Scriptural Teachings by Doug Ham
When Your Fire Goes Out
By: Douglas Ham
1. When Your Fire Goes Out: The Question becomes – Why ?
a. Are you starting to accept the ‘New Wave’ ‘scriptural changes’ and ‘materialist
dogma
doctrines’? Those of you who are not aware of this “New Wave” doctrine being taught
by the
‘new style Baptist preachers’ and other liberal denominations, should research the
diversity
attached to it. I will present to you one of their opening attacks designed to get you to
change
your mind-set about how they want you to re-think Christianity’s foundation.
I read the following article in the Arizona Portraits Baptist publication out of Phoenix
that came
in the mail in November 2006, and it made me a little bit (no, a lot) aggravated. It
stated–“As a
young pastor, I have found that among students today, the doorway to serious
discussion
regarding what we believe as Christians is apologetics, or giving a defense of the
faith.
Because the religious landscape in this country has become so incredibly divers,
students
today – and all adults(?) as well–need to understand their faith in light of these other
religious
perspectives.” And the article goes on.
This ‘New Wave’ dogma is a whole presentation in and of itself, which I will give a talk
on
someday.
Questions for you to answer:
b. God’s precepts, principles, and core doctrines of the faith too restrictive for you?
c. Is your evangelistic zeal not in play any more?
d. Has pious hypocrisy become your evaluation barometer?
e. Are you looking the other way when Beelzebub’s drones are driven by ‘materialist
dogma’ in
the persecution of Christianity in a rampant endeavor through their false teachings
that are
infiltrating the Christian Church? There is another example such as the “Church of
Cognizance” – that is “obsessed and focused on marijuana”. “Which deifies(‘to make
a god of
‘and ‘to take as an object of worship’.) marijuana and uses it as a sacrament.” Also –
Sedona,
Arizona has been infiltrated with morphosis mentalities that require you to hug
something, kiss
something, or see outer space things by injecting God in some form.
f. Have you begun to neglect God’s Word ? You cannot live an effective, faithful life
without it.
Bible study–in Church or in a home–is a great way to come to understand how to
keep your fire
for the Lord burning brightly. (Plant in your mindset, Matthew 5: 15&16 as your beacon
before
men).
g. Have you begun to compromise? Have you forfeited some of your strong beliefs in
order to fit
in or to get along with others? Have you become defensive about the way you’re living
or
thinking?
h. Have you begun to sense trouble in your prayer life? Perhaps you pray, but you no
longer feel
as if God is listening. Or, maybe you just don’t present yourself before the Father very
often
anymore. It is imperative that you continue seeking Him in prayer–communicating and
deepening your intimacy with Him.
2. Fanning the Flame
a. Paul wrote in (1 Timothy 4: 14-16):
14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the
laying on of
the hands of the presbytery (elders).
15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may
appear to all.
16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this
thou shalt
both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
b. As a believer, you must be careful about your life and devote yourself completely to
the things
of God. Therefore, lets look at four major categories that can lead you to rekindle a
dwindling
flame: (Charles Stanley)
(1) Realize your spiritual condition has faltered – Are you making excuses for your
coldness toward the Lord that will never help you. Rather, you must acknowledge that
if you are experiencing difficulty, it is time for re-emphasizing your commitment to
Christianity.
(2) Recall what your life was like when you were really on fire for God – When He was
your top priority, you probably studied His Word, taught the gospel, sang songs of
praise to Him, and enjoyed being around other believers. Remember what that was
like, so you can return to that level of passion and exceed it.
(3) Repent by confessing your sins and turning away from them – Admit that you need
God and that you want to live in a way that honors Him on a daily bases.
(4) Refocus your attention – Maybe a reason your fire has faded is that your focus has
changed–something or someone has become more important to you than the Lord.
He must again become the center of your life. How does that happen? Through
studying His Word, constantly communicating with Him through prayer, showing His
love to others through your sanctification, and by obeying the intuitive promptings of
the Holy Ghost.
3. Are You Limiting God’s Blessings?
a. “In a famous Zen story, Nan-in, a Zen master, was visited by a university professor
who wished
to know all about Zen.
Nan-in served the professor some tea. He poured the cup full, and then continued to
pour. The
professor watched the overflow until he could no longer restrain himself. “Stop it! No
more will
go in!”
