DFO GN38: PERSONAL WITNESSING MADE SIMPLE!
9/91
--Just Give'm the Solution: Jesus!--By Maria
1. WHEN YOU'RE OUT WITNESSING, instead of getting so wrapped up in every little personal problem that you may encounter, why not just keep it simple? Instead of trying to give them some big complicated answer or long list of scriptures to counter or resolve each of the individual personal problems that the person you're witnessing to brings up, I want to suggest that we go with a more general approach: "OK, this is your problem?--Jesus has the answer for it, and here's His answer. His Word says, `If you'll cast all your care upon Him, He'll care for you!'" (1Pet.5:7).
2. We can simply tell people, "If you'll just put your life in His hands, then He'll take care of and help you to deal with any problem that you have!--He can help you through it and make it easier for you and be the kind of support and comfort and friend that you need." When you take that kind of a more general approach, you don't have to get so into trying to counsel people on each of their individual problems--what to do, for example, if someone says they have an alcoholic mother and they don't want to bring their friends home, or maybe they say their father beats them.
3. Instead of trying to give them all kinds of specific counsel, it would be better to start out more generally, with showing them that Jesus is the one who can give them the solutions to their problems, and that if they'll just receive Him, He'll take care of them and their problems. After they've received the Lord would be the time to go into things in a little more detail, with more specific verses, if you feel so led. But I don't believe that any of us need to think that personal witnessing has to be a big drawn-out and complicated counseling session that requires a very wise and experienced counselor with a vast knowledge of the Word. Just try John 3:16!
4. That's what scared me when I was a System Christian! I thought, "I'd better wait and first learn how to really counsel people about all these different potential problems that might come up before I attempt to witness to them." But no matter how difficult their problem is, you can just tell them, "I may not know the specific answer, but the Lord knows the answer, and if you just give your life to Him and look to Him for His answers, He'll work it out for you in the way that He knows is best, that will be best for you. He'll give you all the help you need."
5. Witnessing is actually very simple. The first step is getting them to turn to the Lord and look to Him for His help. I think that's how we should approach it. I don't think we need to do like a lot of church Christians do, and study all kinds of complicated counseling questions and answers dealing with all sorts of personal problems that people may be going through. You don't have to know all of that to be an effective witness.
6. Of course, I'm not talking about the kind of questions you should try to give them answers to, such as questions about salvation or about the Bible, etc. But difficult personal questions about their individual problems that they may have, such as questions about their marital relations, or about problems they're having with their families or relatives, or with mental problems, or with addictions or gambling or crime or sexual problems, etc., these are the kind of deep personal problems that you don't have to delve into in order to witness to them and lead them to the Lord. Just tell'm Jesus can solve'm!
7. However, if you're witnessing to somebody and they happen to ask you, "What do you think about abortion?" Or, "What do you think about homosexuality?"--That's something different from them telling you they have a big personal problem with something of this nature, and asking you what to do about it. If they're just asking you a question about what you believe or think about something, you should try to lovingly answer them from the Word.
8. But deep questions about their personal problems are different. For example, someone may say to you, "I got pregnant and I'm not married and my mother is trying to force me to have an abortion.--What do I do?" Or, "My father beats me and I don't know who to turn to." Or, "My boyfriend just told me he has another girlfriend and I don't know how to handle it.--Can you tell me what I should do?" These are deep personal problems, and if you get all involved in people's personal lives and attempt to counsel them in such matters before you've even brought them to the Lord and given them the spiritual solutions that they so desperately need, you're liable to find yourself all entangled in a complicated mess!
9. But no matter what the problem, the answer is always the same, Jesus! And after they've received the Lord and are willing to turn their lives over to Him, if they still want more specific direction in order to find God's will in their lives, and to find out how to specifically put Jesus to work for them, then you and others can pray with them and counsel with them and share the appropriate verses from the Word with them. But unless you're in very unusual circumstances and are definitely so led of the Lord, don't attempt to delve deeply into others' personal problems on your own. These kinds of problems can be very involved and you may get yourself in a lot of trouble if you start telling people what to do without fully understanding their situation.
10. The main thing is getting them to turn to the Lord, and you can often do that pretty quickly. You just ask them, "Oh, that's your problem?--Jesus can take care of it!--Or He can give you the solutions you need or the strength to deal with it. Just open your heart to Him!" And then afterwards, if you feel the need to, you can perhaps get into some more detailed answers at greater length.
We Need to Relate to People and Their Problems!
11. But we don't want any of you to witness in a way that doesn't relate to the problems of the person you're witnessing to. For example, if somebody says, "My husband just died, and now I feel like dying too, what can I do?" or, "I just got raped," you shouldn't right away rattle off, "Well, you're a sinner and you need to receive Jesus!--`All have sinned and come short of the glory of God!'" We should sympathize with them in some way, try to relate to the problem that they have first, and lead them into salvation through that problem.
12. Relating to someone doesn't necessarily take a lot of time. To relate to them you simply need to realize that everyone has problems for which they need help, and that whatever their problem is, Jesus can help them with it. Jesus can be the help they need. Tell'm how He solved your problems! If you understand this and can show them this, it will turn their key and help them to be much more receptive than if you're just telling them that they're a sinner who is lost without Jesus!
13. It doesn't take hours and hours of delving into their lives and finding out all about them in order to understand them. Just put yourself in their place: the place of a person in the System with all the problems that System people have. If you know that of course they have some problems and that they need help, you should be able to make a connection with them. Tell'm how you had some of the same.
People Who Won't Admit They Need Help!
14. And if you run into the very occasional person who thinks that they don't have any problems, you might as well not spend very much time on them, because the Bible says that they that are whole have no need of the physician.--Or even those who think they are whole (Mk.2:17). The Lord also says that He fills the hungry with good things, but the rich and full, He sends empty away (Luk.1:53). You could just give them a tract and pray that the Lord will make them desperate enough to eventually confess their need for help and receive Him.
