Sharing - Witnessing - Ministering
Seek the Truth with all your heart.
Spreading the Word of GOD.
Please also see: ‘Obedience.’
Witnessing can also be described as telling your own story and experience, giving personal evidence, proclaiming the truth, speaking of GOD’s effectiveness in your life. even personal preaching. Witness in Greek is ‘mata’ which means to share one’s experience.
Ministering can be in many different forms and different levels. It can be sharing by way of personal explanation, and teaching, with one or more people, and preaching to any number of people from a small group up to huge numbers.
Pray that the Love of GOD and Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, will break the hard shell of independence, ego, and religious resistance, and soften and open people’s hearts.
You can ask people if they have ever asked GOD to come into their heart, and take control of their life? OR ask if they have ever given their life to GOD?
Proverbs 11:30 ‘The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who saves souls is wise.’
Proverbs 24:11-12 ‘Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not HE WHO weighs the heart perceive it? Does not HE who guards your life know it? Will HE not repay each person according to what they have done?’
Isaiah 6:8 ‘Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I, send me!”
Your calling overrides your credentials every time; and experience and expertise are almost irrelevant. What matters are availability and teachability. If you are willing to respond when GOD initiates HIS directions, HE will take you to inaccessible, and unexpected places to do things that might have seemed impossible.
Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Esther, Moses, Samuel, David, and Isaiah, all have one thing in common. They all said. ’Here am I.”
We do not need to spend time and energy trying to work out what GOD wants us to do, or how to get to where GOD wants us to go; we simply need to say “Here am I.”
It’s GOD’s job to get us to where HE wants us to go; our job is to make ourselves available; which might be to lovingly help a neighbour, or to move to somewhere in the world.
“Here am I,” is what Moses said at the burning bush; and what Caleb said when he finally set foot in the Promised Land.
Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus said; “Whoever acknowledges Me before people, I will also acknowledge them before My FATHER in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before people, I will disown them before My FATHER in heaven.”
Matthew 18:18-20 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on Earth will be loosed in heaven.
Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on Earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by My FATHER in heaven. For where two or three gather in My Name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 28:18-20 ‘Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
This in general terms to Christians, means to be a walking example and witness to others; not pushing the Bible down their throats, but ready to discuss GOD at every suitable opportunity; and even leading them willingly into relationship with HIM.
Mark 16:15 ‘HE (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
John 15:16 Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in My Name the FATHER will give you. This is My command: Love each other.”
Acts 1:8 ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth.’
Acts 5:32 ‘We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom GOD has given to those who obey HIM.’
Acts 16:14 ‘One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of GOD. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.’
Purple cloth was very expensive, and such a dealer would have been wealthy. It’s easier to reach successful people with the Gospel because they know that to be successful they must be open to new ideas and concepts, and they understand that in order to enjoy continued success they must remain open to change. We only need to sow the seed by telling them.
It’s GOD’s part to open their heart to understand, and receive.
Romans 1:16-17 ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of GOD that brings salvation to everyone who believes; first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of GOD is revealed; a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: the righteous will live by faith.’
Romans 10:11-15 ‘As scripture says, “Anyone who believes in HIM will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentle, the same LORD is LORD of all and richly blesses all who call on HIM, for “Everyone who calls on the NAME of the LORD will be saved.”
How then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of Whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”
Romans 15:5-7 ‘May the GOD WHO gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind towards each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the GOD and FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to GOD.’
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 ‘Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law - though I myself am not under the law - so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law – though I am not free from GOD’s law but am under Christ’s law – so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.’
This was not hypocritical, it was to enable Paul to identify with other people’s ways and beliefs, and show that he was genuine, wanted to identify with them, and not to offend them, as long as his actions of fitting-in did not contradict his own GOD-ly principles or GOD’s commands.
2 Corinthians 2:14-17 ‘But thanks be to GOD, Who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are to GOD the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death, to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of GOD for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before GOD with sincerity, like people sent from GOD.’
2 Corinthians 3:3-6 ‘You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living GOD, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before GOD. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from GOD. HE has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.’
Philippians:1:2-6 ‘Grace and peace to you from GOD our FATHER and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank GOD every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, In always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that HE who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.’
Colossians 3:16 ‘Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to GOD with gratitude in your hearts.’
1 Peter 3:15-17 ‘But 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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is GOD’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.’
If you want to please the LORD, and not to fail HIM, it is not in your heart any longer to follow after the fleshly influence of sinful ways. In your heart you want to be a stalwart disciple who GOD can depend on, and count on as faithful. You will want to share the gospel and boldly fulfil GOD’s perfect will.
When we are ‘clothed’ with the righteousness of Christ, and are filled with the Holy Spirit, we just want to tell others about GOD’s truth. The greatest calling and privilege is to be transformed by GOD’s grace, through Jesus, and to tell others about the experience.
Jesus Christ has given Christians, the people – church - of Christ, the obligation to carry the gospel - the good news, the word of GOD, the life of Christ and what He achieved for humanity - to the world, for the salvation of humankind. Every Christian, to the extent of their ability and opportunity, is to fulfil Jesus Christ’s - our Saviour’s - commission to carry this light of His and the FATHER’s love, to all who do not know HIM.
The Holy Spirit is our helper and leader. The new Testament Greek word ‘paraclete’ means ‘one who comes along-side to help.’ When we, with a sincere heart, share our experience and faith with others, the Holy Spirit is beside us, giving us the right words, and empowering our witnessing.
Witnessing to others is not a selling function, it is truly a sharing function.
Believers are called to transition people from the vague idea of a distant unknowable GOD, to a personal, loving, great, and gracious GOD - Elohim.
Release to people, in your own way, the spiritual light you have received.
This sharing is to be enjoyed, cherished, and loved, as a privilege, a rich purpose, which is satisfying to both.
Men and women inspired with an evangelistic spirit should invigorate others with the hope of the gospel.
We wish people could understand and appreciate that witnessing is not to drag them into religiosity, or some state of manipulative control. It is to open the way for them to be truly enabled to inherit eternal life, at the resurrection, as promised by Jesus.
Jesus has opened the door and issued the invitation for you to inherit eternal life, but you have to accept it; and acceptance has conditions, but they are not difficult, one cannot inherit anything without becoming eligible to do so.
Prayer to be spiritually born and saved into GOD’s kingdom and eternal life.
Romans 10:9-13 ‘If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that GOD raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As scripture says, “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile (all people) the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.”
“Dear GOD, I believe and thank you that, as Jesus, YOU died on the cross to pay for my sinfulness, and rose again after three days. Thank You for shedding Your blood to cleanse me from my sinful condition. Jesus, I truly ask You to be my Saviour and Lord of my life. I seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be helped to walk in Your ways, and to turn away from worldly ways.”