Post by solitarysoul on Mar 18, 2007 15:56:18 GMT -5
In my opinion witnessing to others is one of the biggest indicators that someone truly believes in Christ. Unfortauntly I'm so socially anxious I have a very difficult time doing it, but we need to remind ourselves more often that the reason for witnessing isn't to attempt to get other people to see things our way, or win debates, it is to give them a fighting chance at Heaven. Because if someone truly believes in what the Bible says, I feel that that should be one of their biggest concerns. I've been thinking more and more about this lately and I happened to run across this devotion which explained it very well, so I wanted to share it, but I also thought it could maybe lead to discussion so I thought I'd put it in this forum.
Anyway, here it is, it's by pastor Greg Laurie of harvest.org:
"Moved to Action
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.
— 2 Corinthians 2:4
Even before Titanic arrived on the big screen in 1997, people have been fascinated by its story, perhaps because there is so much to it. Clearly, many mistakes were made that led to its sinking. Although it was called the unsinkable ship, it sank. And it sank relatively easily.
We know that 1,500 people perished in an icy grave. We know there were not enough lifeboats on board. We know that many of them went out half-full, some with only four or five people when they had the capacity to carry at least 60.
But one of the greatest tragedies about the Titanic is the fact that while there was room in the lifeboats, no one went back to save anyone else. They had rowed out a distance from the sinking vessel because they were afraid of its suction. Survivors said they could hear the screams of the people as the Titanic finally disappeared below the surface.
Here were people in lifeboats that had room. They could have rowed back and pulled others in. Yet they did nothing about it. They waited for about an hour, and then they went back. By then, they were only able to save a handful of people. They waited until it was too late.
Right now, there is a lost world around us. People are going down, and we have room in our lifeboat. Do we care enough to go and pull them on board? Do we care enough to do something for them? Or will we say, "They should have gotten into the boat when there was time"?
Do you have a burden for lost people? That is where it starts."
- Greg Laurie, harvest.org
Anyway, here it is, it's by pastor Greg Laurie of harvest.org:
"Moved to Action
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.
— 2 Corinthians 2:4
Even before Titanic arrived on the big screen in 1997, people have been fascinated by its story, perhaps because there is so much to it. Clearly, many mistakes were made that led to its sinking. Although it was called the unsinkable ship, it sank. And it sank relatively easily.
We know that 1,500 people perished in an icy grave. We know there were not enough lifeboats on board. We know that many of them went out half-full, some with only four or five people when they had the capacity to carry at least 60.
But one of the greatest tragedies about the Titanic is the fact that while there was room in the lifeboats, no one went back to save anyone else. They had rowed out a distance from the sinking vessel because they were afraid of its suction. Survivors said they could hear the screams of the people as the Titanic finally disappeared below the surface.
Here were people in lifeboats that had room. They could have rowed back and pulled others in. Yet they did nothing about it. They waited for about an hour, and then they went back. By then, they were only able to save a handful of people. They waited until it was too late.
Right now, there is a lost world around us. People are going down, and we have room in our lifeboat. Do we care enough to go and pull them on board? Do we care enough to do something for them? Or will we say, "They should have gotten into the boat when there was time"?
Do you have a burden for lost people? That is where it starts."
- Greg Laurie, harvest.org