Battle Log

Wednesday, 31 October, 2018

Posted 5 November 2018, 7:21 PM by Matthew Andersen. Permalink

The primary reason that Christians think that all non-Christians are hostile and vehemently against talking about the Gospel is because the only people Christians have to engage with are the ones hostile enough to raise it themselves.

Oppositely, when we as Christians start to raise the topic of eternity, we will find out how open most people really are. This shows itself in different ways at different outreaches. In Brisbane city some of the team members use the flip charts on the footpath. Others sit down next to people and ask simple questions such as, "Where do you think you will go after you die?" This sitting down method, has around a fifty percent success rate. One in two people will be happy to talk. Most of those who cannot aren't hostile they just are busy or otherwise occupied.

As you are about to be encouraged in some conversations from this past Wednesday, ponder this, How could you implement this simple question and strategy to engage with people in your life, for the sake of the Gospel?

If you are worried about what to say next, you're more than welcome to join a local team and stand next to someone else, listening to what they have to say and how they negotiate a Gospel conversation.

Wednesday was filled with conversations but for the sake of time here are five people to specifically be praying for.

An early conversation was had with Paula. She had a Catholic background and had "worshiped" the Catholic way, doing all the right things for years. A few weeks earlier her mother (another devout Catholic) had died and as a result she had completely rejected God. She was angry with Him and wanted nothing to do with Him. Please be praying that God would use the simple conversation had to leave Paula away from her self-righteous hatred of God, to a total surrender and trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

Following from that conversation was one with two tourist, Dani and Alexis (male). These two started out saying they didn't think there was a God but ended up hearing the Gospel and saying that it made sense.

Interestingly, as is often pointed out in these battle log reports, most people's problem with Christianity is not found in the intellectual arguments they make. This was the case with Dani and Alexis. They argued for evolution (against Creation). They argued for the corruption of the Bible (against its truthfulness). They argued for the non-existence of miracles (rather than their existence) and they argued against God's law (trying to replace it with their own). On each occasion and in the final summary it was explicitly stated that, it isn't that their main problem was Creation, the Bible, Miracles or God's law rather it was the God of Creation, the God of the Bible, the God of Miracles and the God who gives the law.

They didn't want God and so they were "hell-bent" on using anything they could muster up to try and convince themselves that He didn't exist and therefore wouldn't judge them for their sin. Sadly they were seeking to try and avoid their guilt by pretending they weren't guilty, rather than coming in repentant faith to the one who can actually remove the guilt and save a sinner.

Please be praying that these two will give up their sinful self-love and turn to the sinless, selfless Saviour.

An exciting conversation was had with Shaun. He had almost no Christian understanding, except for Jesus' name. He heard the Gospel simply and clearly. He said he understood it and at the end he even said he would consider it. He took a Gospel of John. Please be praying for Shaun, that he would consider who Jesus is and what He has done and therefore turn from sin, to Christ in total surrender.

There is also a man named Darren who has been quite against talking (this isn't uncommon for middle aged men). A few comments and questions have been exchanged but sadly Darren is currently closed off to even discussing further than his desire to "not think about death". Please be praying that God would bring along an opportunity, for a friend, relative or even the team to be able to speak with Darren, to share with him the words of eternal life.

Lastly, the team spoke with a lady named Tristana. She was broken. Due to a string of recent tragedies, he life was in shambles and she had nowhere to turn. She also didn't understand sin and its consequences or the cross of Christ and its victories. The Gospel was explained to her, a tract was given and the team prayed that God would use this scenario to lead Tristana to seeking and knowing God. as C.S. Lewis wisely said, "Pain is God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world".