Does God make investments?

[Mickiel]

Before I go into ways of Witnessing, I wanted to comment on how satan will use the scriptures to look to decrease Gods investments in his children. Perhaps some will not see this, but some of you can see that Christ needs us to witness for him to make his Testimony relevant. Jesus stateing that if he alone bears the witness, then his testimony is not true. Well satan will look to cause believers to draw back from testifying and bearing witness, which is actively speaking to others about the true gospel.

Whatever scriptures satan can then use to silence the believer " In any mannerism" from giving their witness, is then effective. The scriptures which teach that it is God who " Draws", can be used to silence a witness of God. The believer being seduced will be led to think in terms of God doing the drawing, so why should I bear witness to someonelse, thats the Job of God. They are then silenced.

The overexposure to the " Rest Doctrine in Hebrews", which , if taken or led in the wrong manner, could lead a believer into thinking that witnessing is " Trying to Work for God to save others", they are then silenced.

The lack of understanding the Job of the Holy Spirit, and a total lack of understanding that a believer has a Job to do also, will silence the witness of many. And many scriptures can be incorperated into the achievement of stagnating the witness of a believer, either outright silence them, or reduce them to witnessing only to their own fellow believers, or to those who come to a place on a website that they frequent.

I think one of the most distrubing examples of silencing our witness, is the butterfly effect of the Law vs. Grace arguement. Make the believer think that any effort that they make, is equated to some kind of " Law approach", which in my view is just brilliant deception. And this deception has worked very effectively and penertrated deeply into our Spiritual consciousness. It has reduced the value of Overcomming and Witnessing and has " muted " many mouths that could other wise have spent years in witnessing, and growing in the skill of witnessing, as well as Overcomming.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

Witnessing needs to be considered what it is, it is a personal appointment from Christ. Now if you consider yourself belonging to Christ, then the appointment covers you, the responsibility is yours, not to be avoided. In Acts 26:16;" Stand up and understand the purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a Witness." One could argue that this was only for Paul, but you must ask yourself if the true church of God has a calling, and if it does, what is that calling? Is not every member a Minister, does all fall under the same Salvation as Paul? Are we to now compartmentalize Gods calling? Only certain responsibilitys fall to certain people?

In Rev.3:8 " I have set before you an open door which no man can shut." Part of this open door is the freedom to witness Gods Truth. Here we have the freedom to witness Gods truth, and even with this freedom, some have allowed themselves to be silenced. Silenced by your own lack of desire. Muted by the forces that seek to make the Testimony of Christ disapear. Even worldly churchs witness much more than many annointed people. The Open door is the Opportunity to Witness.

Opportunity then is important to Witnessing. If someone invites the conversation, then get in there and verbally lay the guidelines of the Truth. If they start the conversation, then you finish it. If the door opens, then go through it, and while you are in there, give a verbal display of Gods plan of Salvation. And as God sees how you do with that, HE will put you in more situations to give his Witness. Once your eyes are keyed into what an open door is, you will habitually witness, it will become second hand and natural to you. Taking no concern about the outcome of the conversation, you will just do what you are called to do, witness the truth. You don't even have to worry about " Finding open doors", from experience I am telling you that the situations will be " Given to you." Thats what an open door is. God will send it right to you much of the time, once he knows that you will witness.

I remember once some years ago, my oldest sister called me over to her house. She told me on the phone that she really needed to talk with me. I had understood the truth only a year or two, and was not sharing it with my family very much, I was struggling with it myself. She was very frustrated and visably distrubed. We sat down in the kitchen and she was crying a bit. I asked her what was wrong. She said Michael, I need to know the Truth. Do we have a chance to be with God? Is all this stuff these churchs are teaching really true, because I am confused about it. She said she had heard me say one time that everybody will be saved, and wanted to know if that was really true. I assured my sister that day and told her Gods plan of Salvation. I will never forget her big smile, as she hugged me and I felt a sigh of relief in her body as she embraced me. She kissed me and said thank you, and that was the last kiss and hug I received from her, she was killed 4 days later.