15. Actually, if they're honest, there are very few people who will not admit that they have at least some problems. But because a lot of people compare themselves with others who seem to be worse off than they are, they may feel that they're doing pretty well, that they're pretty good, and of course, this may be reflected in their attitude. Or some people are simply too proud to admit they have any problems. But if you run across someone who absolutely refuses to admit that they have any problems, there's usually not much point in spending a lot of time trying to convince them that they need help.
16. But you could always try a different approach and ask them a few questions like, "Are you happy? Is there anything that you don't have that you would like to have? Would you like me to tell you your future?" An approach like this which emphasizes desires and personal wants over needs or problems may be more effective with such people. Most people who are at all hungry have some key that will reach them. Most can be appealed to by presenting Jesus as the Problem-solver. However, others will respond more to Jesus presented in a different way--as a Best Friend, or as the Source of Power, or as the Great Creator and Ruler of the universe, etc.
Connecting People's Problems to Jesus' Solutions!
17. You have to start where the person is at. If the person has admitted to having a difficult personal problem, you can say, "Jesus cares about you and He loves you very much, and He sees and understands the suffering you're going through. His Word says that He cares for you, and that you can cast your cares upon Him. And if you give your problems to Jesus, then He'll take care of you, and He'll give you the comfort and solutions you need."
18. Sometimes it's a matter of wording or presentation. You've just got to try to relate to them where they're at. If they say, "Oh, I'm going through this terrible problem right now," and you witness like a lot of the church people do and you say, "Well, you're a sinner and you need Jesus," that's not the right way to go about it!
19. You have to first of all connect their problem to what Jesus can do for them. What they want to know is, "What's in it for me? Where can I get the help I want?" That's what they're looking for: help for their problem, comfort in their time of sorrow. So you should tell them, "Jesus can and will help you! He said He'll never leave you nor forsake you. He'll supply all your need! He'll do this and that!"
20. Then their next question may be, "How can I get Him to do that?"--To which you can reply, "Put your life in His hands and give your life to Him, and then He'll take care of you. He'll take care of everything that has to do with you, all of your problems. He'll help you and He'll be the Comfort and the Friend that you need." And if they don't ask the right question, you can ask it for them. Say something like, "You're probably wondering how all of these wonderful things can happen for you."
21. It's a matter of approach I'm talking about. It's not changing the basic way we present salvation, it's just fine-tuning our approach to make sure we're relating to people, to where they're at right there and then. It's sort of connecting their problem or whatever their need is more directly to, "Here's what the Bible says about problems, that Jesus will take your problem if you give it to Him."--And starting out on that basis. We should be telling them all the wonderful things that Jesus will do for them!
22. You don't have to tell them in the first breath, "Look, you're a sinner and you need to get saved. And if you'll pray this prayer then I'll tell you what Jesus will do for you." Instead, first tell them what Jesus will do for them as though they already had Him. Then tell them, "Now here's what you do to get this help.--You just open your heart to Jesus and receive Him, then you can have all this."
23. Give them the bait first. Show them, "Wow, look at all you can have and what Jesus will do for you!" Then they'll want to know, "How do I get this? How do I start this process in my life of Jesus helping me with all my problems?" Then you can tell them, "You just ask Him to come into your heart and you receive Him." It's much better to present the positive side first and tell them all the wonderful things Jesus will do for them. Bait them with the positive.
24. You can tell'm, "If you'll just turn your life over to Jesus--all your fears and tears, your disappointments and broken dreams, as well as all of your problems, He will give you a brand new life!--One of happiness and joy and hope. And not only will you get a wonderful new life, but you'll get a best friend, forgiveness of sins, release from guilt, freedom from fear, knowledge of the future, healing if you're sick, power and grace whenever you need it, protection, supply and provision, as well as a wonderful eternal home in Heaven! What more could you want? What could be better than that?"
Although Jesus Solves Problems, We've Got to Do Our Part!
25. Of course, we don't want to make people think that the Lord is going to instantly and automatically dissolve every single one of their problems as soon as they get saved, and that they'll never have any problems again. The Lord definitely helps us with our problems and makes them easier to solve, easier to bear, and He does dissolve some of them entirely and completely delivers us from them.
26. However, there are other problems that He knows are good for us for one reason or another, and He helps us to handle these problems, and gives us the grace and the patience and the love to bear them. So instead of telling people that Jesus will absolutely take away all their problems, we should tell them, "Jesus will help you with your problems, help you to carry them, help you to bear them, help you to solve them.--And the ones He doesn't take away completely, you'll find He will make them so much easier to bear."--Or even a blessing!
27. We can definitely say, "Jesus will help you with all of your problems. He's the great Solution-giver! He has a solution for your problems!" This is just as good as saying that He's the Problem-solver, but in a way it puts a little more of the responsibility on the individual. If we tell them that Jesus will give them the solution, it might help them to see that they might have to help carry out that solution, instead of just sitting back and being passive and not having anything to do with or about their problem.
28. It's sort of like having a wise counselor that you go to about your problems. The counselor cannot get rid of all your problems by himself, but he can give you help and counsel and wisdom that you can take back with you and use to your advantage to make things better and easier. Of course, with the Lord, we know a lot of His help is supernatural, He does a lot for us by His supernatural power. But it is a relationship, it is teamwork, and we usually have to do something in the bargain. We have to cooperate with Him. We have to go by His rules and carry out certain procedures in order for Him to do the work in our lives.
How the Lord Helps People with Their Problems!
