A couple of nights ago (May 29, 2021), I awoke with a dream that I believe was from the Lord. Please pray for discernment! In a way, the meaning is obvious, and yet I think there is more here than meets the eye. And it involves all of you!
In this dream, I was some sort of talk show host, or TV personality. Had a show that was interactive, inviting many “guests” on the show. The show was taped with a live audience, who was also very interactive. On this show, I regularly shared my faith, along with messages of encouragement and faith building exercises. It was a fun show, and I really enjoyed doing it. In the dream, I discovered I was pregnant with my 5th child. This was quite remarkable as I was pretty old to be having a child. At this point, I wasn’t “showing”, but had apparently told my Producer I’d be leaving the show soon, and that they would have to find my replacement.
We were interviewing a well known TV personality to take over my position when I left the show to have the baby. He was very popular, professional, well-spoken and smooth. But he wanted to take the show in a “different’ direction. He told the Producer…
“I’m not comfortable sharing my faith. Faith is a very personal thing, and I don’t think it’s fair that I attempt to influence anybody. They should make up their own minds about what they believe”. I shouldn’t try to persuade anybody to believe what I believe“.
He sounded so slick and smooth and very convincing. Yes, this makes alot of sense, right? I saw a look of consternation come over my Producer’s face as she listened to him, so I jumped in…with the folllowing comments…
“That is precisely WHY I DO share my faith! Faith is so important. Truth is so important. If I can use this public platform to help lead people in the right direction – to JESUS CHRIST, then I feel it is very important that I do so.”
My Producer shook her head approvingly and agreed with my comments. It is VERY important to share our faith. It is very, very important for us to help others learn about the TRUE GOD, about how much HE LOVES THEM, and help them discover HOW to have a RELATIONSHIP with THEIR CREATOR – JESUS CHRIST.
Then, upon awakening, this verse popped into my head..
“Do not hide your light under a basket”
Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
The world (and even many in the lukewarm, laodicean Church) tells us that it is wrong to share our faith in Jesus Christ, God’s ONLY MESSIAH! The world tells us that we should AFFIRM ALL FAITHS! The world is telling us that we should AFFIRM IDOLATRY. This is what ancient Israel did before she divided and fell. In those days, there was “religious tolerance” because all regions had their “own gods” (idols/demonic entities pretending to be GOD). Today not much has changed in that everyone has “their own god”, and so it is not considered “polite or politically correct” for us to claim that Elohim (FATHER/SON/HOLY SPIRIT ) is the ONLY TRUE GOD and the ONLY path to Heaven. But….it is the TRUTH.
ROME — Pope Francis told Christian high school students this weekend they should respect people of other faiths and not attempt to convert them to Christianity, insisting “we are not living in the times of the crusades.”
The pope went on to say that a Christian should never try to convince others of the truth of Christianity, but should simply give a testimony of consistency and wait for others to ask about the faith.
The Bible DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS this teaching of the Pope and other “popular modern preachers”.
Let me ask you a question. What if you were a fireman who had arrived on scene to witness a burning building. You saw several groups of people preparing themselves to go into the building to search for their family members or loved ones. Each of them was donning a different type of “fire suit” that they believed was fireproof, impenetrable and would keep them safe as they ran into the building. But you arrived with your legitimate, authentic firesuit, the one worn by professional firemen.
Would you let them run into the burning building with a makeshift suit that would not protect them without saying anything? Or would you tell them that they should put on the correct gear that you happened to have with you and were willing to give them free of charge? What if they had spent lots and lots of money and time putting together their own makeshift suits? What if their family believed these makeshift suits were the safest? What if they considered your offer an INSULT? What if you KNEW that if you TOLD them that their makeshift firesuits would NOT protect them, they would be angry and defensive?
Would you let them burn or would you try to warn them understanding that they may retaliate in anger?