If you have fears and frets about witnessing, just keep praying about it, our God is able to equip you to do the things that he desires for you to do. And it will become more and more comfortable for you to do in time. Become a part of the " Great Cloud", put your mentality in line to be used by God. In Heb.12:1" Since we have so great a cloud of Witness surrounding us." The cloud of witness here at Tentmaker is great, and a few other sites as well. It offers a great comfort zone and feeds many. Don't you think the world of unbelievers deserves that Cloud over them? When you leave Tentmaker to go about your daily life, do you leave that cloud here? Take it with you. Everywhere you go just stand ready to walk through that open door, and USE your knowledge to do what Jesus did when he was but 12 years old. Jesus went into that temple and was witnessing, and they perhaps gave him a rough time in doing it.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

The Investment that God has made in you, is his " Witness to you", or God witnessing to you. So in that sphere of thinking, witnessing is then " Evidence." Because of Gods witness to us, we then can have Faith in him. In Heb. 11:1;" Now Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the Evidence of things not seen." When you witness the truth to someone you are sharing your Conviction with them. You are not trying to cram this truth down their throats and force feed them. In my view, Witnessing should only be done when the other mind is open to hearing it. Listening to something is not a sign of agreement, but it is an invitation to communicate.

Notice 1Tim. 6:18;"Instruct them  to do good, to be rich in good Works, to be generous and ready to share." The mind involved outwardly with the Gospel will be willing to share it, to communicate it to others. Witnessing is sharing the Gospel with others, its outward, not keeping it to yourself. Its an " Exhortation" or an Appeal, its giving encouragement, its talking to people, communicating with them. In Romans 12:8 Exhortation is clearly listed as a Gift of God and it is to be USED as an expression of your service to him. So to think in terms of " Well I just don't feel like witnessing to others", is in essence saying that you don't feel like serving God at that moment. You have to learn to go with the flow. You don't fight the flow, you don't " Kick against the pricks", don't quinch the Spirit comming to you to move you.

There are times that I just cannot sleep, a thought or two just keeps running through my mind, and I have learned not to fight it off, but to get up and write it down, once its off my chest, I can then go back to sleep. And inevitably I find that the thought must be used in my witnessing somewhere down the line and it always fits in perfectly. In this manner God witnesses to us, so that it can be shared with others. To exhort is to appeal passionately. Let me stop here and say something. When God witnesses to you, it can often be a passionate appeal. So often I am moved by something God has placed within my mind. I kind of liken it to a commercial I once saw about starburst candy on television. The child puts it in their mouth and an explosion of flavor captivates their tastebuds. I can be sleep, watching television, involved in a short study of the bible or just doing nothing, and God pops a witness into my mind and " Boom", its like a sudden burst of Spiritual flavor. I understand it instantly and so often it just trips me out. I just say to myself;" So thats it!" And I really do say that, because goodness, I didn't know it before. These kind of personal experiences just make me wonder what a wonder it would surely be, to have Gods Spirit inside of me continually, oh and it makes me thirst for Gods Righteousness.

When you witness the truth to someone, they don't know it. When the Spirit helps me understand, thats because it has to,I don't know it. Thats why it requires a certain level of devotion to be a witness for God, as you understand that the people don't really know him, you are moved to share him with them, the true him.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

When God makes an investment in you, at whatever level it is, it is done with his Power. Gods investment is Power. Look at 2 Thess. 1:11;" To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the " Work of Faith" with Power." Desire for goodness is a thrist for righteousness, a craving for a fruit of the Spirit. But notice how he calls Faith a " Work", then states the work of Faith with Power. God gives you Faith, he imbues that Faith with Power, so that it can become " Active" and lead you to " Work." Well again, what is this " Work?" It is Overcomming and Witnessing, two reasons why God delays his Comming. Thats how he wants you to be spending your time.

