ProJesus

“Dear JESUS, I have a problem...It’s me” “Dear child, I have the answer.....It’s ME”

HOW TO HELP OTHERS KNOW JESUS

1. PRAY

2. FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES---FROM A TO Z

3. USE YOUR GIFTS AND/OR TALENTS

4. GO ON A MISSION--IN THE U. S.

5. GO ON A MISSION IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY.

6. WHY??

PRAY:
When family life gets tough and/or relationships sour, have you heard people say: "I guess we had better pray about it. We have tried everything else". That is a statement we hear all too often. The first thing we should do concerning any subject is pray. That's not what I say, Jesus commands us to pray about everything. Luke 18:1" Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart". Matt 6:6 states; "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen." And Dr. Luke further explains in Acts 1:14 "They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers". The Bible is brimming with verses in regard to the importance of prayer. So, let all of our effort for the Lord Jesus begin with prayer.

Pray in the morning.
Pray for healing for your friend's cancer
Pray for your marriage
Pray by yourself
Pray for your children (grandchildren) at school
Pray in the evening
Pray that your car will start
Pray for the U. S. and World leaders
Pray for patience
Pray with others
Pray for your daily bread
Pray that all will learn about the salvation through Jesus the Christ
Pray that your sins be forgiven. REPENT!!!
Pray that Muslims. Hindus and other world religions will be open to the Gospel
Pray that you will not be led into any temptations
Pray for more world youth to go into the mission field.
Pray that Jesus will protect you from the evil one

As you can see, we can pray anytime, anywhere and about anything. However our prayers must be within the will of Jesus.

FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES---FROM A TO Z
We can all do something to share the Gospel with family, friends even strangers.
Below is a list of ideas that are easy and non intrusive.

1. At a restaurant-----------leave a good tract* with a generous tip

2. At a barber---------------leave a good tract* with a generous tip

3. At a Beauty Salon-------leave a good tract* with a generous tip

4. At the auto mechanic---leave a good tract* with a generous tip

See, this is easy.

*A really good tract is titled "A Love Story", by CHICK Publications. There are dozens of different tracts to choose from at your local Bible book store.

The next three (5) activities are also non-confronting.

5. Send the "Answer Magazine" to your neighbors. (See the Links section for their web site)
A gift of a good Christian magazine or newspaper is a great way to communicate the Love of
Jesus.

6. Advertise Jesus in a local newspaper, write editorials, advertise your church sponsored events.

7. Advertise Jesus on buses, bill-boards, etc.

8. Help at food banks or "The Peoples Kitchen". Matt 25:35

9. Write to prisoners. Go to prisons. (Many churches have prison ministries) Matt 25:36
Writing is non-confronting, however, you should be in a church group before you visit a prisoner.

The next three (3) activities entail some face to face contact.

10. Be prepared for Mormon's or Jehovah Witnesses at your house, work, etc.

11. Hand out a tract or a flyer at the beach or at a park (Call different churches, some have groups
that share the Gospel at the beach, it' easier when you are with others)

12. Give the Jesus film to neighbors. (It's only $5.00) Be available to answer questions.
Better yet get a group in your neighborhood to distribute the films.

13. Invite neighbors and co-workers to church and/or church functions.

GIFTS AND/OR TALENTS:
Everyone has God given gifts (talents).
Let's use our talents!!
If you don't know what yours are, search Scriptures to study the Gifts of the Spirit. I will list only a few here, so you can determine your own starting point and direction. Look up 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, some of the gifts mentioned are;
Wisdom
Knowledge
Faith
Teaching
Healing
Miraculous powers
Prophecy
Hospitality
Exhortation
Evangelist
Pastor

Additional gifts may be found in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Cor. 14:12 and Eph 4:11.

First of all, just before Jesus, God the Son, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, Jesus gave His Apostles what is known as the Great Commission. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Then, the Apostles went out and preached everywhere. The Apostles set the example. We are to tell others about Jesus. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you will know what your gift(s) are. Then, you can determine at what level you are to share Jesus. (i.e. give someone a tract or start preaching to millions like Billy Graham. I assume you may be some where in the middle.)

Get on the e-mail and/or mailing list of strong Christian groups. See the Links Section on this web site. Contact a few of the organizations.

There are classes you can take from the local churches that will be a big help in sharing Jesus. If one church doesn't have a class, try another.

A great book to read on the subject is, "Your Spiritual Gifts" by Wagner.

A MISSION IN THE UNITED STATES:
No doubt, the most difficult of evangelistic tools to use is the "Up front and personal" discussion and/or question for a friend or maybe a complete stranger. For example, your neighborhood may be your mission field. Listed below are some ways to initiate a conversation.

