I believe based off of the scriptures that christians evangelize. Not only in thier private home, but in the world. With strangers and people anywhere especially the people they care most for. I heard this radio station tell people in my community that if they gave money to the station they'd be fufilling thier commission to go out and preach to the nations... That got me upset. I think "Christians" need to get up and go! Theres a dying world. I believe that if a person has not a heart for the dying nations, they have a heart of stone and have not been converted. I think you are lost if you don't preach the gospel. Either that or very naive. If not naive then lost. Our church goes door-to-door (where jw's reign so far... we've got to get them out of our neighborhoods!), to downtown Orlando to open-air preach, to malls, shopping centers, to the UCF campus (where Campus Crusade for Christ gives out free hugs and beer), together as a church on Saturday, pretty much al the time, and our Pastor goes out Almost everyday besides preparing our sermons for about 40hrs/week. I say this because, I don't see anybody else out there! GO THEREFORE!

Also, I'm not Arminian I'm a Calvinist but most importiantly I'M CHRISTIAN. Its sad to say that Arminians over-all probably preach more than Calvinists. Give me a radical Arminian over a dead Calvinist anyday! If you are Christian then you are evangelizing period not just in your lifestyle (which is common sense not to be a hypocrite) but to acutally tell and proclaim the gospel to people. Don't you want to see the nations glorify God's name?!? (Malachi 1:11)


Luke 24
"46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”"

Mark 1:17
"Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”"

Matthew 28:18-20
"18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen."

Acts 1:8
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”"

2 Timothy 3:12
"Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." (You don't get persecuted by keeping your mouth shut, sitting in a room and studying greek.)




Letter from an Atheist (to Ray Comfort)

"You are really convinced that you've got all the answers. You've really got yourself tricked into believing that you're 100% right. Well, let me tell you just one thing. Do you consider yourself to be compassionate of other humans? If you're right, as you say you are, and you believe that, then how can you sleep at night? When you speak with me, you are speaking with someone who you believe is walking directly into eternal damnation, into an endless onslaught of horrendous pain which your 'loving' god created, yet you stand by and do nothing. If you believed one bit that thousands every day were falling into an eternal and unchangeable fate, you should be running the streets mad with rage at their blindness. That's equivalent to standing on a street corner and watching every person that passes you walk blindly directly into the path of a bus and die, yet you stand idly by and do nothing. You're just twiddling your thumbs, happy in the knowledge that one day that 'walk' signal will shine your way across the road. Think about it. Imagine the horrors Hell must have in store if the Bible is true. You're just going to allow that to happen and not care about saving anyone but yourself? If you're right then you're an uncaring, unemotional and purely selfish (expletive) that has no right to talk about subjects such as love and caring."

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Kristy

Your comment on giving money to fulfill the great commission made me think about the song by Keith Green--Open Your Eyes:

This generation of believers that you and me are a part of, we are responsible for this generation of souls, all over the world. we're responsible for them. we're responsible to pray daily for the hundreds of ministries around the world, and ask god "how about me not sending my money this time, how about me going?" it's so easy to write checks, it's so easy. but god can't cash out of state checks in heaven. he needs you!


Open your eyes to the world all around you, open your eyes, open your eyes.
This world is much more than the things that surround you.
You must arise, and open your eyes.
Sometimes we're too busy to share, but jesus wants to care, to care.

Open your arms to the naked and shivering, open your arms, open your arms.
We need a little less taking, a whole lot more giving.
We're so safe and warm, we can open our arms.
And love a little bit stronger, and pray a little bit longer, longer.

Jesus says, when we love someone in his name, we're loving him.
Jesus says, when we touch someone in his name, we're touching him.
And we've got to show them the light, we've got to pour out our lives.

Open your hearts to the ones who are desperate, open your hearts, open your hearts.
They may never repay you, but their souls are worth it,
The life you impart when you open your heart.
Jesus loves all men the same,
So we've got to go out in his name.


Jesus says, when we touch someone in his name, we're touching him.
Jesus says, when we love someone in his name, we're loving him.
Jesus says, when we feed someone in his name, we're feeding him.
And jesus says, when we reach someone in his name,
He feels, he says, it's all for him.
It's all for him

Open your eyes to the world all around you, open your eyes, open your eyes.
This world is much more than the things that surround you.
Jesus loves all men the same, so we've got to go out in his name.
Jesus says, jesus says, jesus says, it's him.
Jesus says, when we love someone in his name, we're loving him.


Supporting ministries with money is nice. But, that just doesn't cut the "Go into all the world" does it.

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Neil Long

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Neil Long

I have tracts but I find it so hard to preach the gospel even pray at the moment!!!
I have been giving out tracts , I have the courage of a mouse!!! and I feel as dry as a desert!!!

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Dominic Shiells

Today the whole concept of Evangelism and Social action is not properly understood. Some believe that Evangelism is the only primary concern of the church. So neglect social action. But some believe that social action is the major responsibility of the church and therefore social action and neglect Evangelism.