Some of our eyes just need to be enlightened on these matters, because of this laid back couch potatoe aittitude we have absorbed with our Faith. The Power of God does not breed Lazybones. Consider Eph.1:19;"And what is the surpassing greatness of his Power toward us who believe. ( but notice what this Power is based on and in accordance with you Doing), " These are in Accordance with the Working of the Strength of his Might." Its according to how you " Work his Power." That is active participation, its a Thing that is meant to be stirred up. You need to be doing something with that Power. Notice 2 Tim.1:6;"For this reason I remind you to Stir up the Gift of God which is in you." Some of us need to hit the refresh button of our Belief and rekindle this laid back resting approach we have settled into. God has " Not" given a Spirit of Timidity, but a Spirit of Power. One reason I believe that certain believers are so laid back and taylor made for rest is because the Spirit has not been given, so their is no active participation comming out through Power.

Anyhow, I want to go into how you can personally perceive the level of investment God has made in you, just how much Power he has given you.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

How can you know the investments God has made in you? Can we actually know the level of Power that we have? Well yes, you can know some of this for sure, and its good to be sure about it. Again Jesus in Matt. 7:20;" You will know them by their Fruits." Or by what is " Growing out from you." You can know what God has invested in you, by what is actively comming out of you. Like a tree that bears fruit, things will just grow out of you, and each year the " Quality of the Fruit", will improve. This is what Jesus meant in vs.18 when he taught that a good tree willnot produce bad fruit. What God has invested in you is good, and it will produce. Whatever areas you see yourself consistantly improving in, those are the areas that God has heavily invested in you. And I want to touch on some of this.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

I want to close this out by saying that you can know the truth, and the truth will set you free. You can know the power that God has given you, simply by the things you are able to do. Conversely, you can know the level of weakness that you have, by observing how you are not doing, what you are able to do. If you absorb energy, you will be energectic, if you absorb lazy doctrines, you will be lazy. The way you live your life, is a living testement  and witness of Gods investment in you.

Peace.

[willieH]

willieH: Hi Mickiel... :hithere:

You've been alone over here in this thread, thought I'd giveya a little company!  :winkgrin:

There is an interesting Oxymoron in Prov.23:23;" Buy the Truth and do not sell it,  get wisdom and instruction and understanding." I admit to some personal confusion here. It starts out by saying to " Buy" the Truth, which certainly suggest that it has to be sold to you, but then it says not to " Sell it." An apparent contridiction.  And I am kind of up in the air on this, but I am leaning toward the latter part of the verse as juxtaposing the first part of it. It makes more sense to me not to sell the Truth.

I certainly agree that the TRUTH should NEVER be "sold"... it must be ALWAYS "given away" to maintain its purity... for attaching selfish gain, in essence, taints that purity...

The Hebrew word translated "buy" in your quoted verse, ...in its primary definition actually means ...to ERECT... (it can also mean purchase, but primarily means to gain or erect)

This type of terminology is also used in:

Revelation 3:18  I counsel thee to BUY of me gold tried in fire that thou mayest be rich...

Obviously we DO NOT "buy" TRUTH from God...  it is benevolently given to us to help us...

The english term "buy" may be used to convey, BELIEF...

Many sports teams are said to "buy into the coaches system"... which actually conveys that they BELIEVE in it and absorb themselves within the system to make it work... thereby the "coach's system" actually becomes a part of THEMSELVES...

Hope that gives you a view from another perspective brother...  :Sparkletooth:

...willieH  :thumbsup:

[whyiloveitaly.com]

HI Mickiel:

Until just recently I was more of the "laid back" type, maybe more extreme than what the Scriptures ask of us. I thought, if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen because God wants it that way."

