Share Jesus Without Fear By William Fay Do you want to share Jesus without fear? Perhaps the thought of sharing your faith in Jesus Christ causes feelings of fear and guilt in your heart. We need to look no further than the first book of the New Testament to see that we are commanded to share God's good news with others. Matthew 28:19-20 says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." However, God did not intend for this command to give you feelings of inadequacy. Instead, this command illustrates God's desire to include us in His wonderful plan to redeem mankind.

Would you like to know the secret to fearlessly sharing your faith in Jesus Christ? Sadly, there is no special trick, but it is comforting to know that God hears your prayers, and He is faithful to grant you anything according to His will. Since God desires to see everyone come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Peter 3:9), you can confidently ask Him to provide opportunities to share your faith. Praying for God to guide your Christian witnessing encounters allows you to rely on His supernatural power rather than your own ability. He will remove your fear of witnessing.
Share Jesus Without Fear - The Questions
If you want to share Jesus without fear, how do you get started? Starting a discussion about spirituality is often the biggest barrier to sharing your faith in Jesus Christ. Do you wonder how to approach the subject in the midst of everyday conversation? You can make this a much easier task by using the simple technique of asking your friend questions about his beliefs. This technique usually has two benefits. First, your friend may be more obliged to listen to your beliefs once you have listened to his. Second, and more important, this technique allows you to know what is going on in your friend's life so that you can better minister to him.

Here are a few questions that can move the conversation from a secular topic to a spiritual topic. The questions act as a funnel to introduce the Gospel.

• Do you have any kind of spiritual beliefs?
• To you, who is Jesus?
• Do you think there is a heaven or a hell?
• If you died tonight, where would you go?
• By the way, if what you were believing is not true, would you want to know?

These five questions, asked in the order listed above, can move a conversation from the secular to the spiritual. And if your friend answers "yes" to the final question, you will have the privilege of sharing your faith with your friend.
Share Jesus Without Fear - Let God's Word Speak
You can share Jesus without fear! Rather than recite an elaborate presentation, simply open your Bible and let God's Word speak for itself. For this to work, you will need a Bible (preferably a small one because small Bibles tend to be less intimidating to non-christians), and a few salvation passages to share. Some passages that serve this purpose are listed below:

• "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
• "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
• "In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again'" (John 3:3).
• "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6).
• "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame'" (Romans 10:9).
• "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again" (2 Corinthians 5:15).
• "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).

Invite your friend to read a verse aloud and then have him explain the verse to you. Take him through all the verses listed above. If your friend interprets a passage incorrectly, don't argue or offer your interpretation, but politely ask him to read it again, and then explain it a second time. Misinterpretation should not be much of a problem if you use the Bible verses listed above.

Even if your friend mentions that he doesn't believe in or agree with the Bible, it is best not to argue. You can state that you simply want him to understand what the Bible says about eternity. Isn't it wonderful to know that it's not our responsibility to convict? Conviction is God's job. All we can do is share. Once we have shared, we have done God's will. Witnessing for Christ is a no-lose activity.

What has worked the best for my friends and I is to actually mark all of these verses in a little new testament and carry it with us at all times. We have even made a tract using these techniques. By putting everything on a little tract it is easy to see how to lead one through the steps and remember the questions to ask.

This is just another tool to put in your toolbox as you work for the Lord.

Witnessing - Question "Don't All Religions Lead to God?"
Perhaps this is one of the most common questions you will be confronted with as you witness. I believe Hank Hanegraaff- The Bible Answer Man- answers it best in his book "The Bible Answer Book" (pp160-161) :
Don't all religions lead to God?

Before answering this question, a word of warning is in order: Anyone who answers in the negative may well be ostracized for being narrow-minded and intolerant. That being said, my answer is, "No, not all religions lead to God, and it is incorrect and illogical to maintain that they do."

First, when you begin to examine world religions such as Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, you will immediately recognize that they directly contradict one another. For example, Moses taught that there was only one God; Krishna believed in many gods; and Buddha was agnostic. Logically, they can all be wrong but they can't all be right.

Furthermore, the road of religion leads steeply uphill, while the road of Christianity descends downward. Put another way, Religion is fallen humanity's attempt to reach up and become acceptable to God through what we do; Christianity, on the other hand, is a divine gift based on what Christ has done. He lived the perfect life that we could never live and offers us his perfection as an absolutely free gift.

Finally, Jesus taught that there was only one way to God. "I am the way and the truth and the life," said Jesus, "No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). Moreover, Jesus validated his claim through the immutable fact of his resurrection. The opinions of all other religious leaders are equally valid in that they are equally worthless. They died and are still dead. Only Jesus had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. Thus, his opinion is infinitely more valid that theirs.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