29. It might sound like I'm straining at a gnat here in trying to bring out the difference between telling people that Jesus is the Problem-solver, and that Jesus will give them the solutions to their problems. But I've seen that become an issue before when Christians tell others that Jesus will take away all their problems, and the people get saved and they then find out that they still have a lot of their previous problems to deal with, which can cause them to wonder and question and even doubt. So I just want to be sure that we present this correctly so that the people we witness to won't be surprised when they still have some problems after they've received the Lord. Actually, problems and obstacles and challenges in life are what make us strong.
30. But instead of being bowled over by their problems and being burdened and crushed by them and being underneath them, they can be on top of them! Jesus can help them be on top of their problems and in control of their problems, and help them know how to handle their problems.--Instead of just sinking under them and being drowned by them with no hope in sight, or feeling that there isn't anything that they can do about them. You can show them that Jesus will lighten their loads and help bear their burdens and resolve the problems.
31. Of course, there are many times when Jesus does completely eradicate the problem and take it away, but then you usually get another problem that's another challenge, so you can realize that you still need the Lord and have areas in your life in which He needs to work. But sometimes He does completely eradicate the problem, as He often does with illness or disease.--He can miraculously cure a physical ailment so that it's absolutely gone and never comes back again! He often completely solves other problems as well, and gives deliverances that are once and for all complete, and you never have any recurrence of those problems again.
32. But then there are problems that stay with us for much longer, that we have to battle with and get victories over daily.--"Thorns in the flesh" (2Cor.12:1-10). But these are the problems that the Lord knows are good for us, that will make us strong and will help us to look to Him and be desperate with Him and close to Him.
Give'm the Answer-man, Jesus!
33. I just don't want to mislead people to think that--poof!--once they become Christians, all of a sudden all their problems are forever gone. But at the same time, we do want to be able to tell them how wonderful it is to live for Jesus, and all the wonderful things He does for us! And how miraculous life with the Lord is!--And that there is just no comparison between the life they now live and the life they can live with Jesus in their heart.
34. So please remember to try to relate to people where they're at right now, and give them the main answer they desperately need: Jesus! "What can I do about my problems?" That's what people everywhere are crying out, "I've got all these problems!--How am I going to solve them?" Just say, "We've got the answer!--The Answer-man, Jesus! He is the great Solution-giver!--And if you receive Him into your heart you'll be amazed at the help He will give you and the comfort He will bring to you!" Amen? Praise the Lord! GBY as you keep lifting up Jesus and sharing His love and truth and solutions with all whom you can! I love you!
PERSONAL WITNESSING--STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS!
4/92
--By Maria
1. WHENEVER YOU'RE OUT WITNESSING, at some time or another you're going to run into problem people who are either full of the Devil and really evil, or people who are just wasting your time because of their ornery spirit! Even when some of our own Family members were first witnessed to, they presented quite a problem through their arguing, their scorn, their sarcasm, maybe even trying to get you off the subject by bringing up some weird mind trip or something. So I wouldn't class everyone who doesn't want to get right down to the point of talking about Jesus and salvation as "full of the Devil" or "a goat." But if they are being a problem, the Devil is using them in one way or the other. Either they're full of the Devil and really anti-Christ, or they're being used by the Devil, even though they may be potential sheep.
2. When you run into this kind of thing, you need to take control of the situation and take command and not let yourself just be bullied by someone, or interrogated or harassed or led off the track on to some subject that you don't even want to get into discussing.--Some head trip or complicated situation. There are all kinds of ways that the Devil can distract you in your witnessing and get you off the track and off the main point of sharing the Lord and salvation with others. "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2Cor. 11:3).
3. You do, of course, have to try to answer their sincere questions and questions that do relate to the Christian life and to salvation. You have to be led by the Spirit and not just say, "Listen, forget these questions!--Do you want Jesus or don't you?!" You don't want to do that unless they're really being antagonistic. Then, of course, like Dad's story about the bum he met on the street in Miami who just wanted to argue with him, you might have to say, "I don't have time to argue--if you don't want to receive Jesus right now, I've gotta go!" In that case, the bum answered back and said, "Then I'm going to go down and throw myself in the Miami River and commit suicide! Nobody loves me, nobody cares, you won't even talk to me!" And Dad said, "I'm talking to you now! Do you want Jesus or not?" "Not now, not now!" So Dad finally said, "All right, then go to Hell then! You might as well go down and throw yourself in the river!"
4. If you feel in the spirit that things aren't going right, that they're leading you off into some discussion that is not related to Jesus and salvation and that is not going to lead them to the Lord, then you need to take control of the situation and bring it back to where it belongs. Or if they are harassing you in any way or making fun of you or scorning you, you need to manifest your authority in the spirit and take charge of the conversation! Or if they are interrogating you and asking you personal questions that you don't want to answer, take control!
5. Or if someone is teasing you, flirting with you, making sexy comments or saying off-color distasteful things to try to rattle, embarrass and upset you, answer back firmly and with conviction that you are not there to play around! Or if they are baiting you in a mocking or teasing spirit, claiming to be "too bad for God" or "already lost and going to Hell," or showing off how rebellious they are to amuse their friends who may be listening, take command of the situation and bring the conversation around to what you want to talk about.
6. Sometimes people can even lead you in a conversation about the Bible or religion that is a waste of time. For example, if someone just wants to argue about doctrines, Biblical interpretations, etc., in an obvious "my-mind-is-made-up already" attitude, then you should get the upper hand in the conversation and simply tell them straight out that you don't want to waste time arguing over minor insignificant little shibboleths, but you'd rather just talk about Jesus.
7. There are also non-religious people who can waste your time arguing about the Bible--like atheists or agnostics who want to talk about complicated philosophies or all the supposed "contradictions" in the Bible, etc. You should not get intimidated and let such people dominate the conversation, but instead show the authority of the spirit and preach the truth.