Well, in one sense that's maybe true. He gets what He wants.
Still, I had to re-examine that idea because of some of the verses you mentioned, as well as others. (Or at least what I saw that you wrote, because what you wrote was so long, I skipped much of it. Good or bad, I skipped a bit. :))

For example, there is the parable of one who had a talent that he decided to hide away because he knew that his Lord reaps all things, even that which He didn't sow. And his Lord rebuked him because he didn't put that knowledge to good use. (At least that's what I'm seeing from that parable.....)

Truly, we seek to be guided by the Spirit of God (Jesus). That is why we were created, is to be completely submitted to and looking only to Him.

I believe that the overcomers will be a people who have their senses trained to discern and follow ONLY the voice of God. That is what Jesus of Nazareth did, and He said, "follow me."

I saw an interesting clip on YouTube by a guy named Pastor Prince. He talked about how, instead of trying to do things ourselves, it's God who must be allowed to work through us. (Again, that doesn't mean sitting on the couch all day, unless that's really what He's showing you to do.)

Just me rambling again...

Brian

[Mickiel]

HI Mickiel:

Until just recently I was more of the "laid back" type, maybe more extreme than what the Scriptures ask of us. I thought, if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen because God wants it that way."

Well, in one sense that's maybe true. He gets what He wants.
Still, I had to re-examine that idea because of some of the verses you mentioned, as well as others. (Or at least what I saw that you wrote, because what you wrote was so long, I skipped much of it. Good or bad, I skipped a bit. :))

Brian

Well you must excuse me for often being long winded, I try to contain that but it just happens when there is a lot in you. Overcomming and the Holy Spirit are not comfortable subjects to tackle, why I sometimes try to take them on, I just don't really know. I sometimes meditate on why I discuss the things that I do, you know, just ask yourself why you are posting something, for what reason. Is it worth anything, does it help. What I mostly keep comming up with, is that these are the things that concern me the most. I noticed a common thing that occurs at all the places that I post at, that being the responses that I get are usually not many. Many people always read it, but few respond. Yet I continue, so I know I am not doing it to illict response. This used to cause me to take a " Laid back approach" to posting, which leads to withdrawal of your witness. And thats not good. You have to witness, and do it not based on response. One of the obvious reactions in serving a God who does so much for you, is to do less for him.

I once had a girlfriend who did everything for me, I mean literally everything. She smothered me for years, showered me with gift after gift. Eventually I noticed that slowly it made me " Lazy in the Relationship." I had gotten to the point that I grew accoustomed to her doing this. I wouldnot wash the dishes because I knew when she came over that she would. She would get irritated if I did, because she wanted to do it herself. Clean the bathroom, make up the bed, wash the clothes, at least she let me empty the garbage. And most men would love to be in that situation. As I caught on to this , I remember sitting her down and telling her that she was just doing too much for me, it was making me " Lazy." At first I " Enjoyed the lazyness", but eventually I reconized what was happening to me. Paying my bills and buying me clothes and all the things my apartment ever needed. It was a suttle pacification of my manhood and responsibilities, and I could see how a man could submit to this and stay in it the rest of his life. But something begin to bother me about it, I begin to miss " Doing my responsibilities." Doing things for myself was a vital part of me, but the temptation and satisfaction of someonelse doing it for me was alluring. So I actually broke up with this woman, because she was doing far too much for me, and she couldnot help herself, she was a " Caretaker." A good mother and I think would be a good, very good wife, but just not for me. I am more comfortable taking care of myself, I look for other things in a woman, but I am not against women who are like this, the few of them who are. I am the kind of man, well if I can't do it, and she can, then fine, if I need the help, then help me there, don't handicap me by doing things that I can or should do.

Conversely, I can most defintely see this occuring with having a relationship with God, the charactheristics are eriely simular. A God who overly Loves you and cares for you. He will do everything for you and shower you with Gifts. You can very easily become outright dependant on him and just slide into bliss and lay back and do nothing. And many are doing this, and the bliss can slowly turn from rest to falling asleep, then your behaving like your a baby again. Get fed and go to sleep, and do nothing all day but feed and sleep. Perhaps I don't know a good thing when I see it, but I'mjust not wrapped like that. Thats not comfortable to me, I got to have some say in the matter, I need to be involved in whats going on. I am more comfortable in doing my best, or fall trying.

