Men who cannot be reached in one way can in another. There are very few men in the world to whose hearts there is not an open door somewhere, if only we will search diligently until we find it. If we cannot get in at the door, perhaps we can break up the roof and get in that way...Take time; never give up; and do thorough work. I waited and watched fifteen long years to get my chance with one man. Never a day passed for all those fifteen years that I did not speak to God about that man. At last my chance came, and it was my privilege to lead him to Christ. He afterwards became a preacher of the Gospel, and is now in heaven.” (p. 18)
Oh, my fellow Christian. Don’t give up! Take your time. Know that the Lord hears your prayers and is always working. Share and share and share the Gospel, don’t be afraid. Jesus will protect and guide you by his word and Spirit.
Luke 15:10, “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.”
Joyful angels, patient and persistent Christians, repentant and forgiven sinners?
What an amazing Lord and Savior!
Marcus Dahl is a co-host of "The Pastor's Study" on KKMS 980 AM.
