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| 2 Samuel 22: 36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation and thy gentleness hath made me great. |
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| NEVER ARGUE NEVER argue as you witness. God says, "The servant of the Lord must not strive" (v. 24). You may win an argument but lose a soul. Almost all who witness have been caught in this trap some time or other. Years ago when witnessing to a man I got into a heated discussion with him. After apologizing and trying to rectify the situation, I went away disturbed, for I knew I would never reach him for Christ. I prayed for him and was thrilled later to hear someone else had led him to Christ. How wonderful that God can overrule our mistakes. A good admonition is: "Foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing they do gender strifes" (v. 23). Many are ensnared by trying to tell where Cain got his wife or prove some particular denominational belief. Keep to the essentials of "the gospel of Christ" (Romans 1:16). Christians are reminded to "be gentle unto all men" (2 Tim 2:24). A good hunter does not flush the birds and a good fisherman does not frighten away the fish. The soul winner must be gracious with men, knowing that he too was once without understanding and ensnared by Satan (v. 26). He must be patient, or literally "holding up under evil" (v. 24). If the gospel offends, that is the Spirit's conviction; but if I offend, that is sin. If one senses the conversation becoming heated, he should stop immediately and apologize for his part. Often this will break the tension. The lost one will recognize that the Christian has done something he is unable to do and will want this same enabling power in his life. A non-Christian can be expected to become hot and bothered under Satan's control and the Christian can be expected to apologize under the Spirit's control. Witnessing must be done "in meekness" (v. 25), never with a holier-than-thou attitude. But for the grace of God, the shoe would be on the other foot. Realizing God must "give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth" (v. 25) will take the strain from us and put dependence on God. Christians need to put more stress on prayer and less on persuasion. You can never talk a person into salvation! Be sure to always leave the door open for further witnessing. By Sumner Wemp |
| Psalm 119: 33: Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. 34: Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. 35: Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. 36: Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. |
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| PHOTOS FROM CORBIS.COM TITLES, LABELS, BUTTONS:- A BULLOCK CREATION |
| ROMANS CHAPTER 10 1: Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2: For I bear them record that they have a zeal of god, but not according to knowledge. 3: For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5: For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6: But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7: Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8: But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11: For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12: For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14: How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15: And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16: But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18: But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth,and their words unto the ends of the world. 19: But I say,Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20: But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 21: But to Israel he saith, All daylong I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people Prepared by the Family Journal |
| 2Timothy 2:15 - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. |