Evangelism

15 Things We Shouldn’t Neglect in Evangelism

Jamie Francis Evangelism

Hello everyone, I am beginning a new series on evangelism. And while most of it will apply more to “street evangelism”, I am hoping and praying these tips will help you no matter what type of evangelism you are engaged in. By God’s grace, I hope that these tips will bring to your attention ways to improve your attempts at sharing the gospel. The longer I am a Christian, the more I realize that I need to keep learning how to evangelize. Always a student, always learning something new. That’s the attitude we need to have! It is a God-given privilege to be Christ’s ambassadors, and it is God who gives the strength for us to engage people with the gospel. God is the One who receives all the glory for anything we accomplish, and for any fruit that comes from our proclamation of Jesus Christ.

But I believe that God works His sovereignty through means, and He desires that we try to be as faithful ambassadors as we can possibly be. We certainly can never be perfect, and all of us are far from it. But that is no excuse for us to stop learning. Yes, God is sovereign in saving sinners, but He calls us to proclaim the Good News to others. He works specifically through the preaching of the gospel to save sinners. Since that is the case, doesn’t it make sense that we should try to better ourselves and please the Lord in the way we evangelize? God calls us to be diligent, humble, and faithful in all things. He calls us to show love to our neighbor. He calls us to present the gospel clearly for all to understand.In short, He wants us to grow in our efforts. God wants us to make progress, just like in every other area of our Christian life.

The simplicity of the list may surprise you. It isn’t going to be rocket science by any means. But in my observation, I’m convinced that all too often we fail to do the simplest things when we evangelize. Things that are so obvious that we just simply overlook them. Things that truly work, but we just don’t try them because we’ve heard negative stories, or we may have a false impression about a specific method. Perhaps we judge certain methods too harshly because of what other people think. Let’s be open minded here. I am no expert, and I have failed over and over in my evangelism. But by God’s grace, I have observed some things I believe will help you………if you give them a try. Weigh everything I say with Scripture, and see where this goes. May God strengthen you to be an effective witness for the glory of Christ!

So with that in mind, here are 15 tips that I will be writing about in great detail over the next several months, one by one. But the list itself should be enough to get you to start thinking on these matters. They are listed in no particular order. Some are obviously more important than others, and some of them come logically before others. But don’t get too hung up on the order. The point is to incorporate these things into your arsenal.

So with all that in mind…………when evangelizing, never neglect to………….

1) Notice people’s faces

2) Look in their eyes

3) Smile at them

4) Say “Hello” or “How are y’all tonight?” or any other kind of “welcome statement”

5) Give them space

6) Have gospel tracts in your hands

7) Hand them a tract

8) Be extremely friendly and joyful

9) Open a conversation by asking them a thought-provoking, spiritual question

10) Speak the truth in love

11) Pray before and after

12) Be clear and articulate

13) Persevere in conversation

14) Tell them about your church

15) Tell them about Jesus!

 

Next time I will begin to speak in detail about the importance of noticing people’s faces. Come back and visit! Goodbye for now and God bless!

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Your likes or comments are always appreciated! I will do my best to respond to each one. And if you enjoy my posts, I wouldn’t mind an extra subscriber either. (-:  God bless you, and thanks for stopping by!   — Jamie

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Shout It From the Rooftops

Jamie Francis Evangelism, Jesus Christ, Poetry

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Go ahead! Shout this glorious gospel, shout it from the rooftops,
The only message to bring us peace with God, shout it out loud!
This is peace that we do not deserve, but peace that God gives us,
Shout it to all peoples everywhere, one by one, even into a crowd.

Shout the glorious Name of Jesus, whose Word is sharper than a knife,
The One who gave His life for us, dying a bloody death upon the cross,
Let all the people know that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life,
The One who forgives and sanctifies us; He consumes all of our dross.

Shout the precious Name of our Lord and Redeemer, He who lives forever,
Who has commissioned us to share His gospel, to speak the truth in love,
Shout the message of the cross, boldly and proudly, whenever and wherever,
For this is not a message of human origin, the gospel comes from God above.

Let us preach with joy! Let’s not be shy, let’s not be disobedient, let’s not be selfish,
And let’s not be cowards, God is with us; The gospel has power! Let the Word thunder!
Ask Him to make us fearless ambassadors; Let that be our prayer, our godly wish,
That we, the bride of Christ, would speak with joy and conviction, all of God’s wonders!