The Apostles shared their faith with unbelievers for the purpose of converting them TO Christianity. All of them, except for the Apostle John, went to their death as martyrs. To the Jewish people, they taught about the Jewish Messiah (Son of David). To the pagans, they taught about the Messiah (Son of God) for all mankind who brings us back into a relationship with the LIVING GOD by His Shed blood on the Cross. They did NOT affirm other religions, but rather, they told people to TURN from those “worthless things” that cannot save. That’s probably not something you will hear from the megachurch pulpit!
If the apostles hadn’t shared the TRUE Gospel, the Church would have died out 2000 years ago, and nobody else would have been SAVED. We would likely not be saved!!! If the apostles hadn’t shared the Gospel, they would not have gone to their deaths as martyrs. Christians who do not share their faith will not experience persecution. They will NOT be hated. Persecution only happens when we let our light shine because DARKNESS HATES THE LIGHT!
John 15:18: “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you
Matthew 10:22: And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
John 15:19: If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
John 17:14: I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Luke 6:22: Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.
Jesus told us to “Go and make disciples of all nations”. This is the Great Commission. He did NOT tell us to bury our light under a basket, “affirming all religions”. He did NOT do this! Jesus TOLD us that the world would HATE us. If the world does not hate us, then we’re probably doing something wrong. As Christians, we have been given a very special GIFT. We are supposed to look, speak and act DIFFERENTLY than the world. But many false teachers are preaching that Christians are supposed to HIDE our light. We are supposed to AFFIRM all “religions” and UNIFY with them. We are supposed to look EXACTLY like the WORLD so that EVERYONE WILL LOVE US. This is a false gospel and a false light. They do this under the guise of one of God’s commandments ” Love your neighbor as yourself.” They say..”If you LOVE your neighbor, you will NOT tell them the truth” You will AFFIRM his/her false belief system. In this way, you will be practicing “Christian Love” and they will love you and be unified with you”.
In-effect, it is fast becoming “hate speech” to tell the TRUTH to those running into a burning building – that their own makeshift firesuits will melt under the heat and pressure of the fire, leaving them scorched and dead. Instead, it is considered far more loving to affirm their faulty suits saying “Yes, go on in, that suit looks safe. It will protect you. The fire will not touch you. All our suits are made exactly the same anyway, so you will not be harmed. No worries”.
Luke 6:26: Woe to you when all the people speak well of you; for their fathers used to treat the false prophets the same way.
Why did the world hate Jesus? Why should the world hate us?
John 7:7: The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify about it, that its deeds are evil.
John 3:19: And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed.
Jesus testified that the world’s deeds are EVIL. Some may say that Jesus Himself did not try to convert people to “Christianity”. Well, first we must understand that Jesus was NOT a “Christian”, He was a JEW. And…..Jesus was sent only to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” to proclaim the KINGDOM OF GOD. Jesus was ONLY sent to the Jews, who were still in the MOSAIC COVENANT (LAW) with God. They were going to be the first ones to hear the GOSPEL MESSAGE because God was honoring His Covenant. But…when the JEWISH PEOPLE REJECTED their MESSIAH, and crucified Him (which was the plan all along to save mankind), God sent PAUL as the APOSTLE to the GENTILES (non-Jews) so that all people would have a chance to be saved. The Gospel of Jesus Christ being preached to the GENTILES is the age of Grace, the time we are in now. This time we are now in is not unlimited. In the not too distant future, God will remove His Church from the earth and turn His face back to the Jewish people for the final indignation/Tribulation period. Until then….
Paul and others were sent to the pagan gentiles to convert them from “useless things/FALSE religion” to faith in the LIVING GOD through the MESSIAH JESUS CHRIST.
Acts 14: 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men, of the same nature as you, preaching the gospel to you, to turn from these useless things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything that is in them
In Lystra, Paul and Barnabas were preaching the Gospel to pagans. These people had their own religion. They actually thought that Paul and Barnabus were “incarnations” of their own Greek “gods” Hermes and Zeus (idols/demonic beings). Paul and Barnabus tore their clothes in protest. (This was a common practice in Judaism). Did Paul and Barnabas “affirm” the other religions? No. Paul called them “USELESS THINGS”..and told the people to TURN AWAY from their FALSE RELIGION and instead embrace SAVING FAITH in the LIVING GOD, the CREATOR of everything. The Jews came along and continued to stir the pot, and the people of the city stoned Paul.