“Like this cup,” said Nan-in, to the university professor, “you are full of your own ideas
and
speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
b. Has you Christian cup become filled with *‘made up scriptural changes’, *‘God’s
precepts are
too restrictive for you’?, *‘has your evangelistic zeal been put on hold’?, *‘pious
hypocrisy has
become your persona’, *etc., etc., etc.
c. “Do you have a deep personal relationship with God, or are you living in defiance to
Him? Are
you going to do things God’s way or are you going to insist on doing things you way?
Will you
both trust and obey Him, or are you going to ignore Him and rely on your own
resources? Many
believers miss out on God’s best because they’re unwilling to have full faith in Him.”
“God provides everything you need when you’re listing to Him and receiving His
wisdom,
protection, and provision. However, if you’re missing out on God’s blessings, identify
why that is
so you can do something about it.”
“God wants to bless you in a similar way. James 1: 17 testifies, “Every good gift and
every
perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither (no variation or shifting) shadow of turning.” Instead of being in
bondage
to sin and lacking the things that you need and desire, God wants to transform your
life–giving
you the abundant, joy–filled existence He created you for. God is Omniscient–all
knowledge,
Omnipotent–powerful, and Omnipresent–At all places at all times with all resources
at His
command, and He delights in meeting your needs and giving you the desires of your
heart.”
4. The Question now is: Can God Use You If You Are Receptive?
a. Question – Are you actively serving God? Are you following Him in love, obedience,
and faith?
Or are you idle in your service to Him, wondering if God could really use someone like
you?
b. Unfortunately, sometimes people decide that they can’t be of any use to God
because they
judge themselves unworthy of serving Him based on their lack of self-esteem. Others
do not really
know what it means to serve God. They believe that as long as they are going to
church on Sunday,
they are doing all He requires. However, no matter who you are, God calls you to a
much deeper
relationship with Him and He wants to work through you in a way that will bring you
purpose, joy,
and fulfillment. Therefore, the real question is: Are you available to Him?
c. The outstanding understanding is that “God saves us for the purpose of glorifying
Himself.”
Ephesians 2: 10 tells us, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which
God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (good works).” God saves
you for the
purpose of glorifying Himself through your service. It is His will and plan that you live
as an active,
obedient follower of Christ and imitate Him in all that you do.
d. How are you serving God on a daily basis? How do you represent God to those you
live and work
with? How are you carrying on His work and making Him known through your strong
work ethics?
e. All through the Scriptures–God used people to do His will and carry His message.
Yet, it was never
up to His servants to choose how they would serve Him. Rather, it is God who always
knows how
to best employ His people to their full potential. God assigned Noah the task of
building the Ark
and preaching repentance. He instructed David to slay Goliath and be a godly leader
of Israel. He
transformed Paul into the greatest evangelist /missionary the world has every known.
And the most
amazing thing is God wants to use you to do astounding things for Him as well.
f. In fact, as a believer, you have a mandate to glorify God with your life. When you
refuse to live a
godly, obedient life, you are in rebellion against Him, which is a waste of your talents
and
resources. But, when you dedicate your time, ability, skills, and spiritual gifts in
honoring and
obeying Him, you make the best investment of your life you could ever make.
g. You are part of the body of Christ–called to be a part of His people and purpose on
earth. Together,
we should always be an energetic body of people filled with the Spirit of God, whose
lives glorify
God at work, at home, in our communities and among our friends and loved ones.
h. I will ask those who are not participating, to sit down at home and list your skills, no
matter what
category they are associated with, and then sit down with the Pastor so he will
become aware of
who he may call on as the Church grows. A great example was the ordinations of Al
Davis and Joe
Ventimiglia.
5. Now When God Calls:
a. Become aware that “God’s call is the most important call for participation in your
life”: The great
question is–how do I know that God has sent me a message? It could be anything: a
warm feeling
comes over you when you are in prayer; just seeing an object as you are walking;
something
keeps playing over and over on your mind; something someone has said, something
you have
read; etc. All you have to do is be alert and aware not to reject any intuitive feeling.
b. Every single one of you will hear from Him. You might say, I’ve never heard the voice
of God. Do you
mean that you have not heard a loud voice out of Heaven directing or telling you to do
something?
c. How do you think God spoke to Noah when He told Noah to build the ark? In a loud
booming
voice?!
d. Or, when God instructed David to slay Goliath and gave him the skills, mentality and
physically, to
eliminate a barrier to God’s plan. In a loud booming voice?!
e. How about Paul when he started for Damascus for the purpose of persecuting the
Christians. Do
you think Jesus Christ used a loud booming voice?!
f. Remember, Noah walked with God and received his instructions direct from God, in
a loud
booming voice?!
g. In David’s case, God chose him by a different scenario. As stated in His
instructions to Samuel in
(1 Samuel 16:7&14)
7. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his (King Saul’s) countenance,
or on the
height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not
as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD
looketh on the
heart.
