Are you chicken?

[cyberjosh]

Ok, well maybe that's not a chicken...... infact.... I have no idea what that is.... :-D

But if someone were to ask you to defend your faith would you be too scared to share your faith? I for one would be glad to share with someone, but my biggest problem is not finding the right opportunity to speak to someone about it. Sometimes people aren't ready to hear it, sometimes it is just hard to start up such a conversation from thin air, but I guess I can take comfort in what my Dad has told me about how every time he has witnessed to someone that God has opened the door for him - rather than him just trying to run around and generate such a discussion with everyone he meets. But once asked about my beliefs I - to be honest - often start off soft to gauge the person's familiarity with the subject and comfort level with it, and while I try to not make them too uncomfortable I always have to do justice to my concience and give them something more than just another "religious pep talk".

I had to do that once with a girl who was upset that her youth pastor had told her little sister that (in effect, to paraphrase) there was a high likelyhood that many people who were in the youth group were going to end up in hell because the way is narrow and few are those that find it. Well I had to admit to her that sounded like a rather harsh approach to a group of kids, although after my consoling words about God's mercy and salvation I had to interject that on the other hand God has laws for a reason and that we can't just ignore them or reject them. I got one of those half-muttered "uh-huh" responses that I get often from people who either don't really understand what I'm saying or don't sound like they fully buy it. I always hate when I can't get past that, may I call it, "barrier" of undertsanding or agreement - but each one has to recieve things according to the measure of their faith, and it's no use ramming meat down the throat of one who needs milk. Nonetheless I gave that girl something stronger to chew on, and hopefully it was what she needed to hear at the time.

I admitedly always struggle internally when I'm witnessing to someone contantly fighting between restraint and all out exposition on the word of God, and in the end I feel like I might have left out something important, but also in my experience if you give them too much you can cause more confusion and harm than good. So I do not consider myself chicken and I am not ashamed of the word of God, but I will be the first to admit to you that I often struggle with the best way to deliver it. Sometimes I feel like a failure for that, but in retrospect I have always placed my ability to witness to others in God's hand and asked him for the strength. I must walk in faith and trust that if I water another can have the joy of reaping the harvest.

So in short, who is chicken.... or.... er..... whatever that thing is.....? Not I. But I will ever rely on God's strength and guidance to make me adequate for His service.

God Bless,

~Josh

 

[sheshisown]

Hey Cybershark~

Yep~ that's what my eyeballs look like when I'm called on to witness alright, you have the right pic bro. :o But only when the situation or the person is daunting to my estimation. Like my professor, or my boss, ahem! Like when things are on the line along with the gospel, things that cost me.

That's when I go bug-eyed that's when I'm afraid. And I begin to second guess the work of God, I start to think well . . . may-be God did not really ask ME to say these things after all.
And~ How did I get into this conversation to start with anyway? And~ is this person even ready to hear the word of God? Or- - - Do I really think this intellectual person will be moved by my testimony? :

Usually thou, my chances to witness are simple and easy, only part of reaching out to another person, to listen to them, to care about them, to do something nice. That's when I get the opportunity to share with someone like a kid or a younger woman, or even a man~ but usually they are kind of under dogs in society. Now I know we are not supposed to type people~ but~ the bible calls them the common people. They are often glad to hear me, and recieve a heart that desires to care for them easily. They are my favorite, that's my honest reply. I like going to Wal-Mart to witness, what can I say? They ask Jesus into their lives in a moment, they go to find help at church, their fleshy resistance is low. Its beautiful really, a marvelous work of God to me. :B-fly:

Still, those high society folks are getting their share of asking me questions and making me sound pretty dumb too, guess that's one reason this old gal had to go back to school, I had to get out in the thick. God knows~ not me. :fadein:

In all~ its probably just me, I never will know who I have been the Lord's genuine witness to, until I get to heaven, but that ain't gonna stop this gal from doin' my little part, anyway.

Why? Cause He is SO Wonderful, and He is full of power to save! YEAH! :-D bonnie

 

[lovely]

Yes, I am a chicken. In person, I am not good unless I know people well. If the Holy Spirit leads me, though, I speak. I love God, and there is a burning in me that desires to tell others about Him. I use to dread this, but now I pray for opportunities, even though I feel inadequate and dense. I know God can speak, though. The Lord bless you Josh and Bonnie.

