Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday April 5, 2006

Have you ever made an attempt to overcome the fear of witnessing? I don't mean taking a course on 'In Your Face Christianity' but real training in helping others to understand the reality of Jesus in life, if in fact He is real to you rather just a religious add on.

For most of my life, even prior to conversion, I have been a fan of courageous Christians. I recall reading 'Fox's Book of Martyrs' years before I was converted, smoking and drinking through every page. No doubt some seed was sown.

The fear to witness for Christ is so prevalent that Bill Fay a former gangster, connected to the Las Vegas Mafia now converted to Jesus Christ goes around the world teaching Christians how to overcome the fear of telling others about Jesus. I recently read his book, "Share Jesus Without Fear."

I mention Mr. Fay simply to let you know that most sensible people have a problem with fear, due to our Adamic nature and not wanting to appear to be the stereotypical nut case who has no daily life to back up the witness. Mr. Fay not only was connected with very high rollers, strangely enough he was phenomenally successful in the corporate world. So, you are a converted janitor and you have a little fear of approaching people. Join the club.

One of the tenants of the faith is to learn to overcome any hindrance to godly living, and telling others what Christ has done for you and what He is doing, and even what He is going to do for you is part and parcel of the life that wins.

I have watched as men who are gallant in the pulpit, utterly freeze at the thought of talking to a stranger about the Lord. Many who are articulate in the teacher's rostrum are totally uneasy if an opportunity to witness comes along.

The most effective witness of all time in my opinion was the Apostle Paul and his most efficient approach was to simply tell others what Christ had done for him. Paul's epistles were not written to the lost, but to the Christians of the Early Church, so on the preponderance of evidence it is a sure bet that his personal testimony was his favorite tool. He told his personal story with more zeal than a woman who recently had surgery. A friend of mine recently became a grandfather and asked me if he had shown me the photos. I said, 'No, and I really appreciate it.' A witness should have the zeal of new grandparents with pictures.

"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storms terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore." Vincent van Gogh

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2006 Use with credit.

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