Studying God’s word so that you can effectively witness for Christ are the twin themes of my blog site (www.onemoreforjesus.net). My personal goal every day is to save one more for Jesus. I want to encourage all believers to strive for the same goal. This is what I pray for every morning when I talk to God because in the Scriptures it says we’re to not only witness for Christ we’re to pray to God for more workers in his harvest field. Millions of people are dying every day and going straight to hell for the lack of a witness to God’s saving grace. We must be that witness for Christ in order to save some from an eternity in the lake of fire. If believers don’t do it who will? Haven’t you figured it out yet? Don’t you get it? Nothing matters more to God than saving lost souls for the kingdom of God and therefore it should be our top priority in life to learn how to witness and then do it. Before Jesus Christ ascended back to heaven he gave this work to his disciples to do. Have you forgotten the Great Commission from Jesus where he commanded all believers to share the gospel of Christ with all nations and all peoples? We don’t have the option of refusing the work of Jesus if we want to please God. It’s why God left us here after our salvation.
Psalm 45:1 – My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Proverbs 4:23 – Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
As believers who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are now disciples of Christ and the Great Commission falls to us to do as a commandment from God. Are you going to obey God or not? Jesus can’t do it for us anymore because he’s is in heaven right now sitting at the right hand of God the Father as our Mediator. God commands us to share the “good news”, the gospel message of Christ, with all nations and all peoples as our reasonable service to the God who made us and saved us unto eternal life in heaven as adopted sons of the Most High. I don’t know about you, but I want to please God and build up treasure in heaven at the same time. I know God loves me and I want to show I love him back by being obedient to his commandments.
1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Gentile).
Romans 4:4 – Now to him who works (witnesses), the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
It’s up to believers to do the work of God here on earth. Jesus specifically gave that task to us. It’s up to believers to ensure that the main thing (saving lost souls) always remains the main thing in our life of service to the God who made us. We can’t afford to be sidetracked by Satan or the humanist world we live in. Once you become a believer the world will be against you because you’re no longer one of them. You belong to God. Accept it as a fact and move on. Our citizenship is in heaven and we’re just interlopers on the earth for a short time. Think of it like you’re working undercover or you’re engaged in guerilla warfare. I am being a little flippant but spiritual warfare is real and it’s going on all around us. Look, as believers we must all one day stand before the bema judgment seat of Jesus Christ to be judged on the things we’ve done in our life so we need to focus on what’s important and that is doing the work God has called us to do. We have roughly a seventy year life span to do everything God has planned for us to do with our life. Seventy years is such a short time to build up treasure in heaven; treasure meant to last us for all eternity.
Philippians 3:20 – For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the bema judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 9:6 – But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Ephesians 5:15-16 – See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
God has an individual plan for each life he has created but we have to claim it through faith. It is imperative we start doing our work down here to fulfill God’s plan for us; right now, today. Please don’t waste a minute of the precious time God has given you because you never get that time back. Roll up your sleeves and let’s get to work alongside God in his harvest field saving lost souls for the kingdom of God. There’s no greater calling you can receive from God than this and no greater honor than to serve God as his witness. Jesus will ask us two questions when we stand before him on the last day for our reward. Have you witnessed in my name? Have you saved lost souls for the kingdom of God? Your answer better be yes and yes or any of your other good works will be burned up by the fire of God.
Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 Timothy 2:21 – Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter (sin/dishonor), he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
2 Timothy 2:15 – Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
The instant we become saved through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit indwells us and changes our eternal destination from hell to heaven. Our salvation is the single most important event of our eternal existence. That doesn’t mean we’re all done down here on earth and now we can go back home to heaven. Our salvation is only the beginning of our walk with God. As new believers we all start out on the spiritual milk of God’s word and through consistent prayer, Bible reading and the systematic study of God’s word we progress to spiritual meat and become mature Christians who are able to do God’s work.
Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.
Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Proverbs 4:18 – But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
We are a useless vessel to God if we do not do these things to prepare ourselves for God’s work. We cannot “do” the work of God until we “know” what to do and “how” to do it. That’s where studying the Bible comes in and obeying the commands of God for our life (i.e., witnessing for Christ). The Scriptures repeatedly command all believers to study the word of God for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. We gain knowledge by reading the Bible and we gain understanding by studying the Bible. We gain the wisdom of God when we internalize the precepts contained of the Bible and live by them to the best if our ability as we walk humbly with our God.