8. Of course, if you're talking to someone who is getting very upset or threatening you, or if someone seems to be a little crazy or like they might get angry and even cause you bodily harm, then you don't need to carry on a long conversation at all! But you do need to pray desperately and take control in the spirit at least enough to get out of the conversation and get away from any such angry, unpredictable, dangerous people.
9. Sometimes even very kind and polite people can dominate the conversation by wanting to talk about your home country and what it's like in America, or by wanting to practice speaking English, etc. Don't be so worried about offending this type of people or hurting their feelings that you allow them to direct the conversation wherever they want to take it. Just sweetly take the reins and explain that you only have a little time and you would prefer to talk to them about Jesus.
10. You may come across some real devils, even people with familiar spirits who will come up and start questioning you and asking you where you came from and what you're doing.--Or there may be others who will just make fun of you and mock you. Well, instead of just meekly taking it and letting them go on and on, I think you really need to stand up to them! You don't have to yell at them, or scream at them, or get angry at them and red in the face, but just confidently and firmly say, "I think that's out of line and I don't think you should be talking to me that way." Or, "Please, you're being very rude and I'd appreciate it if you would stop. I don't like this line of questioning. If you don't want to talk about Jesus, then you'll have to excuse me." Or, "I'm sorry, but I came to tell you about Jesus. If you don't want to hear about Jesus, then I'll have to go and talk to someone else." "I'm sorry, but that's my private personal life and I prefer not to talk about it." (Remember, we're talking about difficult people here. Some people will ask you questions just because they're being friendly and are sincerely interested in you and your lifestyle. These questions you can answer briefly if you feel led, especially if you can use the answers as part of your witness and testimony.)
11. If you're witnessing to someone who may be sheepy, the Devil is going to try his hardest to get them not to listen.--And one way he may try it is to get them to be foolish, or to go on and on about themselves and their own trips, or to talk too much about you, or to get them off on some other track.--Or even to yield to the temptation to make fun of you and be sarcastic. So unless you take your authority in the spirit and correct that situation and kindly tell them to stop, you may be failing them terribly. They may be really sheepy and the Lord may want to get through to them, but unless you stop them from going in the wrong direction, you may just give up in despair and never get anywhere with them. You owe it to them, and you owe it to the Lord to stand up and stop them from doing the wrong thing. You may find out that they're really receptive and sheepy after all. They may feel very bad and say, "Oh, I'm really sorry! No, I do want to talk about Jesus!" You called the Devil's bluff!
12. Some people are well-meaning, but just get tripped off into wanting to have a normal System conversation about you or themselves, about the time of day or your clothes or rock stars or movies. If you can't bring these things into your conversation in a useful way where you can use them for witnessing, it would be better to say, "Well, this is a very interesting conversation and I'd like to talk to you more, but my main reason for being here is that I need to tell you about something very important in my life and that can be important in yours, and I only have so much time. So if you don't mind, I'd like to continue talking about Jesus." You have to be led of the Spirit how you handle individual people.
13. Or if the people wasting your time are full of the Devil and anti-Christ and don't want anything to do with Jesus, the sooner you find it out the better!--And the sooner you stop them the better. You don't want to be "casting your pearls before swine" (Mat.7:6) and continuing to try to fight with somebody who is hateful and isn't going to accept your message. You need to stand up with the authority of the spirit and say, "I'm sorry, I don't like that kind of talk! If you're going to talk to me, you're going to have to be more civil and more respectful. I'm telling you about the greatest gift that was ever given, and the greatest thing in the world, but if you are going to mock and harass me and be sarcastic, I'm going to stop right now! So please excuse me."
14. Then they have to make the choice! You've called their number and they have to either stop and just let you go and you walk away from them, or they're going to repent and be sorry and say, "No, please forgive me, I'm sorry! I want to hear what you have to say."
15. You need to take the authority of the spirit and be the ambassadors that the Lord has made you!--And not cower and be intimidated and be backed into a corner and waste God's precious time with all these discouraging situations that are designed not only to take your time, but to make you feel bad, and make you feel that you failed in your witness, and a host of other negative feelings.
16. You need to just come right out and tell people where you stand! Don't get angry, don't get red in the face. Just say sweetly but firmly, "I'm sorry, but if you don't want to talk about Jesus, then I have to go, because that's what I'm here for, and that's my job. I can't take my time with other non-essentials, because there are other people who would give anything to have what I have to offer! And if you don't want it, I'm going to go to somebody who does!" I think you're going to have to do that, and if you don't do it, you're failing the Lord, and you're failing in your witness.
17. Of course, we have to be patient with people, and we have to be prayerful and be led of the Spirit, but these are some general principles. If you feel that something is wrong and the people are leading you off the track, trying to discuss something else, and they're definitely working against you in some way or another, you're going to have to correct them on it and tell them, "Well, we do want to see you find Jesus, and we want to give you this priceless gift, but if you're going to act like that, we're sorry, we'll have to go."
18. You need to explain this to them--don't just turn your back on them and walk off. You owe it to them to tell them why you're leaving, and then give them a chance to repent and tell you they're sorry. And then if they do, you've won a victory and you can give them the Lord without the Devil's distractions.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS!
--Jesus Is the Answer!--By Maria
3/92
1. DEAR TEENS (and this includes you JETTs!) --And anyone who witnesses!: Please remember that if people are sheepy and if they're the Lord's children, then when you share the truth with them in your witnessing, no matter how you say it, the Lord is going to bless it and the Holy Spirit is going to punch through! After all, you're not the ones who are doing the work!--It's the Holy Spirit!
2. If you're in the right spirit and are sincere and trying to do your best, then the Lord will bless your witness! The Holy Spirit will work regardless of how messed up or twisted around or confusing your words are, or how badly you do. So you don't have to be afraid of making a mess of things, because whatever you say to try to share the truth of the Word, the Lord's going to bless it. His Word is not going to return unto Him void (Isa.55:11).