14: But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the
LORD troubled
him. God picked David in 1 Samuel 16: 13 because of David’s love for God
and his belief
in God. Again, in a great booming voice?!
h. In Paul’s enlightenment, it was through shock and awe. Jesus did not raise His
voice.
i. But, from the beginning, starting with Adam and Eve to the present day, it was never
with a
booming voice. In my opinion it has always been in a quite intuitive vision delivered to
you and
others by the Holy Ghost.
j. And, the only way you will receive a yes or a no or not just now answer, is to know
how to ask in a
proper pray and by not having hasty impatience.
k. The second main item is that you have to be receptive at any time of the day or
night. Not after you
have just asked for something–there is a waiting line made up of numerous
individuals
worldwide.
l. Have you ever clearly understood how to Pray – First with Adoration (worship &
honor), then with
Thanksgiving (all that He has given you and the chastisements), and then the Petition.
m. In the Petition–be very specific about what you ask God for. There is nothing wrong
with asking for
what you want. However, the more specific you are about your request, the better you
can see God
working in your situation. The main thing God wants to know is: do you know what you
are asking
for. God told Israel, “I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from
the rock I
would satisfy you” (Psalm 81: 16). God wants to provide the best for you, so don’t be
afraid to ask.
God’s communication to us is by way of Jesus Christ who speaks to the Holy Ghost.
And that
requires us to Understanding the Chain of Command – Understand, “The Holy Ghost
is the
Christian’s helper in prayer and by being the messenger. Knowing the Father’s mind
and will, The
Holy Ghost intercedes accordingly, petitioning on our behalf in keeping with God’s
plan for us. But,
if your request is not in Gods plan–do not expect an answer.
When you come to understand your request will not be answered, you must do three
things: (1)
Analyze your request by asking if you over requested your Petition and asked for too
many
different desires–instead of Petitioning for the one really important personal need. If
you did over
ask, it probable shows God you do not truly know what is the important need. It would
be no
problem for God to rearrange your list in the order of importance – But He sees you
are erratic
and confused. (2) Now it is time for you to rethink what you have done in your asking
of so many
things and define your list to the one or two most needed items. (3) Now return to
your prayer time
and apologize to God and prayerfully make your Petition again. (That is how the
Petition chain
works)
n. If you carefully fulfill the various duties of life, starting with the principle of obedience
to your
Heavenly Father, you shall enjoy that peace which the world cannot give nor take away.
o. For 6 days and 21 hours. each week, you are inundated with bad elements. The 3
hours. you
spend in Church each Sunday is the place and time you can start to develop a strong
foundation to
use to stick your thumb in the eyes of the bad elements.
6. In Conclusion:
a. Any confessed Christian must no longer tolerate apologizing and/or retreating. Your
persona must
project Christian values everytime you come face-to-face or interact with anyone who
challenges
your beliefs. Scriptural knowledge through logical interpretation must be at your beck
and call and
you must be ready to answer any question put to you. This must not be presented with
an
apologetic concept as talked about in 1a above. This can only be accomplished by
knowledge of
the scriptures through God’s precepts and principles and the teaching and concepts
of Jesus
Christ.
b. You will no longer become submerged in the dust of everyday life. As stated in Luke
9: 5 “And
whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from
your feet for
a testimony against them.”
c. Do you need a challenge to wet your appetite to stay strong? I do not believe so.
Your strength
comes from your desire to be the best Christian you can be.
d. God has not given you a spirit of timidity(lacking in boldness or determination), but
of power
through the Holy Ghost, and developing love for mankind, and scriptural discipline. In
(2 Timothy 1:
6–8) Paul states–
“6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is
in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a
sound
mind.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his
prisoner: but
be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of
God.”
e. It’s important for you to examine whether you are still growing in your relationship
with God and
Jesus Christ–His Son.
f. Do not let pressures, disappointments, and losses of success severely weaken
your passion for
God and Jesus Christ.
Remember – God watches over His chosen ones as they grow in understanding of
the divine elements in their lives.
(Your Closing Prayer Please)
A Study of Andrew
Please Note
Due to the length of the circle of knowledge required to understand the
involvement of Andrew with Jesus Christ, this teaching will be divided into three(3)
contiguous segments. The next clarification teaching will be added on Monday of
the following week.
(1) The first reading will start on page one(1). The first week.
(2) The second reading will start on page five(5). The second week.