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Your likes or comments are always appreciated! I will do my best to respond to each one. And if you enjoy my posts, I wouldn’t mind an extra subscriber either. (-:  God bless you, and thanks for stopping by!   — Jamie

Prayer Devotional, Acts 1:12-26

Jamie Francis Devotionals, Evangelism, Prayer

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For use in corporate or private prayer, and/or family devotions………

Our Scripture passage will be Acts 1:12-26:

 

Dear brothers and sisters,

Let us take notice of how important Corporate Prayer was to the early church. This passage takes place just after the ascension of Jesus Christ, after He had given these early disciples instructions on the Great Commission. Faced with the task of spreading the gospel to the nations, planting churches, and replacing Judas with a qualified Apostle, these men and women came together to pour out their heart to God in prayer.

The way the early church prayed in this passage is an example we ought to follow. They believed that great things happen when God’s people pray! The Great Commission has not ended, and will not end until the Lord returns. And if we are to reach the nations, starting with our own areas which God has placed us in, we need to bathe it all in much prayer. Remember, the sovereignty of God has determined where you live, and this is where He desires you to spread the gospel. And it would be arrogant of us to think we can do it in our own strength. Prayer is vital!

And notice…..they did it in agreement with one another. They were united in their motivation and desire, which was dependence on the Holy Spirit, love for Christ, and trust in God to do His work in and through them. Which ultimately leads to greater communion with God! And they were also united in their purpose, which was to gloryify God in the spread of the gospel. Having this mindset when it comes to our relationship with God will drive us to more more fervent praying for the lost. That mindset is being humble to the fact that we can do nothing without the enabling power of God.

So let us all, together with one accord, pray for the Holy Spirit to go mightily before us as we live as witnesses to the great Name of Jesus Christ.

God bless,  Jamie

 

                                                Acts 1:12-26

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it‘, and ‘Let another take his office.’“

21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

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Your likes or comments are always appreciated! I will do my best to respond to each one. And if you enjoy my posts, I wouldn’t mind an extra subscriber either. (-:  God bless you, and thanks for stopping by!   — Jamie

Prayer Devotional, Colossians 4:2-6

Jamie Francis Devotionals, Evangelism, Prayer

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For use in corporate or private prayer, and/or family devotions………

Our Scripture passage will be Colossians 4:2-6:

Hello brothers and sisters,

Our passage today demonstrates the evangelistic importance of prayer in the life of your local church. The Apostle Paul, arguably the greatest missionary the church has ever seen, understands that prayer is foundational for success in the spread of the gospel. His prayer request is not only that God would create opportunities to preach the gospel, but also that God would empower him to speak the message clearly.

Clarity is so important when sharing Christ with others. We need to preach the message as accurately as we possibly can. And while God certainly can, and thankfully will, accomplish His purposes in spite of our mistakes, it doesn’t give us an excuse for not being clear. Which is why prayer is such a vital part of our gospel efforts!

Paul exhorts the church at Colossae to be watchful in prayer, which means to be alert and vigilant. It means to be careful to pray with your mind fully aware of the attacks of the enemy, and to pray accordingly. It is to use your Spirit-empowered, Word-driven mind when making your requests to God.

Paul also says to be steadfast, which is to be faithful and dedicated to prayer. To be steadfast means to be “dutifully firm and unwavering.” And notice how he undergirds all of it with thanksgiving! As we pray for the gospel to be spread, and for Jesus Christ to be worshiped and adored among the nations, let us remember to always approach God with thanksgiving. Let us be grateful for what He has done for us and is now doing in us. And let us thank Him for the great privilege of sharing this Good News with others, an amazing work that He is doing through us! Let us pray.

God bless,    Jamie

 

                                               COLOSSIANS 4:2-6
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
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Your likes or comments are always appreciated! I will do my best to respond to each one. And if you enjoy my posts, I wouldn’t mind an extra subscriber either. (-:  God bless you, and thanks for stopping by!   — Jamie

Prayer Devotional, Romans 10:1-4

Jamie Francis Devotionals, Evangelism, Prayer
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For use in corporate or private prayer, and/or family devotions………

Our Scripture passage will be ROMANS 10:1-4:

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Dear brothers and sisters,

 

This is a simple prayer from the Apostle Paul that we can use for our prayer time. Let us pray that God would increase our desire for the lost to be saved. Let us pray that we would have a loving heart like Paul when it came to the lost. In fact, let us pray that we would have a heart increasingly like Jesus, who came to seek and save the lost, and gave His life for them!

