Evangelism Archives - My Manna

Prized Possession

MyManna — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 22:00:12 +0000

Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone, everywhere.” Mark 16:15.

According to an article in Turning Point Daily Devotional, “Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away.
So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it.
Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument.
But to his great dismay, it had been sold to a collector.
“Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin.
The collector said it had become his prized possession, and he would not sell it.
Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea.
‘Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?’ he asked.
Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred.
‘I have no right to keep that to myself,’ he exclaimed. ‘It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it.
God has given you and me the greatest news and most powerful “music” in the world—the message that Jesus died on the cross to save mankind from the dreadful consequences of sin, so that all who come to him can receive God’s forgiveness and His gift of eternal life.
This is the message Jesus commissioned us to take to the world so everyone, everywhere will hear it and have the opportunity to have their sins forgiven and receive God’s gift of eternal life.
“Dear God, please make and use me ‘as an instrument’ of your love and peace to communicate your great salvation in some way to every life I touch—through being “as Jesus” to all and as opportunity arises share your gospel message of salvation. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
(PA)

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Missionary or Mercenary

MyManna — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 23:00:05 +0000

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
We are missionaries serving in a foreign land.
“Our home is faraway, upon a golden strand,” as the song says.
We are soldiers enlisted in God’s army. We fight to free the souls of men from captivity.
Mercenaries are professional soldiers who are hired to serve in foreign armies. They fight for money or adventure. They are motivated by the desire for private gain.
They are paid to fight. They can change allegiance anytime.
Christians are called to serve Christ only.
We are called to carry the Gospel wherever we go. As we go to the market, we find opportunities to share Christ with the cashier, sales assistant, shopkeeper, shoppers. As we work, we share our joy with our colleagues.
We do not seek for personal gain. Our boast is in Christ and in the cross. Jesus the Son of God has died for our sins, pardoned us, and given us a new life.
He gave His life for us, and now we live for Him.

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The number-one-fear

MyManna — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 23:00:35 +0000

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
I heard about a Christian living in first-century Rome who was about to be fed to a lion.
He quickly whispered something in the lion’s ear, and the lion bolted away in terror.
When a guard was sent to find out what happened, he came back with this report:
“The Christian told the lion, ‘After you have your meal, you will be asked to stand up and say a few words.'”
The number-one-fear on almost everyone’s list is speaking publicly.
Of course, this also carries over to telling others about Jesus.
But the Holy Spirit can bring a dimension of power and boldness into our lives that we haven’t had previously, and a new courage to speak up for Jesus Christ.
The first-century believers certainly needed that power.
Any honest reading of the New Testament quickly reveals that those whom Jesus called were about as ordinary as they came.
But when the Holy Spirit came upon them-
– they were empowered, and they transformed their world.
The first-century believers didn’t have TV, radio, or the Internet.
But they had the greatest power of all.
And in a relatively short period of time-
– a small handful of believers turned their world upside-down.
The same power that energized the first-century believers is available to us today.
Have you been empowered by the Holy Spirit?
If not, you can be.
Ask God to fill you with this power to change your world.
It is not about emotion.
It is about fact.
God wants to fill you with His power.
The Spirit filled life is Christ controlled life!

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Join me in my struggle

MyManna — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 23:00:43 +0000

“I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ…to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me” (Romans 15:30).
To be a missionary in today’s world-
One has to separate himself from the I-want-it-now culture we live in.
Results on the mission field can be slow going!
So it’s not uncommon for missionaries to retire having seen but a handful of conversions during their entire career.
This fact is enough to discourage many people-
– from ever becoming full-time missionaries.
But for those who have heard their Divine calling to missions-
– nothing—not even the lack of apparent progress
– or the constant persecution—can keep them from fulfilling their task.
One reason they are able to push on is that-
– they have Christian brothers and sisters faithfully supporting them through prayer.
Fellow believers!
We should never underestimate the power of our words offered up to God-
– on behalf of the brave souls on the mission field.
God hears those words and grants His workers the ability-
– to remain encouraged and faithful to the cause.
Prayer for our missionaries is tantamount to the work itself!
American missionary Samuel Zwemer once said:
“The history of missions is the history of answered prayer.”
Remember us in your prayers-
– that we grow not weary in well doing!

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"Here am I"

MyManna — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 23:00:03 +0000

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8).
Warren Wiersbe’s, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, quotes:
“Millions of surveys which we have helped to take around the world indicate that approximately 98 percent of the Christians do not regularly introduce others to the Saviour.”
In a survey given to those attending training sessions for a Billy Graham crusade in Detroit, attendees were asked to answer this question by checking one of the following answers.
“What is your greatest hindrance in witnessing?”
0% said they don’t care.
9% said they were too busy to remember to do it.
12% said their own lives were not speaking as they should.
28% felt the lack of real information to share.
51% feared the reactions of those with whom they might share.
If we truly believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life-
– why aren’t we spreading the word?
Maybe we don’t really believe that.
I guess no one thought to include that reason on Billy’s survey.
Do we truly believe in heaven?
Do we believe without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the only way to get there?
If we do, how can we keep our mouths closed to a world of people who are headed for the agony of eternal burning?
“Here am I.”
This should be our cry to the Lord today.
“Send me, Lord!
Help me to open my mouth for you!
Work through me Lord, for your sake Lord, and for the sake of those who don’t know you!”
Let’s be about doing His business-
– and commit ourselves to sharing the good news with the lost around us!

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Core commitments

MyManna — Sun, 29 May 2016 22:30:08 +0000

A recent business trend has been that of writing a mission statement-
– a concise paragraph stating in a memorable way the purpose of a business or an organization.
Added to it might be some objectives and an explanation of how those objectives will be accomplished.
Churches also use written mission statements as a way of focusing their efforts.
The difference is that a church should draw all these things from the Bible.
Acts 14:21-23-
– could provide the framework for a church’s mission statement.
Luke’s report on the ministry of Paul and Barnabas highlights-
– three crucial aspects of their work.
They were:

Evangelizing.