(3) The conclusion reading will start on page nine(9). The third week.
A suggestion – copy the teachings and keep them in a binder where they can be
available whenever an opportunity to present the facts to an individual or there is a
request to give a presentation to an audience.
ANDREW
By: Douglas Ham
Lesson 1
There is a void in the world and in Christianity that must be filled ASAP. I can
personally attest to this void, because I was in a Church in another country where 43
women, children, and men were rounded up while they were in Church and put into a
prison for being Christians. This is the Church I attended and luckily had departed two
weeks before. This situation was worked out between government’s a little later. The
void has as many snake–heads as Medusa the Gorgon and her two sisters
combined. This void was created through out the centuries through paganism,
egoism, ignorance acquired due to the lack of formal education, culture hatred,
prejudices, hatred of God and Jesus Christ, etc–etc–etc. By gaining complete
knowledge of the Old and New Testaments scriptures; understanding the work of an
evangelist; make full proof of your ministry; and how to teach the scriptures, will be the
only way to re-establish Christianity.
(This teaching is about that void and how it can be eradicated with a complete
knowledge the scriptures.)
I will bring to your attention the most over looked responsibly you are charged with,
after you have become a confessed Christian. And, I will show you Who set the
foundation of the path, you are to follow, with out hesitation on a dally bases. But I
cannot show you your responsibility “unless you first empty your cup” of reluctances
that entrenches resistances.
Today I would like to bring to your attention the most overlooked 1st disciple called
by Christ. Andrew
(Matthew 4: 18)
(Although Andrew and Peter were both called by Jesus at the same time in
Matthew 4: 18–20 – I will emphasize Andrew)
But first lets understand a Clarification about Andrew & Peter.
Andrew and brother Simon Peter were the first called of the Apostles of our Lord
(Matthew 4: 18 & John 1: 40), (whether Andrew was the elder or younger is
uncertain). Andrew was from Beth-said-a, and had been a disciple of John the
Baptist (John 1: 35). On hearing Jesus a second time, designated by John the
Baptist as the Lamb of God (John 1: 36), Andrew left John the Baptist (John 1: 37),
and, in company with another of John the Baptist disciples, attached himself to our
Lord. By this means, his brother Simon was brought to Jesus (John 1: 41). This
introduction will be shown as I develop the events of interaction between Jesus
and Andrew and Simon.
There is an apparent discrepancy in Matthew 4: 18 and Mark 1: 16, where the two
appear to have been called together – this is miss-understood:
(1) St. John (John the Beloved) relating the first meeting (in Matthew 4: 18) as an
introduction of the brothers to Jesus.
(2) The other in (Mark 1: 16) was Evangelistic, being Andrew and Peter’s formal
call to follow Jesus in His ministry.
(The title of my teaching is)
And out of the Shadow appears–Andrew–A Monotheism Evangelist
(Monotheism – there is only one God)
(An evangelist is one who proclaims the gospel)
(Lets understand Monotheism)
When we examine the Bible as a whole, we find a remarkable degree of unity
about its doctrine of God. For example, the belief in Monotheism (there is only one
God) is characteristic of the whole Bible. The worship of one God was established
in Israel (Exodus 20: 3; Deut. 5: 7). This teaching is carried over into the New
Testament.
For the apostles, Monotheism in no way has menaced the New Testament
teaching on the deity of Christ. Jesus could be “with God” yet also “God” (John 1:
1). In the Godhead (The Trinity) there is a unity of essence but a distinction of
Persons. But there is still only one God, manifested in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Hence the New Testament denies both Unitarianism (only the Father is God) and
Tritheism (there are three Gods).
{There are special words I would like for you to write down and entrench in you
mind-set as we learn about Andrew.}: influence ; dutifully ; no hesitation at all ;
research studying ; opportunity and invitation ; hesitate ; entrench ; pushy
overbearing ; pious hypocrisy ; appearance ; Beelzebub ; resurgence ; Now ; the
call and responsibility ; obligates ; Just do it.
Please consider the phrase, “living in someone’s shadow.” Chances are you know
exactly how that feels. Your co-worker or a friend or a neighbor who seems to be
perceived as some kind of superstar, achieving success at most things they do.
Or, it hits closer to home base–it could be a brother or sister who has out shined
you in most endeavors. Then you hear the old worn-out cliché: Why can’t you be
more like him or her.
Your answer (is) – Because I am not they–I am Me–“Cogito(Kō-gi-tō) ergo sum” =“I
think, therefore I am”).