Many people we know, and see on a daily basis, are trying to live just like the Israelites of old. In one way or another, they are trying to establish their own righteousness. They think they are good people, and that God will allow them entrance into Heaven one day. They have misunderstood how serious their sin is to our God, who is infinitely holy. They need a Savior!

Let us pray for opportunities, both as individuals and through our churches, to get the gospel to as many people as possible. Let us pray that we would see God’s Spirit grant repentance and faith to the people we interact with on a daily basis. Let us intercede for others as a habit and pattern of life.     

God bless,   Jamie
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Your likes or comments are always appreciated! I will do my best to respond to each one. And if you enjoy my posts, I wouldn’t mind an extra subscriber either. (-:  God bless you, and thanks for stopping by!   — Jamie
       

Law Not Upheld for Lawman Tony Miano

Jamie Francis Abortion, Evangelism, Persecution, Religious Freedom

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Babies are murdered there. Yes, they are still being murdered there. In Iowa City at a Planned Parenthood. Murdered babies. Every. day. That doesn’t sit well with former deputy sheriff Tony Miano. More importantly, it doesn’t sit well with God Almighty. This place is not a clinic. Although they may erroneously refer to it as such. It is not a healthcare facility in any sense. It is a place of demonic activity of the worst kind. Bloodshed. Unsightly, wicked brutality. And………….insanely…………..<<GULP!>>………….legal. Unfathomable, isn’t it? Tony certainly can’t fathom it. He tried to stop some of the bloodshed. He went to the abortuary. He preached. He pleaded. He read the Scripture. And he did it for this reason: so that the blood of precious babies would not be shed. Boys and girls created in the image of Almighty God. And he got arrested for it.

Tony also went to warn evildoers of the coming judgment. He told them of the only hope they have of forgiveness: the cross of Jesus Christ. Yes, Tony went to plead for the lives of the unborn. But he also went to bring the gospel to would-be murderers and those who have already murdered. Mothers. Fathers. And even those who are actually paid big money to extinguish the lives of little babies. Yes, people are paid big money to do that right now in the United States. For some ungodly reason, I hear them occasionally referred to as ‘doctors’. They are not doctors. They don’t heal. They kill. They need the gospel. Tony went to tell those who shed innocent blood that they could be forgiven by the innocent One whose blood was shed. Talk about a great exchange. It doesn’t get more extreme than that.

The Unjust Judge

People mangling babies wasn’t that big of a deal to Edward J. Leff. He knew baby murder was happening daily in his city. But this didn’t seem to cause him too much distress. But guess what was a big deal to him? Causing ‘distress’ to people who mangle babies. Yes, this atrocity was apparently too much for him to handle. The idea that premeditated baby murderers would be made uncomfortable was just not going to happen in his town. Not while he is judge anyway. For baby murderers to feel ashamed was, in the eyes of Magistrate Leff, the worst thing that could have happened at that Planned Parenthood in Iowa City back in May 2017.

The Iowa City Magistrate has banned Christian evangelist, and a dear brother in Christ, Tony Miano from preaching at any Planned Parenthood anywhere. That’s right, you read that correctly. Unjust. Judge. His thought process? You want babies to be saved, Mr. Miano? You want people to turn to Jesus Christ and be saved? Well then, you better find something more worthwhile to spend your time at. Cuz we ain’t having it here! Causing baby murderers to feel uncomfortable pushed this judge to render a totally asinine penalty.

Miscarriage of Justice

Judge Leff’s support for the evils of Planned Parenthood was obvious. All you need to do is listen to this audio from the trial. In fact, when rendering Miano’s sentence, he simply pointed out that women go into abortion clinics for healthcare reasons. Human decency, where have you gone? Healthcare? Are you serious? Leff’s hatred for the gospel was even more clear. It was like every time he opened his mouth he was heaping up more judgment on himself. Ironic for a judge, isn’t it? I really can’t describe just how horrible his arguments were during sentencing. They were so bad that, if the subject matter were not so serious, you could almost bust a gut laughing. The whole thing is a complete miscarriage of justice. Common sense, where are you? Consistency, where are you? That is my only commentary. Just listen to it. You’ll know what I mean. Even if you are not a Christian, listen to it. From the charges to the trial, to the verdict, to the sentencing. Total injustice. Here are Tony’s own thoughts. Judge Leff made it very clear what causes him distress.

