A Personal Relationship

Evangelism Tips August 21st, 2008

Abigail was 10 years old when she was invited to hear us present the Good News at our London Festival in 1984. She and her family took the train from Wales to the Queens Park Rangers Football stadium.

Abigail says she remembers vividly every detail from that night - from the songs that were sung, to the sights of thousands of people everywhere. But what she remembers most was the message about a personal friendship with Jesus Christ.

Abigail had never heard that before, and was excited to think that she could know God personally. So when I gave the invitation, both Abigail and her brother came forward to commit their lives to Jesus Christ.

Now, all these years later, Abigail is still going strong with the Lord. She and her husband worship at a church in Wales, where they lead weekly small group Bible Study.

There are many people like Abigail who have heard about God, and may even think they are Christians, but don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Think of one person today who perhaps looks OK on the outside, but has never made a personal decision to follow Jesus. Then, pray about how to share the Gospel with him or her.

In John 14:13 Jesus says “I will do whatever you ask in my name.” Ask God to open the door of opportunity, and when He does, walk through it with confidence in His name.

The Vilest Offender

Evangelism Tips August 20th, 2008

Growing up in Hastings, England, Jim Perry had only limited exposure to church.

By the time he was 15, Jim enlisted in the British military. The year was 1963, and it was there that he had his first experience in the world of the occult. Sadly, Jim became entrenched in occultism for the next 20 years. It almost killed him.

Then, in 1983, some Christians moved into the community house where Jim lived. They started praying for him. During this same time, my team and I were in London holding a 6 week-long evangelistic festival.

One of the Christians living in the house, a woman named Veronica, decided to take a risk and invite Jim to hear the Gospel. To her surprise, Jim accepted.

Jim says that he heard a message that night that astounded him. He heard that Jesus loved him and had defeated Satan on that Cross, and would forgive his many sins. He knew deep down that this was the truth. So Jim made the decision to no longer live for the darkness, but for the light of Christ.

Because of Veronica’s faithfulness to pray for Jim, he is now in the Kingdom of God! And she later married Jim! And, they started three local churches!

James 5:16 says “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Don’t give up praying for people you know, no matter how far away they seem from the Lord. Like Jim, you never know when they will finally decide to follow Jesus Christ.

What Does the Bible Say

Evangelism Tips August 19th, 2008

Twenty-three years ago, Simon was working in the Ministry of Defense in London, England.

One morning on his way to work, he saw some advertisements for the London festival that our team was putting on at the QPR Football Stadium. Simon was curious about God, so he decided to come hear what we had to say.

As he listened to the Good News that night in London, what struck him was the emphasis on taking Scripture seriously. Simon didn’t make a decision for God that night, but he did go home challenged to read His Bible and see for himself what it had to say.

As he read day after day, Simon realized the Bible was, in fact, the inerrant Word of God. He was finally ready to commit his life to Jesus Christ, and his new life began that very day.

Simon is now a pastor of a church in southern England!! His mission is to bring as many people as possible to the Lord.

In Isaiah 55 the Lord says, “My Word will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire.” God uses many different ways to speak to people - His Word is definitely one of those ways.

When we share our faith, we need to remember to challenge people to seek out the truth for themselves in the Bible. Then, trust the Lord with the results.

The Search for Truth

Evangelism Tips August 16th, 2008

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and he or she asks you, “What is truth anyway? Isn’t truth relative to different people and life situations?”

It’s an important question that many sincere seekers are asking today. And we, as Christians, need to be prepared to answer them. But how do we find the truth so we can share it with others?

The answer is found in John 17 when Jesus is praying for His people. He says, “Sanctify them by your truth; your Word is truth.”

That’s the key right there! If you want truth - divine truth, spiritual truth, moral truth, life-changing truth - it’s all in the Word of God. We must spend time with God and Scripture in order to find the truth that people are searching for. There’s divine power in the Bible, you know.

We also must cultivate a listening ear, listening to Jesus Christ. And that takes time. Yes, you can listen to God on the freeway but you hear a lot of other things too. That’s why it’s good to spend time alone with the Lord - just Him and you and His Word. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll discover!

As you open the Bible, and listen to the Holy Spirit, you will learn wisdom to answer people’s questions - that’s how I have done it. And the truth that you share has the power to change their lives! “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Jesus said that.