"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5.16 [NASB]

When Christ said: 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel...' I truly believe He meant {lol} it to read like this:

"Go into your world and live what you believe!"

If everyone who named the name of Christ did that, the world would be evanglized exponentially! But this is only "my" opinion {grin}, what do I know?

Have you ever heard the phrase:
"What you are 'doing' speaks SO LOUD that I can't hear what you are trying to tell me."

The Great Commission is for us to go out into all the world and preach the Gospel. But some of us has forgotten what I call the GreatER Commission: to 'live' the Gospel.

And it is from this mind-set I would like to talk about the art of witnessing.
My stand-point is that if our families, friends, or associates cannot see us living the Gospel, they will not even want to hear the 'good news' we have to share with them. This is what I mean by the phrase, 'what you are DOING is so loud I can't hear what you are trying to tell me.'

The Church is under the assumtion that witnessing has nothing to do with HOW we live day to day but everything to do with hitting the street corners preaching or passing out tracts or when we can be so bold as to approach strangers with the gospel of hell. [And by this I mean the emphasis is on getting saved just to miss hell, not to live a life of glory unto God the Father through His Son Jesus.] Do not get upset with me, I told you at the beginning from which stand point I was approaching 'witnessing.' I will not even 'attempt' to cover any other stand point in this particular essay, maybe another but not this one!

The GreatER Commission, in my opinion, is to live the lifestyle of a disciple in front of your family, friends and associates, the people you CAN influence. I've heard that the only thing we can take to heaven is our children. I believe that to be a definite possibility!! It is in the home where we can first excercise the life of being a disciple. So what if we win the whole world for Jesus Christ but lose our family in the process???

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If you are wondering or have ever wondered, "what is my calling God?" Your calling can be to influence those around you first... by LIVING IT!!

There are people everywhere trying to TELL others about Jesus, telling the sinners and the ungodly what they perceive the Gospel to be, in order to get others converted. But isn't actually LIVING the Gospel in front of sinners is a much greater witness than speaking it?

I know, I know, I'm challenging 'main-stream' christianity. **Well, maybe it needs challenging.** We have evangelists coming out the ying-yang running into every town they can think of having alter calls, getting 'thousand's' saved for the glory of God. And this is a noble cause but my point for this essay is: after they leave town who is discipling those thousands????????? Most are left to their own devices and like a child left to his own devices, they will survive the best way they can. And it is usually NOT in a Godly way.

Jesus told the pharisee's, 'you run to and fro just to find one convert - only to make him twice the child of hell you are.'

Wow, bold words to the clergy! That tenacity of that Man!! But the clergy of EVERY DEMONINATION today needs to hear those same words, in my humble opinion - of course. (grin)

Which is easier; to run around getting as many people as you can to say the 'sinner's prayer' or to stay in one place long enough to make a disciple out of them??? I have a question to the teachers and preachers of today: Would you be as so bold to apply this subject to the parable of the talents? Example; God allows you the privledge of leading souls to His Dear Son, Jesus Christ. He returns expecting to find an increase in disciples. What will you actually be able to give Him back?? Discipled individuals who can make disciples themselves or will you have to resort to a list of how many you got saved here or there [and not even know the condition of them, if they are still serving the Lord or not]? I believe it's going to be a sad, sad day around the Throne of God.

Isn't witnessing to our families and our neighbors and strangers important, you ask? YES, it is! But the point of this essay is: how are you witnessing to them?

I challenge you to search the Scriptures [wherein you THINK you have eternal life] and show me where Jesus did NOT preach the Gospel AND meet a need for someone at the same time. Do you search for things your family, friends, even strangers or neighbors NEED and DO your best to provide it for them? Or at least if you can't, you yourself, find someone who CAN help them? [Or do you not have time for such trival things?] Most of the Scriptures say, "Jesus preached the Gospel AND healed the sick." He didn't rush out of town or to the nearest resturant, He actually took time to meet their needs and SHOW THEM they were actually loved, it wasn't just something He was yapping at the jaws about.

This is what I mean by YOU ARE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!

What you do and how you treat others is what is going to win them to Jesus and KEEP them; By this I MEAN, this will get their attention enough that they'll want to hear what you have to say about Christ. Isn't that the battle cry now from sinners, "The Church is a bunch of hypocrites." How do you suppose they come up with that idea? DO NOT even try to blame this one on the devil! Ha! We have only ourselves to blame [our own behavior towards them].

I hear some of you now, "what we do? and how we treat others?... Why that's works. Aha! And we are under grace and the new covenant!" I challenge you to show me in the New Testament where we are allowed to live according to ourselves and not to God. I read that I am bought with a price and I am no longer my own but His!! And I am to bear the image of the heavenly as I bear the image of the earthly. AND I read how Jesus says, "I would that you bear much fruit, so all would know you are my disciples and that all therefore would glorify my Father in heaven."