The Gospel Won’t Be Stopped

You know what causes me distress? When a judge bans a brother in Christ from pleading for the lives of unborn children. The whole thing ought to make us sick to our stomach. But let’s just say that Leff’s attempt to throw down the gavel on the gospel will ultimately fail. God’s Word will never be thwarted by the evil decisions of men. Christians are never going to stop preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. This incident isn’t going to stop Tony, and it shouldn’t stop any of us either. In this recent episode of Apologia Radio, Tony made it clear what his prayer request was following this miscarriage of justice: to be bold in proclaiming the gospel, especially in the face of persecution. God’s Word always accomplishes the purpose it is sent for. (Isaiah 55:11) And most often this happens when it looks really bad for Christians. At least from a human standpoint. God receives the most glory when Christians are backed into a corner and cannot see a way out. So brothers and sisters, grab those tracts. Hit the streets. Knock on your neighbor’s door. Head out to an abortuary. Proclaim Jesus. Preach the cross always. Follow Tony’s example. Fear God alone. God. Not man. Hebrews 13:6 proclaims:

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

That should be good enough for all of us. Stand up and be heard.

Call It Persecution

What happened to Tony is persecution. This is not a fact that Tony will ever make a stink about. He doesn’t want personal glory. That is who he is. And praise God for that! Believe me though, the ruling in this case is persecution. Too extreme you say? I beg to differ. According to dictionary.com, persecution is defined as:

A program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate people based on  their membership in a religious, ethnic, social, or racial group.

Judge Leff is trying to drive Tony away from Planned Parenthood. And by extension, he is trying to drive every other Christian from doing the same thing where they live. He wants to send a message. Try to save babies and you’ll be punished. You’ll be driven away. Plead for murderers to repent and believe the gospel and………you guessed it…………you’ll be driven away. Tyranny. Persecution. Unjust. Judge.

Let Us Pray

So let us pray for the Lawman. Let us pray for others who stand on the sidewalk at abortion mills. Pray that God would turn things around in this case. That true justice would ultimately prevail. Pray that Tony and other Christians could continue preaching the gospel at these killing places. Pray that God would cause the leaders of this country to legislate pro-life. Consistently. To hold their promises. Let us pray for judges to rule righteously. Whether that be at the county, state, or federal level. And don’t forget to pray for the Supreme Court. They need it. Do not neglect this valuable tool of prayer. If you think it is too far fetched for anything good to happen, remember the words of God:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20)

Anger From Heaven

The ruling in this case is no laughing matter for issues of freedom of speech either. Or the free exercise of religion, supposedly protected by the First Amendment. It is no laughing matter for Miano and his family. It is certainly no laughing matter for babies in the womb. And above all, it is no laughing matter in heaven. Proverbs 6:16-19 could not be more clear:

These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

The Bible never says, “Thou shalt not cause distress to murderers.” It says, “Thou shalt not murder.” What is this world coming to when our court systems punish those who call out evil for what it is? What is going on when speaking up to defend and protect precious little babies turns a judge against you? Scripture gives further warning to such people in Isaiah 5:20:

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Message For Judge Leff

Judge Leff, if you ever read this, it ought to be a scary thing for you to see yourself in Bible prophecy. In the above verse, Isaiah is pronouncing judgment on those who call evil good, and good evil. That was you in the courtroom on January 9th, 2018. You called an establishment that has murdered millions of babies………….good. You called them good. Maybe you didn’t use those exact words, but it doesn’t matter. Your decision against Tony spoke volumes. And your comment about it being a place of “healthcare” made my stomach turn……again. You sounded like Planned Parenthood when they adamantly claim that they are all about healthcare………..since only 3% of their business is abortion. You took their bait. But Life Dynamics president Mark Crutcher would have this to say to you:

This is like defending the Ku Klux Klan by claiming that lynching is only 3 percent of what they do.