“They . . . won a large number of disciples.” (v. 21).

Edifying.

“. . . strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.” (v. 22).

Establishing.

“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting,committed them to the Lord.” (v. 23).
What they did then-
– we must do now.
These three objectives must be central to every church’s mission.
We need to be-
– reaching people for Jesus,
– discipling them and
– helping the local church develop.
There are other things to consider.
But without a doubt these are core commitments for the church.
If your church is writing a mission statement, or already has one-
– are these three items incorporated in it?
And are you involved in seeing these objectives accomplished?
Evaluate what you are doing.
If you and your church are not seeking to accomplish these objectives, commit today to making the changes needed so that you are on God’s mission.

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Few are frozen!

MyManna — Tue, 17 May 2016 22:00:54 +0000

I read about a vessel discovered over a century ago among the icebergs of the Arctic ocean.
In it was the captain, frozen as he was making his last entry in the log-book.
The crew were also discovered—some in their hammocks and some in the cabin—all frozen to death.
The last date in the log-book showed that for thirteen years that vessel had been moving among the icebergs-
– “a drifting sepulcher manned by a frozen crew.”
There are some churches in a similar condition.
They have an outward form of godliness but are frozen in that-
– while they have the outward trappings of religion, they are out of touch with God and reality.
Jesus said: “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
That is, many are called by God but few prove themselves to be chosen ones.
That is, only a small percentage of confessing Christians do anything tangible about God’s call to follow and serve him.
Many are cold and a few are frozen!
While millions of people around the world desperately need the gospel-
– most of us who call ourselves Christian give little for or do anything much about it.
Nor do we give much to help in that less than three percent of Christians tithe of their income for God’s work.
And even then the average church spends 95 percent of its income on itself.
Our doctrine is sound-
– sound asleep.”
Let us heed God’s Word that says:
“‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:14-16).
“Dear God, please use me to be a shining light in the world’s darkness and do what I can to help spread your gospel message around the world. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

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Next-door neighbour

MyManna — Sun, 15 May 2016 22:00:04 +0000

“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” (Matthew 28:19).
D.L. Moody, was once asked to speak at a convention.
One afternoon, he asked the convention’s song leader to meet him on a street corner downtown at about 6 pm.
When the song leader got there, Moody had him stand on a overturned box and sing.
This unusual spectacle attracted quite a crowd.
After speaking briefly, Moody persuaded most of the crowd to follow him to a nearby meeting place.
They followed in droves and listened intently as Moody shared the good news of Jesus.
Too soon, the convention delegates started arriving, and Moody had to stop preaching.
He said simply, “Now we must close, as the brethren of the convention wish to come and discuss the topic ‘How to reach the masses’!”
So often, we think we have to have special training or special knowledge to tell others about Christ.
Maybe all you need to do is be creative…and think of simple ways you can share Christ with others.
Maybe it’s fixing dinner for your next-door neighbour.
Maybe it’s making a hospital or nursing home visit with a nice card or some flowers.
Whatever it is-
God wants you to share His love with those around you.
Don’t think or talk about sharing your faith any longer…just go out and do it!
Ask God to show you someone with whom you can share His love and plan of salvation today!

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Six-inch Christians

MyManna — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 21:00:28 +0000

“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
I met a young man not long ago who dives for exotic fish for aquariums.
He said one of the most popular aquarium fish is the shark.
He explained that if you catch a small shark and confine it-
– it will stay a size proportionate to the aquarium.
Sharks can be six inches long yet fully matured.
But if you turn them loose in the ocean-
– they grow to their normal length of eight feet.
That also happens to some Christians.
I’ve seen the cutest little six-inch Christians who swim around in a little puddle.
But if you put them into a larger arena- into the whole creation-only then can they become great.
Jesus commanded all believers to “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 [he has] commanded” (Matthew 28:19-20).
There is no room to grow inside the walls of a Sunday School classroom, church building, or your own home.
We have been called to go outside of those walls and reach out to the lost world that needs to know Jesus.
Get involved in doing missions and evangelism-
– in your neighbourhood, city, or state through your church, local seniors group, or Bible study class.
If you are physically unable to get involved-
– become a prayer warrior for the cause of Christ.
Your prayers are needed both on and off the mission field.
Get out of the puddle you’ve been swimming in!
And take your faith to a larger arena-the world.
Pray that God would open the doors for you to reach out to those who are lost in your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

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Stay focused!

MyManna — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 16:00:41 +0000

Tuesday, 2 February 2016

“For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16).
Colonel G.W. Goethals, the man responsible for the completion of the Panama Canal-
– had major problems with the climate and the geography as it was being built.
If that wasn’t enough to deal with-
– he had an even bigger problem.
It was the growing criticism back home from those who predicted he’d never finish the project and had opinions about how to do it better.
One day, a colleague asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer all these critics?”
“In time,” answered Goethals.
“When?” his partner asked.
“When the canal is finished.”
We, who know Jesus and have given our lives to his purposes have a big task at hand, a bit bigger-
I would say, than the building the Panama Canal.
There is a world of people who are hungry to know God and the time is short.
The climate and geography may not be ideal and people around us might be critical, but the task still remains.
And we who love God must all contribute and stay focused!
We may come across some obstacles along the way.
But we cannot let them distract us from our calling!
If you haven’t been focused on sharing the Good News with the lost-
– let’s take this opportunity make it a goal today.
If each of us led only one person to the Kingdom-
– can you imagine what a difference that would make?
People are searching!
It’s not as hard as you think!
(PR)

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