- Dec 2, 2021
- 948
- 584
- 49
- Country
- New Zealand
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
This week, I spent my holiday at the beach. I saw it as an excellent opportunity to share the Gospel with those who might not know Christ. Each day, I walked along the shore, engaging people in conversations about faith. The responses varied widely.
One notable encounter was with a family of five—two parents and three teenagers. I asked them if they had ever lied, stolen, used God’s name in vain, or harbored hatred toward someone. They all admitted they had. I then asked, "If God judged you by these standards, the Ten Commandments, would you be innocent or guilty?" They answered, "Guilty." I followed up by asking whether that would mean a reward or punishment, and they acknowledged, "Punishment."
At this point, the mother interrupted, saying, "You can stop right there! My family is a good family, and we know we’ll go to heaven. We do many good things."
I gently replied, "You mentioned that you’ve hated someone, which means you’ve had murder in your heart. If you’ve committed murder, how many good deeds would it take to make up for that? And if you’ve hated two people, how many good deeds would you need for two murders?" She paused, considered this, and admitted, "You’re right. You can’t make up for it." With that, she allowed me to continue sharing the Gospel.
At the end of our conversation, I thanked her for letting me finish, and she thanked me for what I shared.
The next day, I spoke to a small group of people who were very receptive to the message. They expressed gratitude and encouraged me to keep sharing with others. Inspired, I approached someone else about 15 meters away. However, this person had the opposite reaction. She told me, "You should stop what you’re doing. You shouldn’t be allowed to do this here."
These contrasting experiences reminded me that while some people are open to the truth, others are resistant or even hostile. It can be discouraging, but we are called to persevere and share the Gospel with as many people as possible, trusting God with the results.
Tomorrow, I am going to a town event to share and so I will let you know how it goes.
One notable encounter was with a family of five—two parents and three teenagers. I asked them if they had ever lied, stolen, used God’s name in vain, or harbored hatred toward someone. They all admitted they had. I then asked, "If God judged you by these standards, the Ten Commandments, would you be innocent or guilty?" They answered, "Guilty." I followed up by asking whether that would mean a reward or punishment, and they acknowledged, "Punishment."
At this point, the mother interrupted, saying, "You can stop right there! My family is a good family, and we know we’ll go to heaven. We do many good things."
I gently replied, "You mentioned that you’ve hated someone, which means you’ve had murder in your heart. If you’ve committed murder, how many good deeds would it take to make up for that? And if you’ve hated two people, how many good deeds would you need for two murders?" She paused, considered this, and admitted, "You’re right. You can’t make up for it." With that, she allowed me to continue sharing the Gospel.
At the end of our conversation, I thanked her for letting me finish, and she thanked me for what I shared.
The next day, I spoke to a small group of people who were very receptive to the message. They expressed gratitude and encouraged me to keep sharing with others. Inspired, I approached someone else about 15 meters away. However, this person had the opposite reaction. She told me, "You should stop what you’re doing. You shouldn’t be allowed to do this here."
These contrasting experiences reminded me that while some people are open to the truth, others are resistant or even hostile. It can be discouraging, but we are called to persevere and share the Gospel with as many people as possible, trusting God with the results.
Tomorrow, I am going to a town event to share and so I will let you know how it goes.