Try letting that quote marinate for just a while. It ought to bring chills down your spine.

Preach It, Brother Tony!

Judge Leff, I know you heard the gospel in the courtroom on January 9th, 2018. I know that Tony’s voice is loud and clear. And I know his gospel presentation is rock solid. I heard it. And I was rejoicing inside like you wouldn’t believe. And I’m willing to bet that you never heard the gospel preached like that in the courtroom. And you probably never will again. But I am glad you got to hear it. It is a testimony of God’s grace that something like that could even happen in your courtroom. I don’t think you realize what a grand privilege and mercy God gave you that day back in early January.

And you know what, Tony would do it all over again. Just so you and everyone else there could hear the glorious gospel. Even if he had known ahead of time that you would find fault with him, he would still preach to you. Why? Because Tony knows that ultimately, and ironically for you, every lost person is on a suspended sentence. Unless they turn to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, they are merely on a suspended sentence. And that sentence is eternity in hell. No appeal process. No lawyers. The title of “county judge” won’t matter when you’re standing before the Judge of the world.

Judge Leff, prosecutor Andrea Jensen, security worker Michael Bailey, and many others involved in this case: I have the same message for you as Tony does today. The very thing that you found so disdainful in the courtroom, the gospel, is the very thing you need to embrace. Christ died for baby murderers, liars, thieves, hypocrites, the sexually immoral, blasphemers, those who protect the evil and prosecute the good, and………..unjust judges. By God’s mercy, you all still have time. Trust in Jesus. Be forgiven. Your life is your trial. Christ is your only Advocate. Seek Him. The gavel has not come down on any of you just yet.

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Your likes or comments are always appreciated! I will do my best to respond to each one. And if you enjoy my posts, I wouldn’t mind an extra subscriber either. (-:  God bless you, and thanks for stopping by!   — Jamie

 

6 Regrets If You Had Only Minutes to Live

Jamie Francis Evangelism, Prayer, Sin & Temptation

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Recently, I wrote about the now famous “false alarm missile incident” that took place in Hawaii on Saturday, January 18th. It will help you to read that article before you read this list.

Now it’s time to put some flesh to the whole thing. Let’s think specifics. Because remember, our lives can be extinguished at any moment. We are clueless about how it will all end for us. God has marked out our days before time even began.

The whole point of my previous article was this:

Dear Christian: What if you had been in Hawaii on January 13th, 2018? What if you had received that now infamous message about an incoming missile? What regrets would you have had?

For now, I came up with 6. Overwhelming? On our own……yes, absolutely. But with God, well you know………..ALL things are possible to the one who believes. (Mark 9:23)

With that Scripture in mind, let’s beware of some possible regrets…………

 

1) Do you have unresolved conflict with believers?

Have you done everything you can to reconcile with other Christians? Are you too prideful to make the first move? Are you constantly making the argument that they need to come to you first?

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

2) Are you toying with pet sins, or at least one pet sin?

Are you doing everything you can to put it to death? Or are you making excuses to indulge in it? Don’t play with fire. Seek God for grace to put sin to death. When you fall, get back up again. Make your Christian life one of continual and consistent repentance.

 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13)

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. (1 John 5:18)

3) Do you refuse to be long suffering with an unsaved person? 

Have you sinned against them in your speech? Have you played the ‘silent treatment’ game with them? Do you move toward them, or away from them? Have they seen humility in your dealings with them? Do you refuse to follow the Golden Rule with them, simply because the Golden Rule is too inconvenient? Do they see Jesus at all in your life?

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

4) Are you regularly sharing the gospel?

Do you remember the last person you shared the gospel with? We all need help with this, don’t we? Remember, for all the mystery we have regarding heaven, there is one thing we know for certain about it. There will be no evangelism. Evangelism is an earthly command. Heaven will be full of God’s elect, redeemed people from every age. Make your words count now. Is there someone you regret not sharing the gospel with? Pray for an opportunity. Pray for God to use you. Pray for boldness. Then, go and speak the message of the cross to them. I am preaching this to myself before I preach it to you, dear reader.

Then Jesus came to them and 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. (Matthew 28:18-20)

5) Do you have a lazy, inconsistent, haphazard prayer life?

