PROCLAMATION: DO NOT BE SILENCED

“No problem. All religions are one!” my Muslim acquaintance said when I told him I followed Jesus. Had I come to this Muslim nation only to encounter more of the same relativism I thought I’d left behind? I considered my response, as others were involved in the conversation. This is a culture of shame, where embarrassment is to be avoided. I wondered if I should minimize my response in hopes of another opportunity later on. I wondered if I should be subtle and if my relationship with him had reached the level of trust needed to sustain a frank response. Perhaps I should check the barometric pressure and wind patterns while I’m at it!

We’ve done so much rationalization regarding how and when we proclaim the gospel that we have a hundred reasons why we don’t. There’s much we can say about how not to do it but let us never fail to be people of action. We will always be learning how to proclaim, but we will get nowhere without fire in our bones. The gospel means “news,” and good news at that. Let’s not treat it as a mere philosophy, way of life, discussion fodder, or means of self-help.

We have urgent news to proclaim: “Danger! Our sin condemns us before the holy Creator who demands payment for our rebellion. Our insurrection will be punished! But wait! There is a way! He’s provided an escape! God’s Son Himself has broken through enemy lines to lead us out! Quickly, come!” My gospel summary has a lot of exclamation points. Our proclamation of the gospel must bear such marks of passion.

Evangelism can be uncomfortable, even scary. Take heart; you’re not alone. The Holy Spirit came to help us in this. If you’re not scared sometimes, check your pulse. If you love Jesus, it’s in your DNA to share the reason for the hope you have. Perhaps you’ve felt pressured to evangelize in the past and have resented it. Understandable, but let us forgive any heavy-handedness we may have experienced and hear the call of Jesus again to make disciples.

The greatest good we can ultimately do is point people toward their one hope in Jesus. If we’ve met their physical, social, educational, or emotional needs without doing something to tell them of the forgiveness found in Jesus, we have not eternally helped. Let our words and actions cry out, “Turn to Jesus!” Our Christlike integrity or good deeds do not point enough to Jesus if we don’t proclaim the gospel aloud. The world may have grown tired of religious talk, but the gospel is still “the power of God for the salvation for everyone who believes.” Yet “how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Don’t be silenced! Verbal proclamation is still central to God’s plan.

I answered my Muslim friend with a smile, saying: “Well, you and I are the same in that we are both guilty before God. But only Jesus can take away your shame and mine. Jesus came as much for you as He did for me. Put your trust in Him, and He’ll bring you to paradise.” There’s life in the truth of those words!

LIVE DEAD CHALLENGE

When we are full of God’s Spirit and Word, normal conversations become opportunities for sowing seeds. Can you prayerfully consider how you might interject Jesus or the Bible into your greetings or casual conversation? Let us allow the Spirit to help us be creative in witnessing even as we glean from others.

UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP: ANTANKARANA

The Antankarana people number nearly 300,000 and live in the far northeastern tip of Madagascar. Their name means “people of the rocks” because of the many jagged outcroppings of rock found in that part of the country. Amber Mountain is the largest mountain in that region and is known for its rugged national park. When driving and a traffic light turns amber, stop your car and pray for the Antankarana people until the light turns green.