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Title: Spreading the Gospel
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Published: Jul 13, 2015
Author: Don Myers
Post Date: 2015-07-13 23:35:19 by Don
Keywords: None
Views: 13581
Comments: 61
It may be illegal in the not too distant future that spreading the Gospel will earn jail time, loss of job, fines, or any other punishments that Satan's cohorts will dream up. One thing I do now is put religious tracts in car-door handles in parking lots. It is illegal here to put any kind of advertising on cars parked on public streets and will earn fines or jail time. One way of spreading the gospel is by religious tracts. Public libraries are a good source of books in which Christians can place tracts. Libraries carry books on witchcraft, abortion, and many other categories of books that are prime targets for religious tracts. Free newspapers and magazines are carried in groceries and other public places: Tracts placed in these papers and magazines can reach large audiences.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 25.
#7. To: Don (#0)
I am reminded of a sermon that was given by the former leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Archbishop Iakovos. He had been ordained to the priesthood and started his ministry in a Church within the country of Turkey. Turkey has Muslim "sermon police" who actually show up to Sunday services to monitor Christian pastors' sermons to see if they said anything "offensive to Islam". Not surprisingly, shortly after this new young priest began his sermon, the Muslims placed him in handcuffs and took him to a Turkish jail. When his Bishop came to bail him out, young Iakovos was in tears. "Your Grace, if I cannot even proclaim the Gospel in my sermons, how can I ever serve God in our Church?" "Do not be anxious, Iakovos." the elderly cleric replied, "Come see me tomorrow and I will teach you how to preach a sermon that will be faithful to Jesus Christ and that will not get you arrested." Iakovos showed up early at the Bishop's office and followed him throughout the day as he did his regular pastoral rounds, visiting sick people, taking food to poor families, visiting a retirement home and ministering to elderly Christians there. As the nighttime approached, an irritated Iakovos asked: "So when are you going to teach me how to give sermons that won't get me arrested?" "Why Iakovos, I've been teaching you how to do that all day today. Preach the Gospel. Use words only when necessary."
Indeed the bishop taught the then young priest the works and love of Christ. However, the Greatest Love was Christ sacrificing His own Life for sinners. If that got the priest arrested, actually preaching the Gospel of Christ crucified, died and Risen, then he will have his crown in heaven. If we are silent on the Truth of the Gospel, then we deny Christ to others. The advice from the bishop is sound. From our emulation of Christ people will inquire about our faith. However we must be prepared to tell others why this Light shines from us and there is no avoiding preaching the Cross and Empty Tomb when we do. Otherwise we cloud the Object of our faith.
The advice from the bishop is sound. From our emulation of Christ people will inquire about our faith. However we must be prepared to tell others why this Light shines from us and there is no avoiding preaching the Cross and Empty Tomb when we do. Otherwise we cloud the Object of our faith. Indeed so, and to clarify, the Bishop was certainly not counseling Iakovos to never proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ -- it may be hard for us to see clearly since we have enjoyed so much freedom here -- it was more of a situation of making sure that when you do speak about Jesus with words, that it is more likely that those words will count. He did, after all, say "use words when necessary." A person who has been shown the love of Jesus Christ for an extended period will be much more likely to be receptive to the Gospel than someone that just sees a random tract that was left by an anonymous stranger. Can a random tract sometimes bear fruit? Certainly. But what the Bishop was trying to teach, among other things, is that if we find ourselves in a situation where speech can mean jail time, or worse, then the wise thing to do is to make sure that our speech has to maximum impact possible once we decide to speak. It's not unlike someone in a gunfight with a very limited amount of ammo -- choose your shots carefully and make them count. The history of the Church teaches us that if we come into a period of intense persecution as was endured in the first centuries, that very often a bold proclamation of the Gospel in public will be our last, so we should make sure that it is not in vain. St. Ignatius of Antioch had observed that some people had thought to themselves that they would face martyrdom bravely and had sought it out, but that when the tortures began they gave in and died in shame. So we should not actively seek to be persecuted, but if it comes upon us we should pray that God will fill us with the same courage as He did to St. Polycarp: "Polycarp 9:3 But when the magistrate pressed him hard and said, 'Swear the oath, and I will release thee; revile the Christ,' Polycarp said, 'Fourscore and six years have I been His servant, and