There's Still Time. . .

. . . but not for long!

Jesus will return to earth and it could be at anytime, whether next minute, tomorrow, or in 50 years. We have to be ready. As I write this post I am assuming that you readers are Christians. While that may not be true I just wanted you all to know where I am coming from, because this assumption will affect this post.

As Christians, we must be ready to leave the earth and go to heaven. We can't waste our time while important work is left to be done. What kind of work? Laboring in a harvest field.

A WHAT?????

Yes, you heard me right; perhaps a look at a Scripture would be helpful.

"Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"---Matthew 9:37-38, NIV

This is an allegory(a representation of one thing by another). When Jesus speaks of "the harvest" he is talking about all the people in the world who do not know him. "The workers" are Christians who tell those people about Jesus.

As Christians, we are called to be telling others about Jesus and His wonderful gift of salvation. How can we go about doing that? Well, in each of our lives there are most likely two camps of people to share Christ with: (1)those we know(or know of) and (2)those whom we've never seen, met, talked to, or heard about.


How can we minister to the first group?

~Pray for them. Prayer, or talking with God, is powerful. Although God knows our hearts and what or who we are burdened for, He loves to hear us talk to Him. He wants us to pour out our hearts to Him. Even if you don't see immediate results in the life of the person you're praying for, don't give up; sometimes it takes years for something to happen, but do not be discouraged. Keep praying.

~Invite them to something. This one depends on the situation. You may be praying for someone who lives far away, or someone you have no contact with anymore. However, you might be praying for a neighbor or someone who goes to your school or who does a certain activity with you. If so you may be able to invite them to an event at your church. It doesn't necessarily need to be Sunday School or church service; maybe it's a sports league at your church, or Vacation Bible School. How about a get-together/potluck your church is hosting? Depending on the person it doesn't have to be at church. Once my siblings and I hosted a game night with some friends and invited a neighbor. We didn't say anything about God; we were just building a relationship. Sometimes just starting as friends is best.

~You might send them cards(or emails, or the like). I share my birthday with someone whose salvation I'm praying for, so for the past couple of years I've sent them a birthday card, just a simple note. It's basically the only contact I have with this person, which makes the cards more important. And it's really not that hard. The note doesn't have to be long; just let them know that you're thinking of them.



What about the second group? Those whom you don't know at all?

~Show them through your actions. You may never talk to people, but they can watch you and see what you do, like what your attitudes are, how you treat your parents, siblings, and others, what you say, how you act, etc. As the old saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words."

~Pray for them. Believe it or not, you can pray for them. Occasionally I see someone and start praying for them, even though I don't know them! You may not ever think of them again, and that's nothing to feel guilty about; God doesn't expect you to, but who knows? One prayer could be an amazing thing!

~You could ask them straight out! This may partly depend on your personality. I know someone who asks people directly whether or not they know Jesus. For me personally, this is not the way I prefer to witness to others. However, God may be calling to that or maybe that works well for you.



Some of these things are definitely harder than others, but sharing Christ is extremely important! It really is a matter of life and death--for eternity! In some cases there's not anything to do except pray; in others it might be good to invite them to something. Ask God to show you what to do and when the time is right. Maybe you need to simply pray for someone now but later will be called to have more contact with them. I don't know. Just follow what God says; His timing is perfect.




From one harvest laborer to another,



~Princess Gloria




"'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'"---Acts 1:8, NIV


P.S. If you have any questions or would like to share a way you witness, or even share a testimony, please feel free to leave comments.