3. You don't have to answer all their Biblical questions and their confusion and their doubts about things. If they ask you a question you can't answer, just tell them that's something you're not sure about yet and you're still learning. "The Bible is a big book and it takes a lifetime of study to learn all the neat things in the Word. But one thing I do know, I sure know that the Lord answers prayer, and He's my best friend and He really works!"
4. You don't have to feel bad if you don't know all the answers! Look at me! I've heard all of these things and I'm supposed to know it, but I forget it almost as quick as I hear it! I don't know where some of the scriptures are and I don't know the references, but I'm sure I could be a reasonably good witness anyway.
5. You don't have to be hung up if you don't know where this or that verse is, or what the answer is to this or that question. Just talk about something you do know! You sure know that the Lord works in your life and He answers prayer and He's your best friend! You know He's done wonderful things for you --He heals you, He supplies your needs, He's really neat! So if you don't know the answers to some of their questions, just go to something you do know and tell'm that! Give them some scriptures you do know! You probably know the answers to most important questions if you just know the verses in the Memory Book. You could answer people's questions about salvation, the Holy Spirit, discipleship, the Endtime, etc., just by sharing the Memory Book verses. And if you don't happen to have all those verses memorized, you can just use your book and show the verses to them right there under the different categories. That makes it simple!
6. Don't worry if you don't know the answers to all the difficult questions that people ask, that they've been sort of propagandized with by the Enemy or scoffers who try to cast doubt on the Bible.--"Why did God let that happen in the Bible? How come He was so cruel that He killed this guy or that guy for doing something?" Just say, "Well, I don't know all the answers to those questions, but one thing I do know--I know the Answer Man! I know God sure works in my life and I know He can work in yours! And if you'll just accept Him, then you'll get the answers to your questions in His good time if you really need them."
7. Just like the story Dad tells about Fred Jordan when he was witnessing to a man who was arguing that he didn't believe in Hell. Finally Fred said, "Why don't we drop that a while and you just get saved?"--And the man did! So afterward Fred said, "OK, now what about Hell?"--And the man said, "Never mind, I'm not goin' there any more!"
8. Of course, the question may come up: "Then why do we have to polish up our witness? Why do we have to continue to learn more scriptures and learn the scriptural answers to people's questions if it's not necessary and the Holy Spirit will take care of it anyway?" Well, one reason is that you have to learn the Word to grow, and a related point is that you need to learn because you need to have the confidence to go out there and be able to answer most questions; otherwise you may feel insecure in your witness.
9. So your knowledge of the Word and being good witnesses is more for your own good, so that you can become secure and confident that you know your job, that you can do it. It's almost more important for that reason than it is for the people you're witnessing to! It's to give you the confidence to go out there and want to witness, and so you will witness. You could get very embarrassed and discouraged after a while if you couldn't answer people's questions. You know the Lord has the answer but perhaps you don't know where to find it, how to give it and what to say to them. Discouragement and fear of failure are almost the biggest factors in preventing people from witnessing.
10. Of course, it does help people when you can say, "Look, I can show you the answer to your question right here in the Bible." But I don't think your ability to do that is the key factor that will decide whether or not they'll get saved. If the person you're witnessing to is really receptive and open to the Lord and is seeking the Lord, I don't think it matters whether you have a great knowledge of the scriptures or not, just so you can help him to pray the salvation prayer. The Lord will bless that, and your lack of knowledge is not going to spoil your witness or cause you to be unfruitful. Even John 3:16 can win a soul!
11. Of course, if you're not able to answer someone's questions, it may mean that perhaps you aren't going to win that soul right then and there. Maybe he's going to go on a while until he gets some of his questions answered elsewhere before he'll get saved. But just because you don't know some scriptures or you don't know the answers to all his questions doesn't mean he's not going to get saved. Maybe he's not going to get saved right then, but the Lord's not going to allow that to keep him from getting saved eventually if you're doing your best.
12. So knowing the answers to complicated questions is almost more for the sake of the witnesser than for the one being witnessed to, because it gives the witnesser confidence and conviction. Dad says that in order to sell a product you have to be sold on it yourself, and if you're really sold on the Word, people can feel that when you talk to them. You can flip from page to page in your Bible because you know it's the truth and you believe it. People are really turned on when they see you really know your product and you are sold on it. They figure, "Well, if you're so sold on it, and you look like a pretty nice person, then there must be something to it!" So they're very interested, if only for that reason. "What's this person so interested in the Bible for? There must be something in it. He looks like a sincere person, and if he's so interested in this product, there must be something good about it. Maybe it can help me too."
13. But even if you don't know all the answers to people's difficult questions, I don't think it's going to keep people from getting your product. I think with you witnessers who are just starting out and aren't so adept at giving people answers and don't quite know what to say, your sincerity and your enthusiasm can overcome all of that. You're sold on the product even though you don't exactly know all the intricacies of it yet.
14. If you buy a video machine after having had the demonstration by the salesman, you could still be very sold on it even though you don't quite know how to operate it yourself yet. You could still tell someone, "Wow, it really works great!" And if they say, "Well, tell me exactly how it works. What's this and what's that?" You just have to say, "I don't know yet, but I sure know it's a great product! I've seen it work, I know it works! And even though I don't understand all about it and can't tell you the answers to all your questions about the intricacies of it, still, I really know it works and this is a great thing!"
15. If you have the conviction that your product's great, even though you don't know all about it and don't know all the answers, then that will overcome any lack of knowledge or lack of eloquence! I don't think anybody's going to go away deciding they'll never receive the Lord just because you didn't know the answers to some of their questions! You can give them your own testimony, you can tell them what the Lord's done in your life!
