Hi, Blog.
It's being a while I missed you. This time, I would like to write in English, to practice my English.
I read a book this morning about "Evangelism: Reaching out through relationships". I always have the intention to join evangelism in the community, especially in rural region all over the world, this could include the community where I am living. However, the questions on "how? when? can I? what should I do? I'm not a big group person., Am I doing the right thing? Is it the right intention or what the Holy Spirit told me to do?" always come out in my mind and stop the action I nearly put on. What is Evangelism? Just sharing the gospel? Anything to do after the person accepted Christ? How to spare the gospel?
Often, I would hear from Christians saying, "Going to a mission trip, you must know how to tell the gospel." You know what my heart and mind react on this? I was like..... "WHY???" To me, telling good news and evangelism isn't an a-day thing or onset event. It is a long journey from knowing the person to God touches him/ her life and soul.
I am introvert, as I always told people. However, when comes to the words of God and evangelism event, I am NOT as I told the crowd. I was active in mind, organized, and strictly follow what I have planned. Of course, God always ruined what I had planned and told me to follow what HE had planned. Well, I would say, humanity, as I am not perfect, serve in incomplete community with PERFECT and LOVING GOD. :-)
Back to what I had read this morning, the chapter started with testimony of how the author came to Christ with a simple reason: "Although we alone must make the decision to receive Christ, the relationship that makes a person becomes a Christians is essential and crucial in the beginning."
As in XEE evangelism, we spread the gospel by touching life. This is not a short journey, but it is a long journey to corporate with different people who experiences God's perfectness. How the church can make it success in Evangelism ministry? I have no idea actually, but the main point is welcoming everyone from the community and treat them the same. It looks easy for everyone, but how many people leaving their church just because the church abandons them due to sickness, wickedness, sins, poverty? A church should be a place for everyone. As written in this reading with two main messages of their church,
1. COME AS YOU ARE, where this is a community of imperfect people doing life together, becoming all that God had created us to be. You don't have to scare how people look at you, think of you, who you have voted for the politicians, how much you have earned from your investment or work, or where you stay. Whether you identified yourself as Christians or non-Christians, having an excellent relationship with God or not whole life or you not even sure He is there and exist for you, the church is welcoming you as you are. Just bring your doubts, questions, hurts and fears forwards---- no need to leave anything at the door.
Question: How many of us today judge people as they wear, powered, or outlook? Shouldn't the church is a place where people gathered as a person and accepted who they are?
Well, I was judged when I voiced I tired of my ministry. Still, I do believe God is there to train me with all the crisis. My feeling of the judgement from people might be identified as "I am too sensitive." as I being told by others. I would say, "this is different between introvert and extrovert personality overall, and specifically, it is just the difference of the gift or talent.'
Imaging when a church full of attendees with different level from society, an amazing diversity from bikers, gays alongside straights, politicians, high-techies, Goths, hard-rockers, beggars, homeless, and else, how it will look like? I beat humanity response would be, "how they can join this crowd? I don't like to associate with them! " Wow, although people won't express it out, you may notice on their face. Could you remember any scene from our Bible about gathering of tax collectors and sinners? Yea, the Pharisees felt the same way when these group of people flocked to JESUS. A question to think about: "Am I the Pharisees?"
2. NO PERFECT PEOPLE ALLOWED. Peace does not come in a pipe! Romans 3:23-24, "For all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." A church's group or fellowship should not stop the program just because they stole something from the church during the events. However, shouldn't we think of, "have we care for their needs? or fulfil their needs?", by teaching them how to survive or out from poverty, or at least they have enough in their daily needs. Are they experiencing enough LOVE, HOSPITALITY, ACCEPTANCE, and CARING that they have not known previously? If you live what you believe, people will see Christ through you and know you are Christian. Another question to myself again, "Am I putting shoes on the gospel so that I might literally LOVE anyone through good times and bad?"
Community is like salve on the wound of humanity because we were built to be interdependent on each other.
Living in a community where we can have a biblical study among the place. It was not a difficult thing to work out, but I failed to voice out and make it a real event. A foundation strong on Bible, an attractive program between Christian and non-Christian by telling friends around, where everyone is welcoming to meet each other to discuss their doubt, thoughts and happiness or even sadness and worries. Would it be challenging? I have no idea, but I told God I would like to make it real one day, starting in this Calleya community, for the Chinese group of people. Not forcing anyone to believe what I believe, but through caring and loving action to bring them into knowing Christ. Although somewhat cynical, it is probably close to the truth.
I might not know how to answer a person's question on faith, but my God can!! People can laugh or look down on me, just because I know God won't. It is a way to mould me as a vessel or a piece of anything at the end of the world.
Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--- not by works, so that no one can boast."
Written and saved on Sunday, 17th May 2020 by a servant of the Lord, Helen.