If any individual in Scripture, who could have suffered from the “shadow syndrome,”
it was the Apostle Andrew. Paul Absolutely. John? Probably. Most churchgoers even
get an annual presentation of Judas Iscariot(Is-kar-(i)-oat) on Good Friday. But
Andrew? Even the Gospel writers didn’t talk about him that much. In my opinion,
Andrew was the first premiere evangelist/missionary and Paul was the first premiere
teacher/evangelist. The key word you must focus on is – Evangelist.
Andrew grew up in the shadow of his well-known brother, Simon Peter. Peter was
the one who walked on water (Matthew 14: 29). He’s the one who first truly
recognized Jesus as the Son of God(Matt.16: 16). He’s also the one who preached
at Pentecost (Acts 2: 14-39). He was brash and headstrong, excitable and
passionate. His ups and downs throughout the gospels are legendary!
But–what about Andrew? Where was he when the focus was on Peter?
Scripture quietly attests that Andrew was right where he needed to be: at the
forefront of the action–within eye shot of Jesus, but a step behind impetuous
Peter. That was his arena, a place of wonderful perspective (that’s the capacity to
view things in their true relations or relative importance) and influence, where he
could dutifully go about the work to which he was called. [And] what was the
specific ministry at which Andrew excelled? [It was simply bringing people to
Jesus.] A great learning exercise would be for you to research each Apostle, as
how they directly interacted with Jesus, and how long it took each to understand
their calling. Andrew was off and running right after his visit with Jesus. He had no
hesitation at all.
But before Andrew could bring others to the Lord, he had to become a Witness
first. To accomplish this he had to encounter in (John 1: 39) Jesus himself. This
meeting is pictured in (John 1: 35–42), where he is portrayed as the first disciple
called by Jesus (Matthew 4: 18). **Being a follower of John the Baptist(John 1: 35),
Andrew immediately recognized the significance of the Prophet’s(John the
Baptist) description of Jesus as the “Lamb of God” in (John 1: 36). Without
hesitation, Andrew walked straight up to Jesus and subsequently spent the entire
day with Jesus (John 1: 38&39). What a magnificent blessing that visit was on
Andrew. [Also Peter, James, and John were disciple’s of John the Baptist. And as
for as can be researched – John the Baptist ministry lasted 8 months, before he
was murdered.]
Fresh from his time with Jesus, what was the first thing this brand–new disciple
did? (John 1: 41–42) reveals that he “found first–his own brother Simon” and
“brought him to Jesus.”(John 1: 41). Andrew’s chief concern was not simply to
share the wonderful news, but to physically and purposefully bring his brother into
the presence of the Lord. Almost instinctively, Andrew understood that it was not
enough simply to tell someone about the Lord; he had to introduce that person to
Christ. Thus began his illustrious evangelist/missionary career.
Later, in (John 6: 8&9), it is Andrew who brings to Jesus a young boy with a
modest offering: five loaves of bread and two small fish. While all of the other
disciples scratched their heads at the lack of food, Andrew spotted the one person
among 5,000 who most needed to meet Jesus one-on-one. The result was a
bountiful harvest of faith and a miraculous surplus of leftovers–all because this
watchful believer (Andrew) introduced an otherwise unknown child to Christ.
(John 12: 20–22) provides another shining example of Andrew’s call to connect
people to Jesus. Here, Scripture says that some Gentiles(non-Jews), wanted to
meet Jesus. Recognizing Philip as one of the 12 disciples, they asked him for an
introduction. It is very interesting what happened next. Rather than Philip taking
the men straight to Jesus, Philip took them to Andrew. A question of why arises.
Did Philip have some hesitation in approaching Jesus himself? Or was this an
example of some hierarchy of leadership within the Twelve?
(End of the first reading)
(The continuation of the first reading about Andrew and Jesus Christ)
We may never understand Philip’s hesitation, but the author, John MacArthur (the
author of Twelve Ordinary Men, page 68) relates, we simply cannot miss Andrew’s
motivation. He writes, “Andrew was not confused when someone wanted to see
Jesus. He simply brought them to Jesus. He understood that Jesus would want to
meet anyone who wanted to meet Him”. You can do this same thing, but only
through the Scriptures.
In (John 1) [Andrew] brought Peter to Christ, which made him the first home
missionary. Now he brings some Greeks to Christ, making him the first foreign
missionary.” For Andrew–opportunity and invitation went hand in hand. He simply
could not–or would not–ignore any chance to introduce someone to Jesus.
