John 7: 28a – 31
“’I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.’
At this, they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, ‘When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?’”
A while back I wrote about Smudge the cat. Smudge belongs to the neighbor but for personal reasons having to do with a lot of competition for attention in that house, Smudge likes to visit us and loves attention. A little scratching behind the ears and Smudge is putty in your hands purring like a kitten. So while Smudge isn’t our cat, you might say she’s our friend.
One of the things about having a cat for a friend is that you become the recipient of signs of their affection. Cats are generous. They like to bring gifts and leave them on your doorstep. Of course what a cat might think is a wonderful gift is probably not the same thing that you would want for a gift. In Smudge’s case, she is a good hunter, and she proudly brings us the trophies she has brought down herself.
Now while I might not particularly like having a dead chewed up mouse on my doorstep, I do appreciate the fact that Smudge is keeping the little critters out of my house and cares enough for our friendship to offer us the occasional gift mouse. Even though Smudge is not around when we find our gift, we know who it came from. You might say it is a “sign” of Smudge having been there.
Jesus talks funny. He speaks about God and authority and having been sent by God, and people don’t get it. He does miracles and signs by healing people of all kinds, and then feeding thousands and thousands in one sitting. When they try and take him by force, they are unable to lay a hand on him because his time had not yet come.
Q: Suppose you are sitting at the bus stop waiting and you start talking to another person there about God and suppose they ask why you believe. What signs would you point to?
That is the question I wait for!
I would tell them my story, how I met Christ, how He changed my life as well as my family. The freedom and desire I now have to do what I could not do before. Good for others.
I would tell them how Christ is with us, loves them and is calling their name, how I could help introduce them if they would like.
As this world continues to become darker, the number of lost to saved is becoming huge. God has blessed us with a wonderful opportunity to minister to people on all fronts.
He leads them to us, the Holy Spirit is convicting them ( Jn 16:8 ), and All we need to do is allow Christ in us to love them.
Enter into a genuine non judgmental conversation show interest in them rather than ourselves. People love to talk about themselves. Wait and the opening will always come.
Thanks Ron!
Isn’t it wonderful how God not only provides “signs” in Scripture, but also has given each one of us personal “signs” in our own lives!
I would go the same route as Ron with my personal testimony, but I would also talk about my experience with archaeology and apologetics. I find the physical evidence convincing.
Hmm… I like what Ron and Nathan have shared. I love apologetics, but find that most helpful if people are open and ready. And, of course, we need to bring things up in a loving, kind, respectful way to hopefully win a person and not an argument. I believe the testimony is a great way to go to show how Jesus has worked in my life. We can also “read” people. We can listen and hear where they are coming from and tailor the conversation according to individual needs. I don’t think this is a one size fits all as far as methodology. Sharing our faith happens through relationship and with an understanding that each person is uniquely different and uniquely made in God’s image.