1 O Lord pour out Your blessing upon Ruth Rosen, the editor and upon every member and supporter of Jews for Jesus. thank You so much for the monthly newsletter!
on cover...a picture of a young woman with all these questions around her
* I need to be more well educated
*I don't have a dramatic testimony
* I don't know enough
* I need more life experience
*when I have earned the right to share
* I am not old enough
* If only I had more confidence
* I 'm not a theologian!
at the risk of sounding like a Hallmark commercial, when we care enough to give the very best, it's a no-brainer that we want to tell people about Jesus. He is the best thing that you or I have to offer.
so when some folks tell us we must earn the right to share the gospel - what then?
as ambassadors for Jesus (II Corinthians 5.20 - Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. ), be encouraged! reaching out to people with the truth of the gospel s a right, a responsibility and a privilege that God Himself has entrusted to you. no prerequisites. always be ready to offer the truth of Jesus with kindness and humility; God will bless you and make you a blessing.
kindness, at times, calls for us to care for people's earthly needs. and humility informs us that people might require us to show that we can be trusted in order for them to open up about spiritual matters. but these things are not particularly prerequisites of qualifications for faith-sharing - they are qualities of life God wants us to live out no matter what we are doing.
that said, many christians have asked us questions about trust and relationships as these issues relate to sharing the faith, so we hope you'll find the following useful.
How much of a relationship is necessary before sharing my faith?
Peter shared the gospel on Pentecost and 3,000 people responded in faith, not because he had relationships with them, but because of the power of the Holy S. sure, most of us are more likely to be called to witness to people one at a time, but it is often possible to share the gospel one-on -one with strangers. on an airplane for example
2 the stranger seated next to you may open up about subjects she isn't comfortable discussing with family members or friends. 'Divine appointments' happen everywhere.
long ago I was handing out tracts at a location famous for drug deals and prostitution. I saw a young man leaning against a chain link fence and could not ignore the growing sense that I was supposed to tell him something. though it was the last thing i wanted to do, I walked over and without a word of introduction, quietly said, 'Excuse me. I think God wants me to tell you that He loves you and wants to set you free. his eyes widened as he replied, 'I just got out of jail. I was supposed to be on my way to a job interview and instead I came here to get high'. I shared Jesus with this stranger and he responded in faith to ask for God's pardon. I didn't earn the right to get in this guy's business, I just did what I was told.
even so. most people, including Jews for Jesus, want to invest in longer-term gospel conversations within the context of trusting relationships.
How long does it take to build trust?
deep and lasting trust is normally built over time, as people go through trials and/or conflict resolution together. most do not require that level of trust to have a spiritual conversation. however, Jewish people - and others who aren't part of what they perceive as a Christian majority - do need to sense your respect for them. many can size up your sincerity and sensitivity fairly quickly and might even say something deliberately provocative to see whether you will judge or ridicule them for stating an opposing view.
most people won't distrust you based on differences of opinion if you state your difference respectfully. show respect by asking questions and being a good listener. it probably won't take long to build enough trust to begin a spiritual conversation. take cues from the other person about how much to say or ask and continue to nurture trust with each interaction.
What if I try to share my faith and the person responds negatively?
remember: 'for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2. 8-9 salvation by grace applies not only to those who receive the life-giving message, but also to those of us who offer it. we look for thoughtful and creative ways to share the gospel. but isn't it liberating to know that when someone comes to faith, it wasn't because we somehow managed to do everything right? it saw God's grace. pure, simple, mind-boggling, hear-rejoicing grace.
this summer, as Jews for Jesus reaches out to strangers and friends alike all over the world, please pray that He will pour out His grace on our efforts. and for your own evangelistic efforts, pray for grace, practice grace...and watch God lavish His grace where you least expect it! Ruth Rosen
bits from the branches
from David and Arielle Randle
'about a month ago, Dinah came to our Shabbat dinner outreach at the invitation of Jacob, a childhood friend of hers. during dinner she was telling Arielle what it was like growing up in West Rogers Park, an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Chicago.
then she confessed that Jacob ( who also is Jewish and not a believer in Jesus) had been inviting her to come to our Shabbat dinners for months, but she declined because of rumors she'd heard about messianic Jews. eventually she decided to attend 'with an open mind', but with her guard up. to Dinah's surprise, none of us were anything like the dangerous cult members she had heard about.
Dinah was the very last person to leave our house that night. she told us about her disillusionment with Orthodox Judaism. 'I'm not free to say what I really think in my community, she admitted. but the truth is that I'm not sure what I believe.
over the next few weeks we started asking people to pray for Dinah's heart to become open to the truth of Jesus. we sent her an online invitation for Shabbat dinner and not did she RSVP within minutes, she forwarded the invitation to several of her friends.
Please pray for God to touch many hearts through our Shabbat dinners, and especially for Dinah and Jacob to find the peace and hope that Jesus wants to give!
Keeping it Safe by Tuvya Zaretsky
I became a part of Bruce's journey to faith 6 years ago when he asked (somewhat sarcastically), 'So are you Jewish or a christian?
I responded that the answer was simple, but he wouldn't understand it. 'Its not because you're stupid or anything like that. it's just that you have been indoctinated to think it's impossible. the answer is 'yes'. so, would you like to get a cup of coffee and talk it over?
just last year, after many interactions, B received the gift of faith in Jesus. I recently asked what go him thinking about the message. he simply said, ' YOU MADE IT SAFE.
Missiologist Donald K. Smith says that all communication is cross-cultural. so even when I think I know what another person is saying, I need to confirm it with them. I must be respectful, gentle and patient to understand the other person's perspective.
for example, once when B mused out loud about Jesus I asked, 'So, who do you think Jesus is? that question often prompts some 'strange' responses, at least to my thinking. but I 've learned to listen, giving as much respect as I would hope to receive if asked a thought-provoking question. that is one way to make someone feel safe in conversation.
I might even say that the PURPOSE of the question is NOT TO FIND AGREEMENT , BUT TO GROW IN our UNDERSTANDING OF one ANOTHER. wow, that takes patience and gentleness -virtues with which I'm not naturally endowed.
however, we who believe in the unseen God have the blessing of an unlimited spiritual asset: the Holy spirit who dwells within us. the Lord isn't limited by all the cross-cultural stuff. we can pray, 'Lord, in the power of Your Spirit, be the love, the joy, the peace, patience, the kindness, goodness, faithfulness, the gentleness and self-control that I need as I speak with this person who doesn't yet know You. God is a full partner in communicating in ways that make other people feel safe in conversation.
many answer the w question, 'who do you think Jesus is? with something like, 'Well I think Jesus was a good man, maybe an avatar for a prophet, but he wasn't God, because God wouldn't come to earth in human form!
I might respond, 'Hmm. Okay, that's a little different from the way I understand Jesus. but I think I get your point of view. so, why do you say that 'God wouldn't come to earth in human form?' Can't God do anything? that's what creating a safe place for conversation sounds like.
Bruce helped me to think about how to help others feel safe in a spiritual conversation. I was reminded of the need for a continuing harvest of the fruit of God's spirit in my own life - so that I can partner with Him in the lives of others.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment