Witness for Christ Blog

I was awakened in the mornin' by a knockin' on the door
So I got up and went to see what all the knockin' was for
There stood the devil with a box addressed to me
He said "Boy, I've got something here I think you oughta see!"

I said, "I know that I don't want it if it's anything from you
'Cause I hate everything you say and don't like anything you do."
But then he pointed with his finger and he smiled kinda sly
'Cause the package said "from God" there in the corner, way up high

So I said, "If it's from God, then why'd He send it here by you?"
He said, "He always send' me when there's dirty work to do...
And this box is full of misery, poverty and shame
To perfect you through your sufferin' 'til you're worthy of His Name

Well, I'd been pretty patient, but that last line took the cake
I just couldn't take no more, I'd taken all that I could take
So I told him what I thought of him and all his filthy lies
Then I fired the shot that got him right between the eyes

I told him "Jesus took my sickness and my poverty away
You nailed it to the cross yourself when you murdered Him that day
The suff'rin' that I do will be for love-- not for shame
I'm already worthy by His blood to wear His name

And I know my Father loves me and has only good in store
So you just pack up all that jive and get away from my front door
You can write my name on packages until I'm ninety two
But every single one I'm sending back to hell with you"

I said I know my Father loves me and has only good in store
So you just pack up all that jive and get away from my front door
You can write my name on packages until I'm a hundred and thirty-two
But every single one I'm sending back to hell with you"

Listen to this song from Don Francisco

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We shall assume that indeed you are talking to a friend you have known for sometimes, that you have learned to trust each other through some common experience and that you respect each others' opinion. Here is how to go:

It would be best if you waited for the atheist to bring up the subject. Being convinced that God doesn't exist and then finding out that He is real can be a traumatic experience.

The best tack is to be Christ-like to your friend until they can't hold themselves anymore and beg you to spell out what this Jesus of yours who lives on the inside is like.

It is best not to argue about the creation and the many obvious clues to you that God's presence is everywhere. Instead you should drive the conversation to the issue of sin and the perfect dispensation of grace brought about by Christ's death at Calvary.

Atheism is a cover up to avoid dealing with the issue of righteousness. If there is no God then there is no need to confess our sins and there is no need for the blood of Jesus for atonement.

The root issue is of course rebellion. If there is no God then there is no need to be accountable for our lives. Another area to probe is the issue of death. If there is no heaven and no hell what will give a purpose to our short sojourn on planet earth?

You must undergird your effort in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to speak through you. You don't need to be a scholar in the Scriptures to lead someone to Christ. The next best thing after the Words of God is your own testimony. How you met Christ, what changed in you as a result of that encounter is something that is so real to you and that nobody can dispute.

Even as you well know, someone brought up in a Christian environment will backslide and have a day of reckoning to rediscover Christ for themselves in a very personal way. Just stress that you are no better or more deserving than your atheist friend. You simply grabbed your chance to connect with Christ and make Him the Lord of your life. That opportunity is extended also to your friend. The Lord is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Making a decision to receive Christ into one's life is only the start of the journey. Later you will learn to disciple your friend, study the Scriptures together and put them into practice.

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John Bunyan's immortal allegory has passed the test of time. It holds some nuggets of truth for those weary cyberpunks amongst us.

There is a price to pay to make it to heaven. There is a judgement day for each one of us to give an account for our lives. The allegory of a man aptly called Christian, making his way to the celestial city has kept audiences spellbound for generations.

The reason why this book is more relevant today than ever is that it translates the vicissitudes of the spiritual life into an adventure path, an obstacle course - a pilgrimage.

The characters and the locations have all names descriptive of an attitude or mindset. Christian shares the journey with the likes of Faithful, Talkative, Ignorance and travels through Slough of Despond, Vanity Fair, Valley of the Shadow of Death, Doubting Castle, Enchanted Grounds, etc...

Life is full of choices and the choices you make along the way have a critical impact on your future and destiny. The battle is in the mind as each one of us wrestles to choose between the easy and compromised way or the steady and rewarding outcome.

One of the most obvious evidence of the presence of God is the fact that each one of us has the privilege to exercise our choice of seeking after God or turning our back on Him. The compassionate side of God is demonstrated by the fact that a second or third chance is given to those who wise up to the impending danger and make a u-turn. On the other hand is the dreadful outcome of those who persist in their evil ways and get caught out in ways out of their control.