16. I really don't want you to feel condemned that you don't know all the answers! You don't need to know all the answers. For your own benefit, yes, it helps you with your confidence and it helps you to get in the Word because you know people are going to ask these questions and you want to be able to answer them.--And it's good to learn whatever you can. But you definitely don't need to be condemned if you don't know all the answers! I don't know all the answers, but I can still witness to people. Just talk about what you do know. You can say, "Well, I'm sorry, I don't know everything. It takes a lifetime, even more than a lifetime to learn everything in the Bible. This is a really profound book and there's a lot in it and I just don't know it all yet. But I'm learning, and you can start learning it with me if you want."
17. The blind man that Jesus healed was a perfect example of that. When the scribes and Pharisees came up to him and asked him about his healing, he said he didn't know too much about the details, but this one thing he knew, once he was blind but now he could see! (John 9:25). He didn't know too much about anything other than that, but that was enough for him! You can talk about your personal testimony and all the Lord has done for you, and how happy you are serving Him.
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An Answer to Give about Parties!
18. I suppose you teens are going to get all kinds of questions from other teens, like, "Don't you have a boyfriend (or girlfriend)? Don't you go to parties?" I think you can say, "Oh yes, we have parties! We have lots of fun together! I have lots of friends and we have parties, but if I have a choice, I'd rather be out here meeting people and talking to them about Jesus than having parties. After all, parties are just temporary. They're just a little fun or entertainment for a few hours, but what I'm doing now is really accomplishing something and making people happy for life!--And changing lives! This is much more fun and much more satisfying and gives much more lasting happiness than going to a party!
19. "Besides, I'd rather spend my time doing this now because I'm saving my party for the next life when we're going to have the biggest, the greatest, the most tremendous super party that has ever been given! And at this party we're going to be able to do all kinds of far-out things that we've never ever done before--things we've only dreamed of. We're going to be able to walk through walls! We're going to be able to fly! All of our dreams are going to come true! All our fantasies! Everything we ever wanted is going to be there! We're going to be able to have one tremendous party as long as we want and as often as we want. It's going to be so much more tremendous than anything we could ever do down here on earth! So we'd really rather not emphasize parties so much. We'd rather do the things we really like to do now, and wait for the party we really are looking forward to when we get to Heaven!" (Amen! GBY! WLY!--D.)
WITNESSING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE!--GIVE'M THE WORD!
--By Maria
4/92
1. WHEN YOU'RE WITNESSING to people who speak a different language than you do and you can't communicate very well with them--maybe you only know a few words here or there--the tendency may be to just get into a little bit of small talk. "What's your name? Where do you live? Do you have a wife? Do you have children?" And maybe, "Jesus loves you." You might only know a few little phrases, and then you're stuck and you may not be able to go very far in the spirit with them.
2. The alternative to that would be to always carry a little New Testament in their language with all of the key verses marked that you would want to show them or talk to them about. All you have to do is learn how to say in their language, "Please read this out loud." You point to your first verse and say, "Please read this out loud," and they read it. Then you go to the next verse and say it again, "Please read this," and they read it! You can take them through verse after verse after verse that way.
3. The Word is the most powerful thing you can give them! Even if you can't say a thing to them, you can show them what God is saying to them in a pure, unadulterated, uncorrupted manner with none of your own words or your own thoughts mixed in. You'll probably be amazed at how the Spirit will work on them, just by reading the Word and having the Lord speak to their hearts. You don't have to say a word! And you don't have to feel bad or feel like, "I've got to say all my little phrases I know in their language." You may find that it's distracting and all you end up with is a little small talk, and you don't even get down to the basics.
4. But by just giving them the Word, their concentration and attention will be focused on the Word and not you! They'll just be reading one verse after the other of heavy, powerful Word that the Lord said would not return unto Him void, but would accomplish that whereunto He had sent it! (Isa.55:11).--The powerful Word that He said is "sharper than any two-edged sword," piercing into their hearts and giving them light on their path! (Heb.4:12; Psa.119:105).--Convicting their hearts, showing them their sins, and showing them the Savior!
5. Even if you can talk to them fluently, it might not be a bad idea to sometimes use that procedure anyway! You might find that just giving them the Word like that will do more to win them than all your fancy explanations and words could ever do! We think it's so important that we have all of our witnessing answers down pat and all of our big explanations, but if we would just let the Lord say it to them, we might find that all our preparations and explanations that we had ready to give them and talk to them about weren't so necessary after all!
6. You could also have the little salvation prayer pasted in the back of your New Testament, and after you've gone through all the verses you could say, "Please read this prayer out loud."--And at the end have a little sentence saying, "If you really prayed this and meant it, you're saved!"
7. You can get them saved with the Word, even if you hardly know a word of their language! You don't have to! So you shouldn't feel afraid. You shouldn't be ashamed or feel embarrassed or bad that you don't know any of their language. Of course, we recommend that you learn some, and it's good to learn some. It makes them feel good that you're trying to learn their language, and when you want to follow up on them later, it's nice to be able to communicate more deeply. So it is an advantage in many ways to be able to speak the local language.
8. But as far as the Lord being able to get through to them, He can do it without your knowing a word of their language! So if you haven't learned it yet and you're just starting to learn it, don't be afraid or embarrassed, and don't feel inferior! You've got the greatest One in the universe to speak to them!--The most eloquent, the most expressive, the most discerning, the most beautiful, the most wonderful! Let the Lord speak! He can speak far better than you can any day! If you give them the Lord and what He has to say, you don't have to be embarrassed about anything. Just give'm Jesus! Give'm the Word! Let them read it for themselves! Let the Lord speak to them personally and directly, and you'll be amazed at the power of that Word!