This is a failure to love God by not communing with Him often. And it is a failure to love others by not going to the throne often for them. Again, help us Lord. We are weak and need your grace.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)

6) Have your last words with anyone been harsh, rude, or simply unkind and unloving?

You would definitely remember this if you thought your life was ending soon. Take care of it now.

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27)

How are you doing with this list? How will you improve? What steps will you take, and when will you take them?

How about this for an annual New Year’s Resolution:

By the power of God’s Holy Spirit, work daily on eliminating possible future regrets.

This list only scratches the surface. I believe it is a good start though. But I need your help. There are way more than 6 regrets that Christians have to fight against. In the comments, please add any others you think Christians need to pay attention to. Thank you in advance! May God work mightily in all of you, so you will have fewer regrets when your time is quickly running out.

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Your likes or comments are always appreciated! I will do my best to respond to each one. And if you enjoy my posts, I wouldn’t mind an extra subscriber either. (-:  God bless you, and thanks for stopping by! 

If You Had Been in Hawaii on January 13th, 2018

Jamie Francis Evangelism, Prayer, Tragedy and Suffering

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Imagine you lived in Hawaii, and you woke up to find the following text alert on your smart phone……….

BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

I don’t know about you. But I imagine the words coming from my mouth would have been something like “%%$%&*$%#%!!!!” In other words, not printable for a Christian blog. But the dread of such a message was very real for hundreds of thousands of Hawaiians on Saturday, January 13th, 2018. A day no Hawaiian could ever, or will ever, forget. Thank God, it was a false alarm. But it was nearly 40 minutes before the terrified residents of Hawaii found out that the ‘threat’ wasn’t a real threat. That 40 minutes gave them plenty of time to think. It must’ve seemed like forever under the circumstances. I can only imagine what some of the racing thoughts would be for most people:

What do I do? Where do I go? Where exactly is it going to hit? Where’s my kids? Where’s my wife/husband? OH NO!! We don’t have a shelter!! HELP!! GOD, please help us!!

Fear. Panic. No…………more like unbridled terror…………hearts beating faster than they would in any of your worst nightmares…………….absolute, utter terror.

“I am going to die!!” was the theme of the day. A day that started like any other. And then, all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, you find out that you may only have minutes to live. As the initial “fight or flight” panic winds down just a little, what would you think about? Whom would you think of? Would regrets begin to flood your mind? Would you really go from terror to regret? You might think such a response could never happen if your very life were at stake. You might think that the entire time would be focused on physical survival and nothing else whatsoever. Think again.

You would think about more than just your own, and everyone else’s, physical survival. Your relationship with God and how you have treated others would overwhelm you. Why? Because when you’re a Christian, eternal things matter more than anything. Obedience to God, your prayer life, unsaved friends and family members……….it all matters. And when your time is short, especially with only minutes to live, you won’t be able to stop thinking of eternal matters. If you doubt me, I suggest you read this sobering article by pastor Garrett Kell. In it, he recalls the harrowing account of a Christian woman named Dee, who was in Hawaii that fateful day. She received the ominous false alert. At the outset, her initial reaction was like a lot of people’s would be. Survival mode instinct kicked in. Then, because she is a believer, everything turned Christian from this point on. Instead of just thinking about physical survival, and what to do in a panic, it became ‘What important thing have I failed to do?’ or ‘What did God command me to do that I have willfully neglected?'”

Don’t get me wrong. It certainly matters what you do in survival mode. It matters whether you live or die. We have a God-given instinct to want to live. Your behavior matters when threatened with death. But ultimately, it’s in God’s hands whether you make it out alive. It’s in God’s hands whether a threat is real or a false alarm. But what matters even more is this: How did you live before the threat even happened? What was done for Christ? What was done in love? How much did you pray? Did you put your hand to the plow without looking back?

Remember our sister Dee in the above story. Something else came to her mind during the threat. She remembered that her son did not know Jesus. It scared her something fierce. He had resisted the gospel many times in the past. It wasn’t that she failed to try. It’s just that she knew one thing: if the Lord didn’t grant her son repentance before imminent nuclear fallout, then he would be forever under the wrath of Almighty God. I guarantee you that she will share the good news with him again very soon if she hasn’t already…….and again soon after that. No hesitation. No apologies. I believe that missile threats help to turn people into passionate evangelists.