Romans 11:33 – Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Hebrews 6:10 – For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
1 Corinthians 3:8 – Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
Do you realize that well over 90% of the believers in heaven will be there only through faith in Jesus; not having saved even a single soul for the kingdom of God? Do you need proof? Consider this; the majority of Christians are Catholic. When have you ever seen a member of the Catholic church witnessing for Christ? I know I haven’t seen a Catholic witnessing for Christ, ever, because the Catholic church doesn’t condone it. I don’t think you’ve ever seen a witnessing Catholic either. If I’m being fair, most other Christian denominations also don’t focus on witnessing for Christ to save the lost. It’s only the evangelical churches that focus on witnessing for Christ so were talking about 300,000 Christians out of a total of 2.5 billion Christians worldwide. And in those evangelical churches only about 10% of the congregation (30,000) actively witness for Christ.
Galatians 6:7 – Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
2 Corinthians 4:3 – But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
2 Thessalonians 2:14 – To which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 14:12 – So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Just imagine all those millions of Christians in heaven who have failed to do the one thing closest to God’s heart. They failed to make the main thing to God the main thing in their lives. They will regret it for all eternity and they will lose their reward. They failed to please God because they didn’t witness for Christ and save at least one lost soul for the kingdom of God as they were commanded to do. Yet God in his love, mercy and grace still saves them all through faith and gives them all eternal life in heaven in his presence. As a believer you may get to heaven through faith alone but don’t expect to receive any treasure or glory in heaven without being obedient to God by saving at least one more soul for Jesus by your witness for Christ. Why only one? More is better but one will do. Because every soul is priceless to God. How could God be pleased with us if we don’t obey the number one command of God for all believers?
Daniel 12:3 – And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 14:27 – The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.
Knowing the truth of God, I strive every day to be obedient to my God and Maker. I know I’m a sinner and I know I sin every day. I’m not perfect by any means but I am forgiven; and that makes all the difference. I don’t want God to be angry with me so I pray for his forgiveness every night. I always want to do what pleases God. On the last day I want to hear Jesus say, “well done good and faithful servant.” Therefore, my daily mantra while I yet live is to save, “one more for Jesus.” It’s the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I dwell on before going to sleep at night. This is blog post number 629 for me and over the last four years I’ve consistently encouraged my readers to seek their own salvation first, then they’re to study God’s word, and finally they’re to use that knowledge, understanding and wisdom from God to witness for Christ.
Proverbs 3:9-10 – Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Proverbs 11:24-25 – There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.
Proverbs 22:9 – He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.
I’m like a broken record in that regard because I often repeat myself in my blog. In fact, my twin themes are woven into all of my blogs because they’re constantly on my mind when I write. Sometimes I repeat the same thing over and over exactly and I often say the same thing repeatedly but in different ways so as not to be too monotonous. Repeating something is a literary device that God uses often in the Bible and I picked up on it in my writing as well. When God repeats something in the Bible pay close attention to it because it’s really important. When I repeat something it’s because I want to emphasize an important truth of God that will benefit you. In the Bible when God starts a sentence with “verily, verily” or “most assuredly” I pay close attention. God is declaring that he is a witness to this event or to the truth of which he speaks. There is no greater testimony or truth than that which comes from the mouth of Almighty God, Creator of the universe including us.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 – For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 – But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
Philippians 2:4 – Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
When you say something over and over long enough the mind internalizes it as the truth. That’s why advertisers keep showing you the same car commercial over and over. Sooner or later your mind will convince you to buy that car. It’s just human nature; it’s how our mind works. I taught myself how to witness for Christ long ago using the traditional path known as the “Roman Road” to salvation ( Scriptures from the book of Romans), which has been used by pastors for centuries to bring nonbelievers into the kingdom of God. Google the Roman Road for yourself and then learn to use it in your witness. The Bible contains many verses that have led people to salvation so use what works for you. I’ve saved a few people in my time by one on one witnessing. I know it’s a lot of hard work and the rejection you’ll face is palpable. Very few people can handle the rejection and save more than a few lost souls this way. In addition, the opportunities to witness one on one are usually few and far between and can lead to frustration on our part and we wind up not sharing our witness at all. Don’t let that happen to you. You must persevere in sharing the gospel message of Christ no matter the rejection you receive or the obstacles you face.
Romans 11:29 – For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
1 Corinthians 3:9 – For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
2 Corinthians 5:9 – Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
Ephesians 6:19 – And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.
What’s a believer to do if they want to save “many” lost souls to eternal life in heaven but they’re not accomplishing it? The answer is you must “leverage” your witness by primarily focusing on sowing the gospel seed in innovative ways because God rewards those who sow the gospel seed equally with the reaper of each soul saved for the kingdom of God. Reap a soul when you can but if you want to save many the secret is to sow the gospel seed abundantly; using whatever leverage you can create. It’s rare for someone to be saved the first time they hear the gospel message of Christ. In my experience it usually takes a person hearing the gospel many times before they accept God’s saving grace. Sometimes as many as 25-30 times. Every person who shares the gospel seed with someone and it becomes a part of the gospel chain leading that person along the path to salvation will receive the same reward from God as the reaper of that soul. Think of it as spiritual compound interest. God will be the righteous judge and God is generous and fair to all his creatures. What a good and kind and awesome God we have!
