What did you do on your last birthday? Take a look at how Carl spent his special day:
Mark,
July 20th was my 72nd birthday. My intention was to pass out 72 or more booklets. We went to Spearfish Canyon in South Dakota―an area I hadn’t seen in many years―as well as Deadwood and Lead, SD. The scenery was beautiful, but it was the people we wanted to encounter.
Along the highway in Spearfish Canyon there are pull-outs to park your car and look at the scenery. We pulled off on one that had about five cars in it, and each of those cars started pulling off one by one and leaving! About ten minutes later, I looked in my rearview mirror and saw ten motorcycles or more with two people on each! My wife turned to me and said, “You’ve got work to do.” So, I took my fanny pack and two handfuls of booklets.
The first group of people I walked up to were pretty friendly, and each of the riders got a booklet. And, of course, I told them about Jesus Christ, how He is their Savior, and how He knows them and loves them. Some of them received this quite well, and others were just a little bit nervous. When I walked up to another bunch, one of the guys was really nervous. I said, “I’m not going to say anything that is going to make you nervous; I’m just giving you the truth about Jesus Christ.” And I told him (as Mark says), “Everyone has a 100 percent chance of dying.” You know that would settle his nerves right down!!! He just laughed.
We talked about Jesus Christ, and he agreed that everyone has a chance of dying at any time. I told him I would give him a booklet and added, “You can read each page carefully because it’ll give you the truth about Jesus. It is actually nice to have.” When I handed him the booklet, I told him he would forget the things I said, but the booklet would be a reference he could go back to. I also let him know he needs time to think through the things that are written in it. I added, “It’s only 64 pages and has more in it than you have probably heard from anybody else.”
I moved on to the next group. There were about 23 people in it. All of them got booklets before going down the road to the next scenic spot. I find that when you’re witnessing to people with motorcycles, they attract other motorcycles to stop. It works out pretty cool.
So, I was looking for groups of people to share the booklets with, but I quit looking and God brought groups right to me.
With the next group of people, all I did was pull into a parking lot to turn around. We pulled into a gas station, and all of a sudden at four of the gas pumps, there were five ATVs (each ATV had two people and one of them had four). You guessed it, all of them got booklets and heard about Jesus Christ.
So many people are afraid to go witnessing for Jesus Christ. It’s the same way your day begins; you have to take your first step before you go to work, the dentist office, the doctor’s office, or maybe the gas station. It’s really important to take that first step, and then God will help you take the rest.
And I’ll tell you something about myself; I’ve been doing this for over 40 years actively. Every time I do, I get nervous about that first person! Are they going to reject me? Are they going to chew me out? Are they going to tell me that God doesn’t exist? Or will they just walk away and say nothing? Over the years, I have had all of that, and one thing that I have found out is this: It doesn’t matter!
It’s not my responsibility to formulate their reaction; it’s my responsibility to help them have a reaction―to choose Jesus Christ or to reject Jesus Christ―because everybody in this world has that responsibility. You and I are not responsible for giving out words perfectly, for the places we go, or for people we see; nor are we responsible for their conviction. First Peter 4:14 says it all: “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is.
Witnessing is not that difficult. God brought a person to you, and they shared Jesus Christ with you. That’s your story. All you have to do is ask God to give you the right place, the right time, and the right person, and then share it!
God has changed my life in so many ways. In all my life, God has never failed to provide for my wife and I. God has also protected me as I’ve shared the gospel with others. I have witnessed to some pretty questionable people.
Without a doubt, many of the people you witness to may not like your opinions or Savior. My wife and I have witnessed and shared God’s truth with the homeless. I have preached in prison for years. Years ago, I witnessed in the alleys and streets of New York City, which taught me to never give up on a person.
As you can see in the photos, I was not shy and shared Jesus Christ with people at gas stations, people in campers, and three young people in a Tesla. I guess you can say it was people of all ages. It was a fun day!
We had a good meal at a restaurant and shared truth with the waitress. I repeated three times, “If you want some good reading material, read One Heartbeat Away.” I also repeated three times for her to also read One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven. I added, “And, better yet, get the MP3s and listen to them every time you are in your vehicle. Pretty soon, you’ll pick up ideas and phrases, but most of all you’ll pick up the truth that Mark shares from God’s Word. Soon enough, witnessing will become like breathing to you!!!
I take advantage of every moment I can to witness and share Jesus Christ. The reason this day came about for me was it is my birthday, and I wanted somebody else to have the opportunity to have a new birthday with Jesus Christ!
Carl S.
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If you knew Carl, you would know that witnessing is an everyday occurrence for him and his wife. This is how they live. This is how they exist. They move from one witnessing opportunity to the next.
And, by the way, “it doesn’t matter” is how some people respond to you when you share the gospel with them. All that ultimately matters is God’s response to you when you stand in front of Him on Judgment Day.
Matthew 25:21
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Until the Nets are Full,
P.S.
Labor Day is right around the corner and so is the Fall season of reaching the lost at sporting events, campuses, parks, and more. You’ll want to be ready to give the gospel away every day. Now that our booklets are back in stock, they can help you to do just that! You can also give them away to visitors at your church or in door hangers in your neighborhood.
Now is a great time to stock up for the months of witnessing ahead.
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