Here is how it may work.
Let's say that you make a comment to a friend about the weather. They may respond with a question and/or a statement, then you follow up and start a loving dialog.
Remember: Col 4:5-6 "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone."
And, 2 Tim 2:24 says, "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead he must be kind to everyone, able to teach".

Make your own list of subjects.
Look over some of these "ICE BREAKER" comments.
This concept comes from the book "Becoming a Contagious Christian" by Mittelberg and Hybels.

1. You are in a situation where it is natural to
comment on the beautiful weather, sights
and fabulous nature, or the wonder of
creation. (For example you are hiking or are
at the zoo.)
Your comment: Jesus must have quite an
imagination to create such beauty.

2. Your friend has just told you about the
hobbies he likes doing in his spare time!
I enjoy spending my spare time building
the lives of the Junior High kids at our church.

3. You are talking with a work associate about
an upcoming holiday like Thanksgiving,
Christmas or Easter.
I'm curious, do you observe any family or
religious traditions around the holiday?

4. You are with some friends, talking about the
latest TV show, news program or song
A song I enjoy is______________
The singer I enjoy most is________

5. It is the close of the Football/ basketball/
baseball season, the playoffs are in full
swing, and everybody is watching and
talking about the event
One of the things I enjoy most about the sport is
watching____________. But, it's what he does in his spare time I feel is important.

6. Your friends confide in you about a problem
they are facing or a difficulty they are
working through
I can relate to the problem you're describing. My
wife and I struggle with something similar.

We are to be good models by the way we live and by the words we speak, but, Jesus said "GO" and teach all people about Him. If you give the whole idea of sharing Jesus plenty of thought (AND PRAYER) you "will" come up with ideas that make witnessing for Jesus easier.

None of these actions may come automatically. Some planning may need to be done.. So, let's say that after you have introduced yourself to a few neighbors, you could plan an afternoon tea, a pot luck or a get together of your choice. After befriending them maybe they would be receptive to come to a home Bible Study. If there are other Christians in your neighborhood, so much the better and easier on you if you join together for the function.

A good book on the subject is "Share Jesus Without Fear" by William Fay

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Another mission in the United States may be to join a church group that reaches out to some of the inner city work. There is a desperate need for people in this area.

Why do we "NEED" people doing mission work within the United States.
The Perfect Response:
Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's daughter, who appeared on the Bryant Gumble show, was asked why God didn't stop the disastrous 9/11 attack. She said, "God is also angry when He sees something like this….For several years now Americans, in a sense, have shaken their fist at God and said. 'God, we want you out of our schools, government, our businesses, and our marketplace.' And God who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national, political life and our public life by removing His hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first and say, 'God we're so sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you'. We have "In God we trust" on our coins, and now we need to practice it."

A MISSION IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY:

This is the "grand-daddy" of sharing Jesus, not because it's any more important than the others. But, it requires more preparation and flexibility. And the thought of evangelizing in a foreign land makes some people uncomfortable. You may want to start with a trip to Mexico. Most churches have groups that make trips to Mexico to do construction, teach or help with food, clothing and medicine.
There are missionaries in every country in the world. However, not nearly enough people are in this field. Matt 9:37 "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

Below is a list of mission groups that you may like to contact.
1. Campus Crusade for Christ www.ccci.org
2. Chosen Peoples Ministries www.chosenpeople.com
3. Global Opportunities www.globalopps.org
4. Jesus Film www.jesusvideo.org
5. Jews for Jesus www.jews-for-jesus.org
6. Luis Palau www.gospelcom.net/lpea
7. Messianic Jewish www.menorah.org
8. Mission Frontiers www.missionfrontiers.org
9. The Navigators www.navigators.org
10. YWAM www.ywam.org
11. Food for the Poor www.foodforthepoor.org
12. Gospel for Asia www.gfa.org
13. World Vision www.worldvision.org
14. Voice of the Martyrs www.linkingup.com
15. Voice of the Martyrs www.persecution.com

WHY?????
What should a person do to follow Jesus? And why? There have been hundreds of books written on the subject. Very simply, Jesus said to follow Him and to tell others about Himself. With much patience, prayer and help from the Holy Spirit, we will do the will of Jesus, our Creator, our Savior and our GOD. In 1 Cor 9:16 Paul said; "woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel".

Anne Graham-Lotz stated in her book Just Give Me Jesus, "We cannot have a genuine, personal encounter with the risen Christ and either remain the same or remain silent. We are not only commanded, but also compelled to go and tell a despairing, depressed, doomed world….
Our sins are forgiven,
Heaven's gates are open wide!
He's alive! He's alive! HE'S ALIVE!"

May the Lord Jesus Bless you!!