I was reading Philemon this morning. Yes, Philemon is a part of the inspired word of God and yes, it is possible for the Holy Spirit to draw you into it's verses. Smile. The average Bible reader will quickly read from Titus to Hebrews. This morning as I was reading this book, one of the shortest in the Bible, and the Lord stopped me in my tracks as I read verse 6. Paul prays a dangerous little prayer as recorded here. The NIV reads, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith." In this context, Paul is writing this to and sharing his prayer for Philemon, Apphia and Acrhippus. Paul is praying that they will share with pre-believers what Jesus has done for them through His death and resurrection. However, this morning it was as if the Lord was telling me through a mega-phone, "Fred, that one is for you to pray for yourself."
Over the years I have been a seasonal evangelist. I will go through spurts of being on mission with Jesus as being His witness, and then I will have weeks where I will go without even speaking the name of Jesus in public. I have trained countless students in how to share their faith and I have led countless people to Christ, but I sometimes go weeks without sharing my faith. Yes, I have admitted here that even as a pastor, I have not been faithful in being consistent salt and light. That needs to change.
Friends, let's face it, our world is a wreck. There are signs everywhere that match up with what Scripture tells us are the last days before Jesus comes back. Whenever we consider end times prophecy, it should always fuel our efforts to reach our neighbor for Christ. There are people all around us who are not ready for the return of Christ. I am asking the Lord to give me urgency in my witness where God has planted me.
I want to be active in sharing my faith. There are too many excuses that I come up with for not being active. I need to surrender my pride. I also need to realize that being turned down by someone who doesn't want to hear about Jesus is better than not saying anything at all. Life should never be too busy to stop and share the love of Jesus with someone.
I am relying on God to empower my witness. May I develop a burning desire to see people cross from death to life. I may not have the gift of evangelism, but I do have a mandate from Jesus to go into all the world and make disciples. As I seek to reach my neighbors, may the Lord give discernment, tenacity and boldness. May I see through the eyes of Jesus as I encounter people every day. May God motivate each of us to reach a lost world for Jesus as the time of His second coming gets closer.