Peace. Excuse me for being long.

[Mickiel]

I often wonder how people interpit Jesus saying " Go and sin no more". If you look at it through the lenses or the eyes of "rest", then you can view it as meaning " Don't worry about it." Sin is already Overcome so why be concerned with it. It takes a lot of weight off of personal responsibility and makes resting much easier. I understand why that view is gaining popularity. There is another way to look at Go and sin no more, another aittitude that has different eyes of interpitation. Go, and don't " Do that anymore", which invites involvement of your effort. And this again is the two sided nature of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Two approachs that one could take, two influences on how to interpit scripture, two sides of the coin.

Many websites spend time debating these two sides, and have grown accustomed to being fed from debate. Like sitting down to dinner with your family and arguing while your eating. The conversation becomes habitual, the meals become grumpy, and this becomes common place. We learn how to be proficent in arguements and overcome that, and we get fat and neglect how to Overcome sin. You know what, I think concerning sin, that you as an individual plants, waters, and then God gives the increase concerning Overcomming. Whatelse do you think God determines this from? You plant your desire to Overcome, your effort waters it, then from observation to that, God gives the increase, or the victory from it. Or do you think God uses another way? You think he just plays eni, mini, mynie moe, then chooses one of us and gives us a victory in one area, reguardless of how we are living? You think he just automatically gives release from every sin in your life? What promps God to grant repentance? How is repentance manifested and distributed? Is it spread out equally and automactically amoung all the bretheren? If that was the case then all of us would be exact in our walk toward God. We all would show the same results in our lives, we would show the same progress.

Its the Widows Mite in reverse. In John 12:44, the people gave to God from their " Surplus", but the widow gave from her " Poverty", and gave it all she had. Conversely, in Overcomming Sin, you know that you have sin in your life, and you give all you have got in the fight against it. You may have hardly no strength or characther, but you still give all you have to Overcome. Then there are those who give nothing, give it no thought, because they walk in surplus. Two complettely different mindsets, one offers freedom from the fight, the other longs for freedom from it. These two different aittitudes may well be the seeds of two different churchs forming. Churchs are formed from aittitudes, or set patterns of belief.

I sometimes wonder who Jesus was talking to when he said Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand. The people of the world, or the people considering themselves his Church.

Peace.

[Mickiel]

Thats strange, it seems the whole last page of this dialog has dissapeared.

? Peace.

[Mickiel]

Thats strange, it seems the whole last page of this dialog has dissapeared.

? Peace.

May I ask why the dialog was removed?

[whyiloveitaly.com]

Hmm...........

Anybody?

[Mickiel]

Hmm...........

Anybody?

I understand moderators removing dialog for whatever reason, that is done at their neccessary discresion, but they usually do so with at least a warning or an explination. I simply would like to know why it was removed, so that I can understand if I wrote something wrong, learn from that and continue.

Peace.

[Mickiel]

Hmm...........

Anybody?

I understand moderators removing dialog for whatever reason, that is done at their neccessary discresion, but they usually do so with at least a warning or an explination. I simply would like to know why it was removed, so that I can understand if I wrote something wrong, learn from that and continue.

Peace.

Well anyhow, I had thought to close this thread out, but continued because of the intrest of a few. Some of the continuation has disapeared without explination, although I do not understand that, well things happen for whatever reason, so I'll leave that mystery alone, it has happened to me before.