This book and other free articles are available at http://www.equip.org

Witnessing Through Christian Fiction...
Does it ever seem like when it comes time to talk to friends or family about God that suddenly we find ourselves completely tongue-tied or extremely nervous? I remember one time when the person I was witnessing to went to the bathroom I called a Christian friend of mine quickly and said in a panicked voice, "What is the prayer of salvation again?" She helped me to remember there is not one specific prayer of salvation - that you just need to invite Christ into your heart and ask that He forgive you for your sins.
God can work in powerful ways in your lost loved ones hearts through many different ways. One way that I encourage you to pray about is through Christian fiction. Think about the person who you really want to know God and who has been on your heart. Does this person enjoy reading as a pastime? There are some truly amazing and life-changing books out there that I encourage you to check out.
It has been my experience that it works best to give the book to the person as a gift, not as a loaner. The person will be touched that you thought of them. Especially if it is someone from work or an acquaintances you don't know as well. I give the type of book I know will be of interest to that person, yet has a powerful message of salvation. (See book suggestions and links below). Pray before you give the book. God will let you know clearly which book you should give, when you should give it and how you should say it. You may feel uncomfortable at first when you begin giving books, but continue to give and God will bless you deeply. In addition, the people who read these books will come back to you and thank you.
If the person chooses to read the book it will generate all sorts of conversations surrounding God and religion. If questions arise that you cannot answer, please use the Christian Research Institute link on this page to contact and ask your questions there or feel free to contact me.

Suggested Christian Fiction:

Titles By Randy Alcorn
Please check out Randy's website http://www.epm.org/
I suggest you sign up for his newsletter that he will mail to your home.

Deadline This is my #1 choice for nonChristian seekers. It portrays 3 men in a car accident and their final destinies: Heaven, Hell and Undecided (this one is still alive). I would also recommend it for Christians who are needing a clear perspective of Heaven - not just everyone sitting around playing harps all the time - how unbelievable and exciting it is. By the way, Randy's books are awesome to listen to on audiobook.

Lord Foulgrin's Letters Every Christian should read this book. It helps Christians become aware of the actual spiritual battle we are all in. I really pick and choose if I give this to a nonChristian because I think it is almost too much to handle at once. Every hot topic issue is addressed in this book. But, there are some who it is excellent for. Again, God will guide you.

Edge of Eternity This book is just amazing and really makes you think! I give it to any Christian and the intellectual seeking nonChristian. It leads to all sorts of great discussions. Read it for yourself and let it change your life!

Randy has numerous other fiction items that are all wonderful. His non-fiction is also terrific. As you can tell he is my favorite author!

THE LEFT BEHIND SERIES
By Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
Official Left Behind website:
http://www.leftbehind.com/channelbooks.asp

I have found that the popular Left Behind series (a series of 12 books based on the Book of Revelation) is an excellent tool for witnessing. Although some Christians disagree with Tim LaHaye's views about what will happen and how some aspects are interpreted, there is no denying that over and over again LaHaye offers the reader a model of how to become a Christian through characters' salvation. I have seen several friends grow from this reading.

I recommend giving this book to a nonChristian who enjoys exciting, engaging fiction. I always just give the first book. Here is a link to Amazon where the first in the series sells for 1 cent.
http://www.leftbehind.com/channelbooks.asp

Whether or not your friend continues to read the series is irrelevant, what is relevant is what they gained. Engage them in discussion. Ask them if they would like to watch the movie with you.

There are 2 movies in the series. You can buy them as a two pack for $3.49 at http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=45744&netp_id=289834&event=EFIN|27512|71218
By the way, christianbook.com is a great resource for most items that you would normally
buy at your local store. You can usually get items significantly reduced.

There is so much more wonderful Christian fiction. Does your unsaved mom love romance? Think Liz Curtis Higgs. Does your unsaved roommate get thrilled by thrillers? Check out Craig Parshall. The key to picking out a good piece to give: (1) Pray about giving a book (2) Read the book first yourself (3) Make sure it has a clear salvation message (4) Give the book and wait for a response.

Witness to others about my faith? Not me...
Do you feel overwhelmed with the thought of sharing your faith with others? Not sure about how to "share the Good News"?
It is important, in fact it is crucial, that we share our faith with others. Witnessing is not just about being a street preacher (although there is a place for that). It is about sharing the love and peace of Jesus Christ with the people who are the most dear to us -- our family and friends.
Look around you, there are people at work, neighbors, friends and even our dearest family members who are tragically lost and do not know the saving love of Jesus Christ. These people will not have eternal life or even in this life know the peace God gives during trial or his deep love He has for each one of us. How sad is that!
Which leads me back to the original discussion - witnessing.
We will begin a discussion about different ways to witness. There is no right or wrong way. The Holy Spirit will guide you. This is God's job not yours.
The first step is for you to pray for God to open opportunities in your life for witnessing. Then ask God to help your heart to become bold for Him. Get ready for a great ride! He is about to make things really happen in your life and for everyone you interact with!

You are adopted by God...
I am sure you know of a family who has adopted a child. Think of the process the couple went through to adopt. Think about how much they really wanted that child. Think of how they prepared the room for the adopted child and waited anxiously for it's arrival. When the child finally arrived, the couple was overjoyed and spent all their time with the child -- watching the child sleep, holding the child closely, showing the child off to all of their friends and family.

Ephesians 1:5 states, "He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will" (emphasis added)

God not only created you, He adopted you!
God knew exactly what He was doing when He created you - no mistake was made. He adopted you! What do we know about adoptions? They are always wanted! He watches you - even when you sleep! :) He will hold you closely when you are going through a rough time and gives you peace during times of trial. He delights in you and loves you so deeply! Be encouraged! Know that the Lord made no mistake when He created you!