9. Or if you have a good tract or a poster that presents the message with the Word and scriptures, you can let them read that. But either way, it's sure a lot better than your just stumbling around with a few phrases and not really making much headway with them, when here at your disposal you have the wonderful, powerful, pure Word that you can give them, that there will be no misunderstanding or misinterpretation of. It's right there and they can read it and they can feel it, and they can receive it!
WITNESSING IS NEVER WASTED!--By Maria
4/92
1. A POINT THAT IS EASY TO FORGET when you're out witnessing is that you're doing just as much for the Lord and being just as successful when you're witnessing to people who are not going to receive it in the end, and not going to accept the Lord, as you are when you're witnessing to those who are going to decide to pray with you. The ones who will decide against the Lord in the end need the witness just as much as the ones who are going to decide for Him. Our witness is not just for those who are going to receive the Lord.
2. If we were out there witnessing all day long and the only people who counted were the ones who received the Lord, we wouldn't really be accomplishing much! In many countries where people are so hardened, the majority of people you talk to are not going to get saved. So you shouldn't feel like you're wasting your time and not accomplishing anything because you didn't "hit the jackpot" and win a soul!
3. After struggling all day to witness to so many people and you finally find one person who receives the Lord, is that what makes your whole day worthwhile? Granted, it's wonderful when a soul is saved! "All the Angels in Heaven rejoice" (Luk.15:7), and we do too! But the truth is, even if your whole day is spent witnessing to people who decide against the Lord or who don't take that step to receive Him, you haven't wasted your time, and you need to get out of that kind of mind-set or attitude that you've only accomplished anything if you've won a soul!
4. My goodness! We're accomplishing just as much when we witness to those who don't receive the Lord as when we witness to those who do! Our witness to those who reject the Lord is just as important as our witness to the ones who receive Him. The rejectors have to have the witness just as much because they have to be able to make the choice. The Lord said to "warn the wicked of his wicked way," and if you don't, He'll require his blood at your hands (Eze.3:17-19). So it's just as important and necessary for us to witness to those who aren't going to make that choice for the Lord as those who are.
5. I know we say a lot of times, "Avoid the devoid" and "Don't cast your pearls before swine," and that's true. If people don't want to hear us, don't want to listen and all they want to do is scorn and mock us, well, then we're not supposed to continue talking to them, at least not for a real long time. They've already made their decision and we are not required to do anything more. If they won't listen to you, then there's not much you can do. But if they listen--and many people do listen--then you're required to give them the message.
6. There are many people who will listen to you politely and ask you questions and get your answers. Maybe they'll do a little friendly debating with you or arguing, and then in the end say, "No, I'm afraid I'm too bad," or, "I still want to have fun," or, "I just don't feel I can right now" and reject the Lord. But it's just as important that you talk to these people and give them the message as it is to the people who are going to receive Jesus right there on the spot.
7. Of course, when you first start talking to them, you don't know if they're going to accept the Lord or not, so you just have to be faithful to witness. But to reflect back on it afterwards and say, "I didn't accomplish anything because I just talked to all these people and then they ended up turning the Lord down; I didn't get any souls, so my whole day was wasted," that is the wrong attitude entirely! Your whole day was not wasted! You did exactly what the Lord wanted you to do: You gave people the message!
8. You're supposed to witness, and you're supposed to warn! You're supposed to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Well, what does that mean? We know that not "every creature" is going to receive the Lord! So if we think we're only being obedient and accomplishing anything if we win someone to the Lord, then we're not getting the point of the Great Commission, that says to preach the gospel to every creature!
9. Most of the "creatures" in the world are not going to receive the Lord, so what are you going to do about that? The Lord says you're supposed to preach it to everyone, you need to give them the message, even though He knows the majority of them aren't going to receive it! But His job for you is just what He says, to preach it to everybody you can, whether they will receive or not. That's your job! And you're accomplishing just as much, you're being just as obedient, you're being just as successful if you preach the truth to those who won't receive it as when you find someone who will receive it!
10. Of course, you feel better about it when they receive it, and you're happier about it, but it doesn't mean that you've accomplished any more or that you've been more successful. You've accomplished just as much and been just as successful whether you've won any souls or not, because you've been obedient and you've done what the Lord wanted you to do. So you don't have to feel that your day was wasted and that you didn't accomplish anything even if you didn't win any souls.
11. Of course, you might feel a bit sad because you know what these poor people are missing by not receiving the Lord. You see them so sad and lonely, and you wonder why they won't just accept the answer to their problems. That does make us sad when we see what they've turned down. But even though it may make us sad, it shouldn't make us feel that we didn't accomplish anything or that we weren't successful, because we were successful, and we did what the Lord wanted us to do! We were obedient.
12. You need to also remember that a lot of these people who didn't receive Jesus with you will receive Him later--you've just planted some seeds! You can't expect to plant the seed and have the plant grow up to full bloom and be in blossom right then and there while you're talking to them! If the seed hasn't been planted before, it may need some time to be watered, to grow and then to be harvested. Maybe in some the seed has already been planted, and when you come along you water it, but it's still not quite ready yet. So who knows? It may be a while, but they may yet receive the Lord. You shouldn't jump to conclusions as to what the result will be just because they happen to say no to you.
HOW TO ANSWER INTELLECTUAL QUESTIONS!
7/92
--By Maria
1. WE HAVE HEARD through the reports of various teen shepherds that you teens are often hit with heavy intellectual questions or head trips when out personal witnessing. When faced with such questions, you just have to be willing to be simple and be looked upon as foolish, ignorant, unlearned men and women. But if we're full of the Lord's Spirit and His love, then no matter how ignorant and unlearned we seem, the people we witness to are going to take knowledge of us, that we have been with Jesus, just like they did of Peter and John. The Bible says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). They're going to see Jesus in us, and their hearts are going to cry out for love and for Jesus, regardless of how intellectual and/or sophisticated they are.