God often makes investments in people that are very hard to endure. Such as physical handicaps, being mentally chalenged or other things we consider birth defects. Often God goes the other route and gives people areas of unique brillance and extraordinary talents. But then those whom he calls to the truth are altogether a different story, because its a different kind of investment. If God called a president of a country, or a very popular politician, or a worldwide personality, you ever wonder what that would result in? Would you assume that such a person would be more powerful or influential than you? Well you assume wrong, and I want to show you why.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

One would think that God would call a very rich man who had the resources to start a church and build it worldwide. Or call a very influencial person with far reaching popularity in the media, wouldnot such a person be the obvious choice to start a church and pull this thing together? If you look at the story of David, how when they came looking for the next King, the next leader of Gods choice, and they found a shepard with a slingshot, a keeper of the sheep. Yet he turned  out becomming a Great King. In this manner the Power of God is revealed and exalted. And hes going to do that again, go the least route expected.

In 1Corinth. 1:25," The foolishness of God is wiser than men, the weakness of God is stronger than men." A difficult verse to consider, because God has no weakness or foolishness, so how is this verse to be interpited? Well if you are to compare God to men, there really is no comparision in strength and wisdom, so we  have to use conjecture and speculation. We must speculate that " If" God had a weakness, that even that speculated weakness would be stronger than the greatest strength in men. That " If" God had a point in his wisdom that could even be considered a weak point, such as his Forgiveness, that even it would be wiser than the greatest wisdom in humanity. God then is a very luminating Power, we could combine all of our wisdom on earth, all of our knowledge, all of our technology and all of the Earths military Power, all this combined would still be considered as less than nothing in comparrison to God.

So God could take any of you, " Any of you reading this", and make you a King, a Prince or Queen, a world leader, a church starter, make you one of the two witnesses, anything he so desires can come out of little you! And you know what, thats how he has shown that he likes doing it. We find ourselves wondering how God is going to do things, waiting for some mythical leader to pop up with the Truth,  you'd be better off looking into the mirror in your bathroom, Gods leaders or group are at better odds comming from the person you see on the other side of your own mirror, than from poping out of the woodwork of this worlds scenery.

If you consider Gods investment in this world, then you can consider your own calling and his investment in you. God has chosen to go the route of calling those who are not popular, not rich, not influential, not wise and not noblemen. This is where Gods Leadership will come from, the sheepkeeping slingshot carrying people that the earth does not take notice of. Why would God do such a thing, make his powerful investment in people who are not powerful? And oh how the answer to that is so revealing.

Peace.

[Mickiel]

One reason why God invest in the not so obvious and seemingly unworthy, is because he is investing in " Endurance and Faith." The fame and public posture of the world will pass away, but what God is establishing will endure, and is meant to last. So the calling of God has to do with a whole lot of private " Going Ons", that the public is not privy to. A Permanance is being developed, God is calling you to suffer , and to sustain without yielding, to undergo great moral and emotional pressure, and these things are being recorded in heaven, Gods investment will show a lot of intrest.

You know, I know God willnot do this, but if he would show you , really show you how much you have grown, how much progress in every little area that you have obtained, you would be surprised. Our progress are the Jewels stored in Heaven, the treasure which God values above all his riches. What is the pathology behind" When we are weak, then we are strong?" I want to get into that. Peace.

[Mickiel]

Knowing that God holds the Power to force humanity to obey, but has instead given the path of human history to itself and not influencing it towards righteousness, then we have to assume that to him humanity will bow for other reasons, every tounge will swear allegiance. I had thought for some time that God will force humanity to obey, but I am beginning to think otherwise. I think God is after the " End of the Story", he being the ending of all things. Let the course of human history have its run, and like any human society, we will have grown tired of our ways and accept a change to Gods way. Barak Obama, perhaps the most popular " New Politician" of my lifetime, outside of John Kennedy, is running his campain on change, and it seems it will fuel him to victory. The people want change, and I think that is why most people will finally submit to God. The world will have been complettely drained and utterly hopeless, and from that position will " See God for what he really is, Change from this condition."