 

[nadab]

All true Christians should be willing to defend their faith in God and his promises. The apostle Peter encourages these to "sanctify the Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense before everyone that demands of you a reason for the hope in you, but doing so together with a mild temper and deep respect."(1 Pet 3:15) Thus, in imitation of Jesus, these are to have a "mild temper and deep respect" towards others.

The apostle Paul wrote that true Christians, in giving a witness concerning God and his kingdom, said to "let your utterance be always with graciousness, seasoned with salt, so as to know how you ought to give answer to each one."(Col 4:6) In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that these "are the salt of the earth".(Matt 5:13) Salt is a preservative, effective in preventing decay. Hence, true Christians are to have a preserving effect on others, teaching responsive ones to "observe all the things (Jesus) has commanded."(Matt 28:19,20) As a result, those that have or will respond, after having been taught how to preach the "good news of the kingdom", in turn give a witness to others, and hence be preserved everlastingly, whether on the earth (Matt 5:5; Ps 37:11,29) or in heaven, serving as "kings and priests".(Rev 5:9,10)

Three days before Jesus' death, he said that "this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come."(Matt 24:14) This would indeed be a challenge, to be a volunteer in this life-saving work, to speak with individuals "with graciousness, seasoned with salt, so as to know how (these) ought to give an answer to each one." Each person that is met is unique, with different desires and aspirations, of all nationalities, even with different religious thoughts, such as those who profess to be of the approximately 37,000 religious sects of Christendom, or of non Christian religions such as Muslim and Hindu.

The apostle Paul, in a farewell address, said to the older men of Ephesus, that he "did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house. But I thoroughly bore witness both to Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ."(Acts 20:20,21) Paul went to the homes of the people, bearing witness, teaching those that responded.

In speaking to people, Jesus was skillful in asking questions. For what purpose ? To help ones to reason, as he did with Peter concerning the paying of the "two drachmas tax".(Matt 17:24-27) The point of the questions was no doubt obvious to Peter, for the family members of kings were known to be tax-exempt. Therefore, as the only-begotten Son of the heavenly King who was worshipped at the temple, Jesus was not under obligation to pay the tax. Rather than just telling Peter the right answer, Jesus tactfully used questions to help Peter reach the right conclusion and perhaps see the need to think more carefully before answering in the future.

Jesus also was highly skilled in the use of illustrations or parables, giving a series of seven illustrations on the "kingdom of the heavens" at Matthew 13 alone. He effectively used these to teach about the "kingdom", setting forth its laws and guiding principles and even how his teachings would be corrupted, as at Matthew 13:24-30. Hence, for one to be an effectual witness bearer, these must follow closely the example of Jesus.

At Revelation 12:17, it says that the "remaining ones of the (woman's) seed, who observe the commandments of God...have the work of bearing witness to Jesus". These realize the criticalness of accomplishing this work before ' the end comes' soon.(Matt 24:14b) Even persecution is not to hinder or deter this vital work, despite that the "dragon", following Jesus installment as king in 1914, "disgorged water like a river...to cause the (woman) to be drowned by the river...(growing) wrathful at the woman", waging war with her "seed".(Rev 12:15,17)

Thus, those that are his disciples would be "hated" for being "no part of the world",(John 15:19) with Satan waging "war" against them. Yet a worldwide witness must be done, for Jesus said that "in all the nations the good news has to be preached first".(Mark 13:10)

 

[cyberjosh]

Bumped for any other "chickens" out there to see this. :D

 

[LostSoul]

Am I a chicken? This is a good question....one in which I honestly cannot be 100% certain I could answer with confidence. Would I hope to be able to share without fear? You bet! So this is something I am seriously going to pray about.

For in the past I have witnessed to non-believing friends, or tried to understand their beliefs in comparison to my own only to end up having my own belief in God costing me that friendship in the end. Was it a good exchange? I think so even now to this very day.

None of us should truly be afraid to minister though. After all....look at what awaits us beyond this life. Amen?