Time flies so quickly and you only have one chance with your life on earth. The story of Pilgrim's Progress is rewarding and challenging for the Christian believer because it motivates you to seek out the relevant Scriptures to support the spiritual truths encountered.

John Bunyan wrote the manuscript while in jail for preaching the gospel outside the jurisdiction of the church of England. Since the first publication in 1677 the book has been translated in many languages. It has never run out of print. It is available in modern English as well as illustrated editions for children. It is referenced in many works of literature and it has been made into a
film and an opera.

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Contrary to popular culture doing good is not what is going to get you into heaven. A relationship with the Son of God is what will get you in. Make sure you have friends in high places.

Trying to run our lives independently of God is not endearing to the creator of the universe. In fact he demonstrated his compassionate character by sending His own Son to address our predicament once and for all.

A divine exchange took place at the cross. Ignore it at your own peril. Curiously a lot of folks don't want to have anything to do with God - or worse they only want to know about a God that suits them and does not challenge them.

If you enjoy comfort and the good life you may think that you have plenty of time to think about those issues. This is a game of Russian roulette. You do not know when your number will be called. Having to give an account of your life when you've been caught in the wrong lifestyle will reward you with eternal suffering in hell.

What if there is no heaven and no hell? How come there are so many religions and they don't even agree with each other?

What if there was a God who sent His Son to take the place we deserved for the sins we committed? What if it was true and you missed out by gambling your life?

What if being born in sin, our minds are so warped that we have a pre-disposition to oppose God and turn our back on Him? What if He really did reach out to us and we ignored Him - bar a few we love to ridicule?

If these possibilities make you feel queasy maybe your conscience is trying to tell you something. So how do you avail yourself of the blood of Jesus? God is interested in a relationship with you. Amazing isn't it? The Bible tells us that we are made in the image of God. Could that be why He is interested in you? If God has already reached down to you don't you think you have a duty to yourself to reach back to Him?

2000 years ago when Palestine was under Roman occupation, Jesus Christ walked this earth and demonstrated his authority as the Son of God. Because His perfect life was showing off the Jewish leaders evil intent they decided to levy false accusations against him and have him killed by crucifixion (a Roman torture to put undesirable people to death by having them left hanging on a wooden cross with their hands and feet nailed to the timber). Three days after His death he was brought back to life.

So here is the deal: His death has paid for your eternal life, his suffering has paid for your deliverance, his righteousness has paid for your sinful ways, and the list goes on... Salvation is a free gift from God for those who believe and put their trust in Him.

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Why is true love so hard to find? If we are searching for true love then there must be plenty of false or fake love abounding all around. So what is the difference?

If you are driven by your feelings you are sure to be misled. The paradox is that the moment you choose to forget about your own big self and consider someone else's welfare ahead of yours - then you release an open door for you to be blessed in return.

How does that work? Well your actions always speak louder than your words. So if you are found doing something worthwhile for someone who can never pay you back - that adds some brownie points into your love account...

You can't play split personalities. If you are one kind of person in public - that is also the person you will be in private. If you ignore the plight of your fellows at work, you won't be much fun to be around at home.

Discover the boomerang effect. It is by helping others reach their full potential that you will empower yourself to be loved and become who you ought to be. Bizarre isn't it? Maybe too many people you have come across are singing to themselves the trilogy of me, myself and I. How much baggage do you carry around from the failure of past relationships? How much of that failure were you responsible for? Did you learn anything good out of it? Are you about to re-offend just in the vain hope that your needs might be met this time? Why do lonely people go from one disaster to another? Is it bad luck, is it selfishness? The truth is that hurt people continue to hurt others out of their single-mindedness.

The cure? Do yourself a favour. Go and find an unlovable person and break their defense barriers by showing that you truly care for that person. Go and do the groceries for an elderly person. Use your car to drive a disabled person to places. Record books on tape for a blind person. Mind the children of a single mum while she is seeking work. Do you need any more suggestions?

Then when you front up to your next blind-date you will have stories to tell that might shine some light on your true character. A loving person worth loving in return. Someone has to start first. It might as well be you...

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor 13:4-7 NIV)

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