The condition is that of weakness. Did you know that weakness has " A Quality", it has charactheristics and levels of excellence that God is attracted to. You can actually obtain a level of excellence through weakness. As a parent, have you ever noticed your child falling while trying to walk? You see their little legs moving one way as they look at you from another way, and you know eventually they are going to come to you, just after their little legs take them all over the place, while they fall all along the way. And you find yourself laughing and enjoying the moment, you Love them so much. But you know their falling will help them to walk. Although they are weak, they will one day be strong.

This is how God views our Weaknesses, he knows thats going to change.  Peace.

[Mickiel]

God indeed holds the Power to change things, and yet Power is another way to determine Gods Investment in you. When God gives you strength and Control, those are signs of him investing in you. In fact if you notice any of the Fruits in Galations comming out of you, those are signs of God investing in you. When God gives your Life or even your words energy and Vigor, he has made an investment in you. Your words will seem to have command and authority, your communication will be Spiritually Competent and Efficiant, as if you are compelled by a Force not of your own. Your Adequacy will come from God.

Another way that you can know if God has invested in you, is how your Heart has taken to the Commission to Witness for him. If fact we show God our Love for him, by how we carry out his Assignments. Jesus was sent on a Mission to save this world, we are sent on a mission to Witness to this world. A mission is an appointment, a Consignment, it makes you a Delegate of God entrusted with his word of Truth. Now when God installs delegates into this world, employs them with Power to Witness, and they are not doing it, how could that be pleasing to God? Ask yourself this about Matthews 24:14;" And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in ALL the World " As a Witness" to ALL Nations, and then the end shall come." Do you see the charge to all believers in this prophecy of Christ? Are you going to be a personal part of this? This is special committee appointment, its a nomination, an assignment, and those called to it will just naturally hold an urge to do it.

We have people who believe that the Gospel of the Kingdom is within them, and yet strangely it seems to stay within them and they never witness it to the world. Listen again to Jesus in John 18:37;" You say correctly that I am a King. I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth." If we are followers of Christ, how can we " Not" witness? Thats the very reason Jesus came here, to Witness. It then follows thats the very reason you have been called by God, if you have, to be a Witness, does that make any sense to you?

We then can know the level of Gods investment in us by our level of Witness. How much you have centered your life around Witnessing, how much you actively do it and how much energy you invest in doing it.  Peace.

[whyiloveitaly.com]

Jesus was sent on a Mission to save this world, we are sent on a mission to Witness to this world.

I often watch other Christians to see how they conduct themselves outside the "church" environment. I don't know if it's a judgmental approach, or if the Lord is wanting me to understand something there. I must say that I have often asked, "shouldn't they be showing it more??"

My grandpa was always talking about the Lord. It really bothered a lot of my family, too. But he was sincere, and never judgmental of others. Always encouraging others to know truth and seek Christ in you.

He was really special, and not just because he was my grandpa. In fact, I never had strong ties to my family until I became a Christian. Then it was like he and I saw eye-to-eye. And I loved talking with him.

Yes, testimony. Still, it may be that God has us participate in it when His timing is right. Otherwise, we may be moving in the flesh and not the Spirit.

Bri

[Mickiel]

[quote author=whyiloveitaly


Yes, testimony. Still, it may be that God has us participate in it when His timing is right. Otherwise, we may be moving in the flesh and not the Spirit.

Bri
[/quote]


One thing about this to consider, if and when we use people as an example of how we should or shouldnot witness about the truth, then other people set the standard. If we use Christ as the standard, then we need to consider his witness. How and when he did it  and what kind of " Timing" he was on. If you consider the world as a ripe harvest, there is no timing in witnessing, its just then an everyday thing. If you consider our own comfort zone, then yes, there is a timing involved, but that is according to the individuals willingness to do it, not something that should be pushed off on to God, as if its God who decides when you should testify.

But testimony, witnessing, talking with others about this truth, only those who really want to do that are going to do it anyway. Once it becomes a way of life, like it was for your Grandpa, once it soaks into your very being, your going to do it anyway, unless you have too many introverted influences inside of you that will mute you.

Peace.