Colossians 3:2 – Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
1 Corinthians 6:20 – For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 9:24 – Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
2 Corinthians 5:11 – Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
I leverage my witness for Christ through my blog site. It works 24/7 sharing the written gospel message of Christ to believers and nonbelievers alike. When you primarily sow the gospel seed in this manner you have to come up with your own method of determining the effectiveness of your witness. For me, every time I get 1000 hits on my blog I credit myself with one saved soul for heaven. Saving one tenth of one percent of those who read my gospel message is a conservative but fair estimate. When I get to heaven I’d rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed with how many people I helped save unto eternal life. The Holy Spirit has also given me the spiritual gift of giving. I have a few ministries (mostly prisons) that I ship Christian tracts, Christian books, Bibles and gospel comics. I claim one saved soul for every 1000 tracts I send out. For everything else I send out I claim one saved soul for every forty items. Keeping a personal tally of souls saved is just how I stay motivated to work for God. The important thing is to work for God every day. Tracts are disposable but everything else gets read and reread before being passed around to others for an extended period of time and that makes them more effective as a witness tool.
2 Corinthians 4:17 – For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
2 Corinthians 5:18 – Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
Ephesians 2:16 – And that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross (Jesus and man), thereby putting to death the enmity.
2 Corinthians 5:20 – Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God was pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
I didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to become a Christian blogger. The Holy Spirit nagged me to study God’s word and write about it until I finally gave in. I thirsted for God’s word like a man in a desert thirsts for water. God’s speaks about this condition in his word and you have my testimony that it’s true. All I know is I’m approved by God for the work I do which is the ministry of reconciliation through sowing the gospel seed in written form to nonbelievers. I started off by writing hand-written letters about God (each one 8-10 pages long) to my family and friends. Sometimes several letters in a day. Everyone thought I was off my rocker. As you walk with God you will receive pushback and you will suffer because Jesus suffered so buckle up and have courage along with faith. Being obedient to God could cause your spouse to divorce you, your children to disown you and your friends to abandon you. It doesn’t matter what adversities you face. You must obey the Lord to the best of your ability and stay on the righteous path once you know the truth of God.
Psalm 84:2 – My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Psalm 63:1 – O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
Psalm 143:6 – I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land.
You know a secret that nonbelievers don’t know so hold fast to the truth of God and don’t hold it against them for being blind. Satan has put blinders over their eyes. All you can do is try to rip the blinders from their eyes so they can see the light of God. You can try to help nonbelievers by sharing the gospel of truth but you’re not responsible for the decisions they make about God. They have the free will to choose to serve God or Satan just like you did. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. So it is with nonbelievers. Find your own way to leverage your witness for Christ that fits your personality and go for it. You could become a Christian author, television host or radio personality and leverage your witness that way. The best way I’ve found to “passively” sow the gospel seed is through distributing Christian tracts to other godly men who will give them to nonbelievers on my behalf. I’ve been blessed to personally hand out Christian tracts for the past nine years when I go out shopping or to the doctor’s office, etc.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1 Corinthians 2:14 – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can they know them because they are spiritually discerned.
Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
God has blessed me beyond most believers because he has physically confirmed to me that I’m indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This happened many years ago when I was working on a job in New Orleans. Frankly, it scared the hell out of me at the time. It took me six months to figure out what I felt was the Holy Spirit. All these years later I was never really sure why God did what he did that day. As I was completing my previous blog the reason finally dawned on me. I was giving my testimony in my blog about this blessed event for the umpteenth time and it hit me. God had revealed himself to me in that hotel room in New Orleans almost ten years ago so that I could give my personal testimony about God to the nonbeliever in my blog. John 7:38 describes perfectly what I experienced. While the Holy Spirit is a distinct person within the triune Godhead he flows in the spiritual world like water does on our physical plane of existence. That’s why the Holy Spirit is often referred to as living water. The Holy Spirit is God!
John 7:38 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.
Of course God knew I was going to be a Christian blogger before he laid the foundation of the world. On more than one occasion I’ve been in dangerous situations in my life where people have said to me afterwards, “God must have plans for you because you should be dead.” I’ve also felt supernaturally protected by God on several occasions. They were really weird experiences and I felt shaken afterwards. All these strange things that have happened to me in my life, when viewed together, just confirm to me that God has a specific plan for my life and he won’t let anything interfere with his plan. I know I have God’s approval to blog about the kingdom of heaven. I’m guided in this work by the Holy Spirit that indwells me. I had originally intended for this blog to be about the New Testament epistles but the Holy Spirit led me to the topic of this blog so I just went with the flow. That’s how it works.
Romans 8:11 – But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Romans 8:18 – For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.