You may be thinking, “Jamie, that missile crisis was a fluke. Ain’t gonna happen again! And even if it does, what are the odds it will happen in my unknown part of the world?!” Ok, maybe so. But what about this next hypothetical scenario? What if this were you? Could the scenario below be you tomorrow? Or the next day? Next week?

 

Here goes………..

 

Your eyes begin to open ever so slightly. “Sir, can you hear me?” asks the nurse as you look up in bewilderment. You don’t even know what happened. All you know is that you are in a hospital, lying down and in a lot of pain. You are conscious enough to hear the question. But you don’t have the strength to answer. The nurse stares at you softly with a mildly reassuring smile and says, “Sir, we are going to take good care of you.”

You are confused and disoriented. You muster up enough strength to ask one very important question………….“What happened?”  She replies, “You are having a heart attack and we need to perform surgery. The doctor is on his way.” Your wife and kids are crying profusely, not knowing what is going to happen. And just like that, you realize that this may be it. You might not be around much longer. Technically speaking, you are on your deathbed. You didn’t plan it. You had no idea it was coming. But here you are.

Christian, have you ever thought about your deathbed, if you even get one? What will it be like? What will you think about most?  What will you want to do over again? What will cause you to shed the most grievous tears? Whom will you think of? What will be a great source of regret? Have you thought about the terrifying emotions you might experience? The frustration of a bad choice made, or not made? The spiritual agony of not obeying God? The “what if” thoughts plaguing your mind something fierce? The agonizing prayers asking God to “just give you a few more weeks of time!!” That sinking feeling of “It’s too late to do anything now.”

What if you were to suffer a severe stroke and you had this gut-wrenching thought:

I want to do something now. I want to make things right with her. But I can’t speak. I can’t move my arm or my fingers. I can’t call her to tell her how much I love her. She may never know that I wanted to reconcile with her.

Sad. Pitiful. Devastating. Let’s pray to God that we take care of these things while we have time. Scripture tells us to “redeem the time.” Christians should pursue good with others, and make the most of the time God has given us. Obedience requires us to put things in order as best we can in the here and now. Fight against regrets now, so you don’t have to deal with them when it may be too late.

Whether or not you experience a missile threat, one thing is for certain: You will have regrets. I’m not saying that you can take care of every single one of them. I mean, we are sinners. There is only One who lived and died with zero regrets. His Name is Jesus Christ. But………..we can work through them while the Lord has given us time. Let us seek Him for the grace we need to pursue God and others with love. In the here and now.

The reality is that we are all on our deathbed every day we live…….so to speak. We are dying. Every moment that passes we are one step closer to the grave. So maybe we ought to consider every day a deathbed experience. In the famous work “The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards”, Resolution #17 states:

Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

In other words, we should start doing those things that matter now, not later. Don’t wait for your deathbed. You are already on it. In the Book of James, we read this:

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14)

You don’t have to be lying on a hospital bed with a heart attack to begin attacking your regrets. By the grace of God, do what you can. Make your best effort. It won’t be perfect, of course. But you will not regret trying. I can assure you of that. Deathbed regrets are not those things we tried to make right and failed. They are the things we never even tried to fix. Nothing brings regrets to the surface more than serious threats to our lives.

There are things we all need to do now. Let us pray that God’s Spirit would bring us to the place of obedience. If you’re a Christian, you can take comfort in knowing that Jesus Christ has died for all those regretful things we have ever done, or failed to do. Praise His glorious Name!

In my next post, I write about 6 specific regrets we may have. Stay tuned!

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Your likes or comments are always appreciated! I will do my best to respond to each one. And if you enjoy my posts, I wouldn’t mind an extra subscriber either. (-:  God bless you, and thanks for stopping by! 

‘Twas a Calvinist Christmas

Jamie Francis Calvinism, Christmas, Evangelism, Poetry

 

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‘Twas many nights before Christmas, before the foundation of the world,
No creatures were stirring; no men, no women, not even a boy or a girl.
Myriads of depraved people were chosen by God the Father with care,
So they would one day have hope, when Jesus Christ would soon be there.

God’s enemies would become His children, made alive from the dead,
While visions of a bloody cross danced in the Son of God’s head.
And with the Father in His choosing, and the Son in His redeeming,
The Spirit would one day apply that grand work, in all of its meaning.