2. So I think you teens need to stop worrying about trying to answer all of these difficult intellectual questions and just be bold and give them Jesus. You need not be intimidated by those questions or afraid to say, "Look, I'm not intellectual and I don't have a lot of worldly knowledge, but do you at least consider that the Bible is a great book and that millions have patterned their lives after it? It must have something going for it! Do you know that two of the writers of the Bible are described as `unlearned and ignorant men,' but what they had to say has, through thousands of years, completely changed millions of lives!
3. "Our mission is just to be simple and preach the truth. And in order to do that, we can't be intimidated by people who try to condemn us or make us feel badly because we're not as educated as they are. We're preaching Jesus, who takes the weak and the foolish things to confound the wise. Look at this verse right here, see what it says? `But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty' (1Cor.1:27). And the verses right before this one are really good too. Look what they say, that even `the foolishness of God is wiser than men' (1Cor.1:25). That means that to preach the Word, which looks like foolishness to many people, is wiser than the wisdom of this world. The Bible goes on to say, `Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called' (1Cor.1:26). See, by that verse you can logically conclude that in order to serve Jesus you don't have to be wise in the ways of the world or mighty or noble.
4. "And here's another interesting verse, `My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God' (1Cor.2:4,5). And the Bible warns us to not be corrupted with too much of man's wisdom. Look at this verse: `Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ' (Col.2:8).
5. "Although I don't have a lot of worldly education like you do, and I have studied much of my life at home, I am happy. And when it comes right down to it, which is the most important thing in life?--To be intellectual and have a lot of knowledge, or to be happy? Many people would give all that they have--all the wealth and material goods and knowledge they have--if they thought they could be happy.
6. "I happen to know that Jesus is the only one who can truly make people happy. As a comparison, we could say it's like having a cure for AIDS; if we had a cure for AIDS and didn't tell anyone, what would you think of us? If we kept it selfishly to ourselves and never told the world about it, what would you think? Well, we have a cure for more serious and far-reaching diseases than AIDS! We have the cure for unhappiness, for loneliness, for rejection, for fear--illnesses that afflict millions or billions of people, a far greater number than AIDS has ever touched, or will ever touch. And if we didn't share this cure with people, what would you think of us? We would be failing God, failing others, failing ourselves, and we couldn't live with ourselves. This cure is Jesus, plain and simple! Don't you want to give Him a try?"
7. So you teens should definitely not let yourselves be intimidated by all this "higher education" and the complicated, sophisticated-sounding questions people might ask you. You can show the intellectual people you witness to the verse where King David said, "I have more understanding [of spiritual truths] than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts" (Psa.119:99,100). Knowledge and understanding don't have to be complicated and confusing. In the Bible, the great Apostle Paul said, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2Cor.11:3). The Bible is a simple enough book that the common man down through the centuries has been able to understand it and live by it, yet it is one of the most profound.
8. To go on the attack and take the initiative when witnessing to intellectuals, we almost have to show that what we have is a lot better than what they have. We can show them what we have and how enthusiastic we are about it and how happy it makes us, which will by contrast show them how little they have. They will probably come to that conclusion on their own, without us really having to tear down their education too much. We can chase their darkness away not by blasting it, but by letting the light in with the Word, which will bring them understanding.
9. Just showing them the Word would probably do it. You can share verses about how God doesn't think much of worldly education and how the Word should be our education. The majority of people today are so ignorant of the Bible and hardly know anything at all about it. So when you're discussing almost any subject at all, if you show them what the Bible teaches about it and the great wisdom that is in the Word on every subject, I think they will be fascinated. It would hardly matter what subject you talk about, for them just to see the treasures of wisdom in the Word would probably fascinate most kids. They think the Bible is a dead book, one which has no relevance today. To them it's about as incomprehensible as any other "holy book" such as the Koran, the Talmud, the Book of Mormon, the Hindu Vedas, or the Tibetan Book of the Dead. But if you show them what the Word has to say on the subjects they're interested in, they'll see that the Bible is a wonderful source of knowledge, encouragement and guidance!--And they'll see that it's truly living waters that will satisfy their souls! It's not a dead book! It's a living book! It's Jesus!
10. Here are some good verses to encourage you teen witnessers: When Jeremiah had to go before the whole nation--before the kings, princes, priests, and all the people--to prophesy and testify against them, he felt incapable and was worried that he couldn't speak. He said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child." But the Lord said, "Say not, I am a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak." Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched Jeremiah's mouth, and said, "Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth" (Jer.1:6,7,9b).
11. And Moses at one time was in the same predicament. He was going to face the mighty System, with all its power and intellect and knowledge and earthly wisdom, and he felt very inadequate. He said, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent.... I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." But the Lord replied, "Go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Exo.4:10,12).
12. So if you don't feel very confident in yourself and wonder what you'll say when out witnessing, cheer up! The Lord has promised, "Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it!" (Psa.81:10). Praise the Lord!
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(Following are more verses which show the emphasis the Lord puts on love for Him and others, and the knowledge of His Word, rather than worldly knowledge and intellectual attainments. You may find some of these helpful to share when witnessing to hungry intellectuals:)
"For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow" (Ecc.1:18).
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"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord" (Jer.9:23,24).
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"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Rom.12:2).
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"Walk not as other Gentiles [unbelievers] walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Eph.4:17,18; 5:11).
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"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2Tim.3:16).
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"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2Tim. 2:15).
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"The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple" (Psa. 119:130).
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"From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2Tim.3:15).
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"Knowledge puffeth up, but charity [love] edifieth" (1Cor.8:1).
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"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mk.8:36,37).
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family