Andrew has now led us to the subject of Everyday Evangelism. The populated
sections of this world need more men and women that think like Andrew. Always
eager and at ease in bringing others to the Lord. Andrew stands as a model for
what you might call “Everyday Evangelism.” He did not save his evangelistic zeal
for church mission trips to foreign lands or a single “Missions Emphasis Week”
once a year. He lived his evangelism in day-to-day life; for him, ministry was not an
occasion, but a lifestyle.
*Lets analyze how Andrew’s casual manner style could become a natural,
comfortable, and fruitful part of your own daily interaction with people you might be
hesitant to approach:
1. Be on the lookout for spiritual seekers.
Many Christians feel nervous, bringing up the subject of faith with others. These
anxious believers may think, I can’t mention Jesus to this person. He/she
obviously isn’t interested. Now - Is That your personal interpretation.
But what if he or she is interested ? It is very possible you would be shocked to
discover how many people in your school, workplace, extended family, or social
circle are desperately seeking something they cannot fully express. It is easy to
feel hopeless and wonder if anyone cares enough to help.
When Jeremiah was tossed into the dungeon, is the classic example of this
scenario in (Jeremiah 38: 6–13 please read.). Imagine yourself on the other side,
noticing people with the same needs as Jeremiah. They hesitate to ask for help,
perhaps feeling they shouldn’t bother anyone. Maybe they want to trust God but
don’t know how–or they try, but God is silent. Or is He? Could God be asking you to
throw down rags and ropes to those stuck in unwanted circumstances, as
Jeremiah was ?
When God brings a need to your attention and you can’t shake the sense of the
calling, you may be God’s choice to help. You need to pray and ask God to be more
direct about what He wants you to do. Tell Him you are just learning how to
approach. The answer will come with patience and listening for the soft voice
alertly – from the Holy Ghost – The Messenger. “Our Father’s work isn’t just for
missionaries and pastors; He calls all His children to different fields and
assignments.”
2. Pray for spiritual eyes to better see these individuals within the crowds of
people you pass each day. Also pray for the ability to distinguish voice & eye
deflections. Body gyrations are an open book to sensing someone’s need for
action, non-action, & inter-action that will give you the opening to help. Let’s
discuss what action, non-action, & inter-action with others–stands for :
Inter-action is alertness (quick to perceive and act if needed) requiring thinking
and observation.
Non-action is the evaluation of peoples facts, lies, and personal beliefs, which will
lead you to a conclusion = leading to a plan = leading to implementing a tactic =
leading to either success or failure. If it fails, re-evaluate your facts–and try again.
Action (does not mean retaliation) but requires you to put your brain and intuition in
motion, so you can walk away proudly knowing you have conquered anxiety and
‘done it right’. By being able to set up a next meeting with them. In your next
meeting–be prepared in your logic and scriptural knowledge. This will require you
to analyze what they discussed with you.
3. There are basically three types of people you will see each day when you are out
and about:
(1st) The clean minded down to earth good interaction people who have it together
and are Christians. There are others who fit this category who are not confessed
Christians, but are still good people,
(2nd) The ones who have no realistic interaction with peers or with adults. Just
kind of being by themselves most of the time, but nice people, and:
(3rd) The truly disconnected. They have no realistic interaction with good peers or
adults. They use improper vocabulary and conduct such as – using uneducated
sentence structure, cheap slang, slouching when they are talking or sitting, do not
really care about achieving, if they go to school–it is just a place they must go to
and a place where they can get a meal, they show disrespect to the better peer
group and teachers, and dressing like they are walking on their brain, etc.
I imagine your evangelistic zeal is now salivating with thoughts of how to approach
these categories.
NOW
Entrench in your daily mind how Jesus handled the first and the last two
categories, when He said in:
Matthew 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold,
many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth
your Master with publicans and sinners?
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a
physician, but they that are sick.
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for
I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
(Publicans – Were a collector of the Roman tribute. A tax collector. Not well liked,
like our IRS.) (Matthew was one when he was called).
(Pharisees – Were a strict, legalistic group, whom Jesus labeled as hypocrites.
They were a lay group–not priests. They had made a declaration publicly that they
were given themselves to the keeping of all their laws. They had around 620 + laws
they created to maintain their purity and to judge internally and the outsiders by.