He hath done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?' Polycarp 10:1 But on his persisting again and saying, 'Swear by the genius of Caesar,' he answered, 'If thou supposest vainly that I will swear by the genius of Caesar, as thou sayest, and feignest that thou art ignorant who I am, hear thou plainly, I am a Christian. But if thou wouldest learn the doctrine of Christianity, assign a day and give me a hearing.' Polycarp 10:2 The proconsul said; 'Prevail upon the people.' But Polycarp said; 'As for thyself, I should have held thee worthy of discourse; for we have been taught to render, as is meet, to princes and authorities appointed by God such honor as does us no harm; but as for these, I do not hold them worthy, that I should defend myself before them.' Polycarp 11:1 Whereupon the proconsul said; 'I have wild beasts here and I will throw thee to them, except thou repent' But he said, 'Call for them: for the repentance from better to worse is a change not permitted to us; but it is a noble thing to change from untowardness to righteousness' Polycarp 11:2 Then he said to him again, 'I will cause thee to be consumed by fire, if thou despisest the wild beasts, unless thou repent.' But Polycarp said; 'Thou threatenest that fire which burneth for a season and after a little while is quenched: for thou art ignorant of the fire of the future judgment and eternal punishment, which is reserved for the ungodly. But why delayest thou? Come, do what thou wilt.' Polycarp 12:1 Saying these things and more besides, he was inspired with courage and joy, and his countenance was filled with grace, so that not only did it not drop in dismay at the things which were said to him, but on the contrary the proconsul was astounded and sent his own herald to proclaim three times in the midst of the stadium, 'Polycarp hath confessed himself to be a Christian.' Polycarp 12:2 When this was proclaimed by the herald, the whole multitude both of Gentiles and of Jews who dwelt in Smyrna cried out with ungovernable wrath and with a loud shout, 'This is the teacher of Asia, the father of the Christians, the puller down of our gods, who teacheth numbers not to sacrifice nor worship.' Saying these things, they shouted aloud and asked the Asiarch Philip to let a lion loose upon Polycarp. But he said that it was not lawful for him, since he had brought the sports to a close. Polycarp 12:3 Then they thought fit to shout out with one accord that Polycarp should be burned alive."
Based on our conversation of demonstrating the Gospel in action, I wanted to share the below from Francis Schaeffer a Christian author, philosopher and apologist: Let us look again at the biblical texts which so clearly indicate the mark of the Christian: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 12:34-35) That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:21) What then shall we conclude but that as the Samaritan loved the wounded man, we as Christians are called upon to love all men as neighbors, loving them as ourselves. Second, that we are to love all true Christian brothers in a way that the world may observe. This means showing love to our brother in the midst of our differences -- great or small -- loving our brothers when it costs us something, loving them even under times of tremendous emotional tension, loving them in a way the world can see. In short, we are to practice and exhibit the holiness of God and the love of God, for without this we grieve the Holy Spirit. Love -- and the unity it attests to -- is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father. More Here
Do you?
Even to folks from Alaska.
I'm sure they'll appreciate that. How about those from Kookifornia, Iraq or Indonesia?
#26. To: Kluane (#25)
Always give opportunity to discuss the Good News to all no matter where they are or who they are: More here:
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#11. To: Orthodoxa, Don, liberator, GarySpFc (#7)
#14. To: redleghunter (#11)
Indeed the bishop taught the then young priest the works and love of Christ. However, the Greatest Love was Christ sacrificing His own Life for sinners. If that got the priest arrested, actually preaching the Gospel of Christ crucified, died and Risen, then he will have his crown in heaven. If we are silent on the Truth of the Gospel, then we deny Christ to others.
#22. To: Orthodoxa, liberator, GarySpFc (#14)
#23. To: redleghunter (#22)
What then shall we conclude but that as the Samaritan loved the wounded man, we as Christians are called upon to love all men as neighbors, loving them as ourselves. Second, that we are to love all true Christian brothers in a way that the world may observe. This means showing love to our brother in the midst of our differences -- great or small -- loving our brothers when it costs us something, loving them even under times of tremendous emotional tension, loving them in a way the world can see. In short, we are to practice and exhibit the holiness of God and the love of God, for without this we grieve the Holy Spirit.
#24. To: Kluane, A K A Stone (#23)
Do you?
#25. To: redleghunter (#24)
Even to folks from Alaska.
Replies to Comment # 25. I'm sure they'll appreciate that. How about those from Kookifornia, Iraq or Indonesia?
End Trace Mode for Comment # 25.
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