But soon after time began, there arose such a clatter,
Man would boast in himself; to God this would matter.
Men exalting themselves since the beginning of time,
For us to boast before God is the chiefest of all crime.

Sovereign grace and mercy are precious doctrines from the Lord,
And though the teaching is often rejected, it ought to be adored.
Throughout history many have protested, believing man has some good,
But man doesn’t seek after God; he never would because he never could.

The One who dwells in the heavens, whose glory and presence is everywhere,
It is He who placed the moon in the sky, and suspends the clouds in the air.
One day the trumpet will sound when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
No, not Santa’s sleigh or reindeer; it is the King of kings, the One we all should revere.

Glory and splendor surround Him, the Lamb who was once sacrificed,
His sovereign grace alone- this is the only reason we ever receive Christ.
Many were used by God to preach this great truth; yes indeed they came,
And though they weren’t perfect, God used them to go and proclaim His Name.

Now Calvin! Now Spurgeon! Now Sproul! Now James Montgomery Boice!
They all understood total depravity; that men are born hating God’s voice.
But from the bottom of the Andes Mountains to the top of the Great Wall,
God’s Spirit is granting eternal life, to men corrupted by Adam’s great fall.

As God sat on His throne and empowered His people with His grace,
Across sea and land the Christians went, many gone without a trace.
Men and women heard the command to go and preach the gospel to all,
So they dashed away, dashed away, and did not refuse the Lord’s call.

God says to preach the gospel, trust Him, never give up, and fight the good fight,
So persevere in love this Christmas season. And Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

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Your likes or comments are always appreciated! I will do my best to respond to each one. And if you enjoy my posts, I wouldn’t mind an extra subscriber either. (-:  God bless you, and thanks for stopping by!  – Jamie

The Brightness of the Son Eclipses All

Jamie Francis Evangelism, Jesus Christ, Poetry

 

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The anticipation was overwhelming, and the people’s response was not to be believed,
The world watched with utter fascination, as the moon passed between earth and sun,
But many did not dwell on its Creator, of whom no human mind can fully conceive,
The brightness of His glory eclipses all, for He is truth and light; He is God the Son.

Even such a mind-blowing stellar event cannot compare to the brightness of Christ Jesus,
For created things can never rise above their Creator; He stands infinitely far above all,
His face shines like the sun in full strength, and with His blazing eyes He sees us,
Earth and sky will at once flee from Him; His majesty makes them seem so very small.

Upon that day when they finally see Jesus, there will be no protective glasses for unbelievers to wear,
They will hide in the mountains, and call for rocks to fall on them; they spurned the cross and all it stands for,
They rejected Christ and will forever be consumed by His holy fire; He will not give them even one kind stare,
For they have turned away from the King, and treated redemption like it were something cheap, to be bought in a store.

The creation of the sun, stars, and the billions of galaxies; all of these came from the mighty Word of God,
He sets everything in motion and decrees from eternity past the time of every eclipse, long before the world even began,
And one day Christians will see Him with unveiled glory; no need for glasses, no need to fear or put on a facade,
For God loves His children, those who trust in Him; for the perfect Lamb has rescued them from the terrible fall of man.

Remember the transfigured Jesus before His terrified disciples? Remember Isaiah’s reaction to seeing the pre-incarnate Christ?
Well……..the brightness of that eclipse you witnessed is like a light bulb, unable to be perceived when in the presence of its Maker,
I hope the sight reminded you of Jesus, of His infinite power and wisdom; and that He came down from heaven and was sacrificed,
For if you only see the eclipse as an end in itself, not pointing to the King, then fear for your soul; you are an unforgiven lawbreaker.

To all unbelievers, whether you are an atheist, a Jew, a Buddhist, a Muslim, of even a regular churchgoing hypocrite,
Look to the Light, look to the heavens and be saved, look to the Christ who died and rose again, so that you might live,
Look to the One the recent eclipse merely pointed to, the One who bled and died for sinners, go to Him and admit,
That you have worshiped lesser things, maybe not sun and moon, but yourself; repent and turn to Jesus; He will forgive.

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Your likes or comments are always appreciated! I will do my best to respond to each one. And if you enjoy my posts, I wouldn’t mind an extra subscriber either. (-:  God bless you, and thanks for stopping by!  – Jamie