Having that many made up laws, how could they ever be wrong in their conduct
because with such a multiplicity of laws, they often furnished excuses for evil
doing. There are two parts to the Pharisees Law to which they were committed
(Mishnah and Talmud). Mishnah is the lawyer’s explanation of what the Law
meant. The Talmud explains the Mishnah. Just in one copy of the Talmud, there are
156 double folded pages explaining the Sabbath Day commandment. In Jesus’ day,
the Pharisees were considered to be the best people. There were only about 6,000
people called Pharisees. They and the Sadducees were the instigators that led to
the Crucifixion of Jesus by the Roman soldiers. The Sadducees party was made
up of old high-priestly families.)
4. Get to know the people around you.
☼Wouldn’t it be a tragedy if your next-door neighbor was sitting in his or her house
right now, wondering about spiritual things and yet having no idea about where to
go for an answer ?
☼Or, a child of any age, just sitting by himself or herself with no one to interact
with or being picked on by cowardly peers or improper family members. Would
you be able to recognize the two different cries for help and immediately step-up to
correct the call for spiritual help and/or eliminate the cowardness and offer to
become an active part (but not pushy overbearing) in all their lives on a beginning
daily bases. They will come to accept you as a trusted resource that God has
strategically located to impact their hearts for Christ. Remember; do not inundate
anyone with pious hypocrisy. You are responsible to know the message of the
scriptures and how to teach them correctly. If you need help in advance, seek it
out. But, for the immediate face-to-face, establish a security zone with a smile and
a handshake. And, ask if you can be of help – then listen – no matter how long it
takes(Matthew 5: 41). Then take it from there. One of the hardest things for a
human to do is make an approach. To succeed – it is called repetitious
approaches with a smile.
5. Don’t overcomplicate things.
We never see Andrew overwhelming anyone with a lengthy spiritual discourse or a
theological argument. His approach was personal, even intimate. His goal was to
introduce others to the most important person in his life: Jesus. Talking about
Christ should be as simple as telling someone about your husband, wife, children,
or a special friend. If you know how to brag about the above, then you should have
no trouble bragging about your Savior!
6. Remember: Salvation is not your responsibility.
Andrew did not argue with unbelievers or try to change their minds. He simply
brought them face-to-face with Jesus. In you’re case–face-to-face thru the
Scriptures. Turning a heart toward Christ is not the responsibility of any Christian.
That task rests solely with the Holy Ghost. When a person knows the scriptures,
they will speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, and that same power will carry a
conviction of the truth into the heart of the hearer. This is very, very important to
understand.
and his name appears in the gospels just a few times. I imagine this would have
been just fine with Andrew. He is never referenced as looking for the spotlight,
praise, or public esteem. His cry was not, “Look at me!” but rather, “Look at Him!”
In today’s “me first” generation, a call away from self and towards something
Higher would be noteworthy indeed. I will take it upon myself to give an Andrew’s
challenge: And that is ‘that you as believers–embrace with dignity your position in
the shadow of Christ, to make it your daily desire to excitedly and humbly seek to
introduce men, women, and children to Jesus. And, let no one’s appearance put
you off of your responsibly. ( Never, ever let a person’s appearance deceive you.
Accept what you see).
Before you’re beginning contact task–starts–
first, speak to Jesus about them and ask for guidance!
Secondly, commit to having one conversation in which you find out what they know
about the Lord. You might be surprised at how easy it is–and how eager they are to
have what you have.
Thirdly, invite them to attend Church with you.
(End of the second reading)
(The Third Part)
(The closing reading about Andrew and Jesus Christ)
(*) In Closing.
If the realization that Beelzebub (Matt. 12: 24) has made great strides in infiltrating
the spiritually deficient, you are right.
Isn’t it time that the “uniqueness and the beauty of Christianity” be resurrected
with a strong mind-set and let Matthew’s 5: 14–16 become the fight song of
scriptural authority for the Evangelist ? The Evangelist is you. So it must be your
fight song to re-call instantly.
(It states in)
Matthew 5:
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;
and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Christian values went into hibernation starting in the 1960s because the youth
rejected God and have tried to do it without Him, failing miserably and in
amazement have been constantly attacking God and Jesus until this day. It is time
values return with a resurgence and again be taught as the core philosophy,
making values the center of the family unit, cemented in the minds of children in
language they can understand, and reintroduced in the adult population.
You are now presented with the call and responsibility of starting your “Everyday
Evangelism.” Your faith–obligates you to respond with new Action–because
[Proverbs 31: 8&9] talks about speaking up and using your voice to help the poor
and needy. We must fight illogic one person at a time–face-by-face, individual-by-
individual.