A careful study of the life and teaching of Jesus Christ reveals that Evangelism and social action are like two sides of a coin. They are two facets of the Christian faith. The prophetic word of Jesus Christ the Messiah by prophet Isaiah in 61:1-2 and its fulfillment in Luke 4: 14-32 reveals the fact that the social action is a legitimate part of Biblical Gospel

Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry made it very clear to His disciples and to all the hearers that He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (mark 10:45). In another occasion, Jesus emphasized “ I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:37). Giving His life as ransom is possible only through Christ but was to be the climax of a life of service. There is a deep sense in which we must take up our cross daily and follow the Master. “His cross was the propitiation for sin: our cross in the principle for service”. The in depth study of the life of Christ reminds us that it is highly impossible to separate His works form his words. He touched the leper, washed the feet of His disciples, fed hungry, encouraged the discouraged and proclaimed the kingdom of God.

The Great commission recorded in the Gospel of John has a special emphasis and explains the mission of the church as Christ has commanded that church. John 20:21 state “ As the father sent me, even so I send you” Christ came to serve the society of His time through word and Deed. Christ – the sent one sends His body- the church to follow His footsteps. It is clear that the Great commission gives place for both Evangelism and Social action. This truth is further explained when we understand the Great Commandment Jesus gave to His disciples, the command to “ Love your neighbor as yourself” Mark 12:31. If we truly start loving people as Christ loved us, then we will seek to minister the Gospel of Christ. Thus witnessing becomes an integral part of the Christian life. It is equally true that if we genuinely live our neighbors, we will not stop with evangelism but do best we can for their welfare and upliftment in the society. Because we love our neighbor as God make - Body, Soul and Spirit.

As Apostle Paul reminded about imitating Christ humility (phi. 2-5-8), we must be willing to renounce status and assume the role of a servant. Instead of expecting others to serve us. We ought to take up the towel and serve people in need. All the symbols of the Christian faith – manage, basin and cross – reveals the truth of serving others. John Stott rightly said “ it is in our servant role that we can find the right synthesis of evangelism and social action. For both should be for us, as they undoubtedly were for Christ, authentic expressions of the love that serves”

We must not forget another important aspect of Christian mission that is essential for ours: in order to serve, He was sent in to this world. In the priestly prayer of Jesus Christ, He said, As you send me in to the world, I also have send them in the world”. John 17:18. the history reveals that Christ did not suddenly appear in a desert and started teaching about the kingdom of God. He identified with Himself our humanity and went through the whole gamut of human experience. He identified with our poverty: He was born in a stable. He identified with our toil. He worked at a carpenter’s bench. He identified with our basic human needs; He knew what it was to be hungry, thirsty and tired. He identified with human culture and language. He was born as Jew and spoke Aramaic. He identified with our temptations: he was in every respect. Tempted as we are yet without sin (Heb 4:15) He identified with our suffering, he was called ‘ A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” Isa 53”3 He even tasted our death. He died on the cross. And now Christ who has experienced every thing what we are experiencing today sends us into the world to identify with the culture language, pains, aspirations, sorrow and needs of the people.

Evangelism and Social action are important to Christian Missions. Both are genuinely distinct aspects of the total mission of the church, at the same time both are connected and inseparable. Evangelism is proclaiming the salvation message through Jesus Christ. Building personal relationship with the God Almighty. Social action is the attempt to meet physical needs of human beings. It has to do with taking care of poor, orphans and needy. I believe that they are partners to the wider mission of the church.

Christ is the model for us in doing both as and when the situation arises. During his earthly ministry he has done the same. To the sinners, he offered forgiveness. To the hopeless he gave hope. To the fearful, he offered peace. To the hungry He gave bread. The church needs to follow the same path of Christ. The church needs to understand the priorities right according to the context in which they are. It cannot compromise in the priorities. I personally believe that we are doing a serious injustice to them (those whose physical needs are met) if we don’t tell them about Christ. Life with out Christ meaningless. Serving the people with telling them about the loving and compassionate lord is completely wrong and seems to be an act that shows lack of love towards the people we help.


Yours in His vineyard
Pastor. Yesuratnam

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Melodyratnam

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Kristy

When someone newly gets married what do they do? TELL EVERYONE.

If they don't they are totally weird.

When a Christian becomes born again, they should have the urge to shout it to the roof tops, that their Jesus loves all. :-)

I don't understand why people call themselves Christians and don't even have a heart for the lost enough to try to tell them about Christ. It's Hypocrisy.

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Kristy

I'm not sure it's hypocrisy so much as fear. Besides, it's the Holy Spirit working *through* us that brings new people to Him, so until people have been baptised in the Holy Spirit, they won't have the words anyway.

Further, it's a journey; all believers reach that level of security in their faith in their own time. If they've come from the secular world, it's scary to contemplate how people will react. But we have to pray for them, and encourage them, not call them hypocrites. Once they truly know the love of Jesus, they'll evangelise. Even if it's in "their own way", providing they are talking the words of the Holy Spirit, their words will be powerful. Better that than Christians hammering their own thoughts and (mis)interpretations down peoples' throats because that's what they think they're supposed to do.

Evangelism takes different forms.

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Anna