Urgency!

It was the morning of Christmas Eve, and I was home alone. I was standing in the back yard, letting the puppies get some exercise as they ran back and forth chasing each other in circles and rolling each other in the brisk morning air. I watched them, making sure that the younger one didn’t find a spot in the fence to escape through because her favorite thing to do is to bust out and run for her life to some of the yards nearby where neighbors think that they should throw food scraps in the yard. I was watching them with my eyes, but my mind was totally disengaged, lists were running through my mind like a gerbil on a wheel and I tried to catch the items and prioritize what needed to be done, what had to be done today, and what could scoot to the end of the list of things that I wanted to do before tomorrow, but that no one but me would likely notice.

Tomorrow, Christmas, we were expecting my husband’s mom, brother and his girlfriend for Christmas dinner (lunch). I was so excited to have them, and for us to host the holiday meal. There was an urgency in my mind about getting things done so the day would be perfect. I would mix the bread dough as soon as we went back in the house, get the rolls made and put the pan in the fridge to rise in the morning while I completed the rest of the meal. I got the dogs herded and we made our way back into the house. I had candles burning and Christmas music playing and I was excited about being in a warm kitchen on this cold day.

I stirred together a casserole and put it in the fridge, cooked some bacon to add to green beans and the dressing, made a dessert to take to a family Christmas Eve dinner, washed some laundry and stirred together the rolls. I had a little dough left and made a small pan of sticky buns for our breakfast Christmas morning. At the end of the afternoon, I had done all that could be done ahead and I got in the shower to get ready to go to our cousin’s house. Still, even knowing that there was nothing more to do today, I couldn’t shake the urgency that seemed to be growing. I am so thankful to have a sweet husband and in-laws to host, but even in my feelings of being so blessed, nothing seemed to shake it.

It occurred to me that as a Christian, this urgency should be more about seeing others come to Christ than about a meal prepared for company. In the past 7 months, I have had two friends who I had lost contact with after either me or them moving, pass away in their sleep. One was the daughter of a close friend. She was in her early thirties, had been married for 4 years, and had a three year old daughter. I took their wedding pictures in a casual outdoor ceremony in a lovely garden in St. Louis and these photos of her alone and one of the happy couple were the ones used on the social media posts announcing her death. It was hard to be taken back to such a happy day and accept this news. It just seemed impossible.

The second was a fellow writer from Springfield. He was in his mid forties, and again- went to sleep one night and never awakened. I had the privilege of reading his first novel as an editor and was asked to make suggestions to bring his previously returned manuscript from a novella to a novel as it needed more conflict in the story. We sat at a table sharing dinner one night and going through it and discussing possible angles to take in the story. We were in the same group of friends and spent a lot of time in each other’s company, but this evening, just the two of us, is a memory that I will always hold dear.

Both of these friends confided in me at times. Both of them felt safe around me to share thoughts or ideas that may not be accepted by the general public. They shared some dreams with me, and I with them. They both knew that I was a Christian.

But I don’t know if they were.

Why was this urgency about a meal that wouldn’t be perfect? (By the way, I added too much flour to the dough and my rolls turned out dry, and my brother in law got sick on the road and they turned around and went back home, hope you are feeling better, Harold). And seemed to have no urgency about Jess and Kenny who I cared deeply for, and the fact that their eternity may have been uncertain?

There have been times in my life when I was active in programs about sharing the opportunity of accepting Christ. I have been on mission trips where we did street witnessing in Denver. There was something about the atmosphere in both situations, being part of a larger group with the same goal and a single focus for a set amount of time. I wanted to talk to people. I felt the courage to do it, excited to see them come to Christ and looking forward to reporting to my mission group when we were all together again. Shouldn’t we feel this daily? Shouldn’t we all want to share Christ and look forward to seeing God change a life, reshape an eternity and wouldn’t it be amazing to come back together with our individual local church and share that we were used to bring another soul to Him?

I would like to challenge each of us to learn and become comfortable in sharing the way to salvation. I was trained to use the Roman Road, but if you have another form or if your church teaches another route, then use whatever you are most comfortable using. I would encourage memorizing the verses so you can share anytime. Pray for God to show you opportunities. This is so important, God will be preparing a heart to hear the word and also by praying, God will be preparing you with courage and confidence to share.

If you are reading this and you are not sure of your salvation, please send me a private message and I will be happy to talk with you.

This is the Roman’s Road to salvation.

( All verses shown here are from the New Living Translation)

Romans 3:23 (Who needs salvation?)

For everyone has sinned; and we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 6:23 (Why we need salvation)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 (How God provides salvation)

But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 10:13 (How we receive salvation)

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 10:9 (How we receive salvation)

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 8:1 (The result of salvation)

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

I try to discuss each verse and make sure that my friend understands it. I usually have them tell me what it means before I move on to the next verse. It is also important to have some flexibility. There is nothing saying that a person must go through each of these verses to make a decision. Sometimes they have been exposed to information in church or other avenues and understand enough to know that they need to pray and are perhaps uncertain of saying the right thing.

We know that there isn’t a perfect, one way only, fool-proof wording way to pray this prayer, but it is good to have a simple prayer in mind as you lead them, touching on the points that should be understood and believed when making this decision and invitation to have Jesus in your heart as your personal Lord and Savior

.

1) I am a sinner.

2) God sent Jesus to die for my sin

3) Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead

4) When I accept Him, I will no longer be condemned

5) All I have to do is ask

A sample prayer-this one is from Billy Graham’s ministry-

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust You and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your name I pray, Amen.”

This week as we begin a new year, I pray that you and I will look for ways to minister to others and in all ways show Christ’s love but I also pray that we will be burdened for lost souls and be prepared to share Christ with others in a way that will not only impact their life, but their eternity.

I once heard an evangelist, ask the question, “If your salvation is already complete, why do you think that God would leave you on the earth?” His thought was that it was to reach others for Christ. It is definitely something to think about.

John 3:17 (ESV) For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

Mark 16:15 (ISV) Then He (Jesus) said unto them, “As you go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to everyone.”