An example of one of the great evangelistic successes was the inter-action in
[Acts 8: 26–39] between Philip(became known as “Philip the evangelist”) and the
Eunuch from Ethiopia, when an Angel of the Lord told Philip to intercept the man in
the desert in Gaza. Distance was not a factor for Philip – he just got up and went –
no hesitation. Just as the Prophet Nathan did when he approached David uninvited
and spoke his word from God without hesitation.
Hesitation must not be a part of anyone’s uncertainty. Just do it.
A major second example:
There is a massive humanistic resipisence (Change of mind or heart) revival in
evangelism taking places in India and other countries this very day. The major
acceptance of Jesus Christ is taking place out in the countryside among the farm
families. The masses are tired of all the fake gods they have been raised with that
teaches nothing to improve their stations in life.
And there are many other evangelist movements around the world now starting to
take shape in Christian countries that have a void in Biblical knowledge. And, in the
countries that are controlled by dictators and the haters of God and Jesus Christ.
The populations are thirsting for their individual freedoms and to be free to
worship “boldly confessing their faith in front of the others, and not hold back for
fear of their opinions.”
“The best catch of the day is often after everyone else gives up. Zebedee
undoubtedly taught James and John not to quit until they gave their fullest effort.
This ingrained attitude was essential when Jesus sent the disciples out to
Evangelize the world.” (Mark 1: 19&20) (Luke 5: 10) (2 Timothy 4: 5) (Ephesians 4:
11–16).
I can tell you from my education in the school of hard knocks and my many
interaction experiences, *starting the 2nd grade – *in high school – *in the military
– *in business domestic and international – in the *political arena – and *through
martial arts with over 350 students.
Parents and police officers brought a number of students to me, because the
children needed self-esteem, to learn patience, to learn respect for others, and the
need of achievements. As far as I know, I was not unsuccessful but with only one
child.) (What I came to realize was that children/adults will listen at your first
meeting with them: as to what you say; how logically you express your message; if
you are friendly to them; and ask if they have a subject they would like to talk
about–most of the time they say no. That is the time you say to them–‘ok, the next
time we meet, lets get something cold to drink and have a good conversation–is
that ok’ ! Get their agreement to meet–Then wave as you walk off.
If you have something someone perceives they want–they will seek you out,
hoping that will answer their question to fill a void. That becomes your opportunity
to establish a foundation for teaching–based on Godly precepts and principles.
Then it will all fall into place. But also remember what Jesus said in Mathew 10 : 14
“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of
that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.” Your chance to Evangelize
might come at a later time when their troubles increase. Patience is a mature
virtue.
God has given His people a commission–to make disciples of all nations (Matthew
28: 19). Evangelizing is about earning the right to be heard and showing what
Jesus was really like. [My recommendations in starting your Evangelistic path is–
to start with your neighbors, friends, and family members not living with you. Even
ask some new people you have met in Church. Start by inviting 4 or 6 or 8 to your
home and have coffee and pastries. Tell then in advance you are starting a home
Bible study group and social interactions get together. Tell them the time limit for
the study will be 20 to 30 minutes and social interaction until they need to leave.]
In closing, open your Bible and mark in the scriptures in the Second Epistle of Paul
to Timothy in Chapter 4: 1–5 & vs. 17 about the Ministry of Evangelist :
1 I CHARGE thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge
the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after,
exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist,
make full proof of thy ministry.
17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the
preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was
delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
[Thank you – have great sunshiny days for your “Everyday Evangelism” from now
on.]
[Closing Prayer Please]
Our gracious Heavenly Father,
By Your protective hand, let us as Christians carefully fulfill the various duties of
life from a principle of obedience to You, our Heavenly Father. That we will come to
enjoy our involvement in Your peace–which the world cannot give nor take away.
Lets us be clear in our understanding that there is one aspect of the Scriptures,
that is paramount, to a confessed Christian: and that is the necessity to
understand and believe the Bible–if it is to have any real value for us and the ones
to whom we have the privilege of Evangelizing.
We know our real doctrine of the Scripture is demonstrated not merely by what we
say about it but by what we do with it. For, we know the Bible is indeed–Your own
message to us, and our proper response is to act upon the teachings. We have the
Bible not merely to inform but to direct us. We know Our lives will therefore be
characterized by the kind of Godly living You expects of us. We ask You, our
Heavenly Father, to guide us by Your perfect messages through the process
known as revelation and teach us the understanding of how to pray to You through
Jesus by way of the Holy Ghost – our intermediary.
And we say these things as our oath in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Savior
Amen.
Last Remembrance
Keep in mind that Forward-looking is bigger than the rearview mirror. We must
look at life through the windshield of faith and hope.
Because – those who engage – Win !!
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