 

[dadof10]

Bumped for any other "chickens" out there to see this. :D

Nope. I love to argue...I may not have all the answers at hand, but I know where to get them. I AM pretty chicken when challenged about politics. I guess because the landscape is always changing and when people argue "politics" they are really arguing current events. I don't have the time (or desire) to keep up.

With religion it mostly revolves around Bible study/interpretation and it's mostly static. Besides, it interests me more than politics.

I guess we can discuss politics and religion together now that the messiah's president. We'll call it Poligion. :D

 

[mondar]

But if someone were to ask you to defend your faith would you be too scared to share your faith?

I have defended my faith, and I find that far easier then sharing my faith. Naaa, I am thinking too hard here.

I have a friend who is a pretty good scholar, and was once an atheist. I asked him, what won him to the faith. He said "a friend." I was expecting some deep apologetic reason.

Wow, be a friend, that was a scarey thought...... at work, I walk into a room of unbelievers eating lunch. A woman is telling a dirty joke. I smile and walk right back out. They enjoy the humor of me walking in on a dirty joke more then the joke. Sheesh, how do I witness to any of them? Become a friend? Well, I have to work on that some.

I had a friend at work that was an agnostic. I think we both enjoyed each others friendship. I did talk to him about the faith, and his answer was always the same mantra... "you cannot know what you cannot know." I would ask, "how do you know, you cannot know." His answer of course was the same repetitive mantra.

I admitedly always struggle internally when I'm witnessing to someone contantly fighting between restraint and all out exposition on the word of God, and in the end I feel like I might have left out something important, but also in my experience if you give them too much you can cause more confusion and harm than good. So I do not consider myself chicken and I am not ashamed of the word of God, but I will be the first to admit to you that I often struggle with the best way to deliver it. Sometimes I feel like a failure for that, but in retrospect I have always placed my ability to witness to others in God's hand and asked him for the strength. I must walk in faith and trust that if I water another can have the joy of reaping the harvest.

Is it our responsibility to win them? or just to preach the gospel or share the gospel with them. If this is true, then how can we be a failure. Was Isaiah a failure?
Isa 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Isa 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they sea with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.
Isa 6:11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until cities be waste without inhabitant, and houses without man, and the land become utterly waste,
Isa 6:12 and Jehovah have removed men far away, and the forsaken places be many in the midst of the land.
Certainly we can hope for a better response then this, but the question stands... was Isaiah a failure? Or was his responsibility to "go, and tell this people?"

I enjoy my saved friends, I enjoy my unsaved friends. I can be a friend to both (As long as they dont rub their anti-Christian life styles in my face). As long as they accept me for who I am, I will be a friend. If they are my friend, they will not run away if I share the gospel.

 

[Imagican]

Ours is but to 'plant the seeds of truth'. Those whose hearts are able will allow that seed to be watered and nurtured into healthy growth.

The world is lost. The world is unable to even allow the seed to take root. Regardless of those SENT by God to minister to them, they are unable to hear or see.

Knowing this, imagine the pain that Christ endured upon this planet. Seeing around Him all those that were UNABLE, for whatever REASON, to grasp the truth. Unable to come to 'light' and shed their darkness. It MUST have been PRACTICALLY unbearable.

What hurts MOST is for our 'loved ones' to be and remain void of the truth. Experiencing those that we KNOW that cannot SEE.

But ours is but to witness and from there it is 'out of our hands'. Knowing that everything has it's purpose and trusting in Our Father to KNOW what is BEST makes it much easier to be content in our, what seem FEEBLE at times, efforts to spread the 'good news'.

Christ died for EVERY person that has ever existed. Knowing this too makes it much easier to 'let go' when we are confronted by those that seem to desire NO LIGHT whatsoever. We DO NOT KNOW that ANY are lost. For it is NOT UP TO US to discern who IS and who ISN'T forgiven. We are but to BELIEVE that Christ came and died so that we would NOT have to suffer such a fate.

Chicken, by NO means. EVERY time we witness the effects, though not recognizable to us immediately, DO have 'an effect' on those to which we witness. The power of God is limitless and so too are His words when we speak them. Just remember this and follow WHERE you are led and that is ENOUGH.

Blessings,

MEC