When the Pope or other “religious’ leaders teach that it is “unChristian” to proselytize or LEAD people to CHRISTIANITY, they are FLAT OUT WRONG!!
Jesus told us to “Go and make disciples of all nations”.
The Bible instructs us to do the exact opposite of what the Pope and other apostate Church leaders are teaching!
Matthew 28:19: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
If we hide our faith under a bushel, under our bed, under a box, HOW will people HEAR the Gospel? How will they KNOW the truth? HOW will they be SAVED?? The truth is, they won’t!
Romans 10:14: How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?
A preacher doesn’t have to be a Pastor or an elder. You and I can preach! We can share our faith! How beautiful are the feet who share GOOD NEWS: No wonder those who preach have beautiful feet – they partner with God for the salvation of men. The feet speak of activity, motion, and progress, and those who are active and moving in the work of preaching the gospel have beautiful feet.
I used to be very shy and hesitant to share my faith. My husband did as well. What if people don’t like me? What if they make fun of me? What if they accuse me of being weird, narrow minded, bigoted, or worse? What if they flat out reject what I’m telling them? What if my friends no longer want to hang out with me? What if they downright hate me? Yes, this is the fear of man, and I had it BIG TIME. I still fight it from time to time.
Our culture teaches that it is NOT polite to share our Christian faith with others. It is NOT polite to try to convince people that Jesus is the ONLY way. You might OFFEND people. What about all of the other religions out there? Are you telling them that they are wrong? HOW RUDE! How will they respond? What will they think??? Well, as we know, most people who believe in other religions will REJECT Jesus Christ and His OFFER of Grace. Many will STRONGLY REJECT our Christian faith. I mean, Paul was beaten and stoned when he told the pagans that they were worshiping “USELESS IDOLS”. 😲
In the book of Acts, Paul’s STRONG REBUKE of paganism, which was all the rage back then, was not well received. In-fact, the Bible tells us that a RIOT ensued, and Paul and Barnabus had to flee for their lives. They even stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was DEAD!
Acts 14: 19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking that he was dead.
Sure, this could be one very good reason why people are afraid to share their faith. Who wants to be stoned, either literally or figuratively? It took boldness. It took courage. It took wisdom, opportunity, and honestly, without the help of the Holy Spirit, would never have happened. Thankfully, God equips the called He doesn’t call the equipped. Holy Spirit will help us know how, where, when, and to whom we should share our faith.
The meaning of the dream above is pretty clear. The Producer is the Holy Spirit who is instructing us to share our faith, not hide it. The slick man who was interviewing to take over the show was the lukewarm, laodicean spirit that has invaded many of our modern Churches today. And the message is…”Go and make disciples of all nations”.
Perhaps the Lord is calling you to step outside of your comfort zone and share your faith? Perhaps you have already been doing that. If you haven’t, now is a great time to start! Please take the information you have learned on the pages of this blog, take what you have learned and discovered from the Word of God, take your personal story of how JESUS has moved in your life, and share with your family, your friends, your community.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ must be preached to all nations and THEN the end will come, Jesus will return.
Please pray over this message. Is the Lord calling you to greater service? Some people find opportunity to share their faith through their own church community, but others may find other opportunities outside of a formal Church setting. We recognize that we do live in a hostile world, one that is growing further and further away from FAITH in JESUS CHRIST and the GOSPEL. In some instances and countries, sharing our faith will literally put our lives in danger, as it did with the Apostle Paul. This is why WISDOM is required…along with PRAYER, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us. We must stand for the truth, but we also must do it in a spirit of gentleness and kindness, not anger or frustration. This is where wisdom comes in. God will not have us sharing the Gospel in a place where you KNOW they will tear you to shreds. Jesus tells us not to throw our pearls before Swine. Holy Spirit will instruct us on who, where, when and HOW to share our faith
1 Peter 3:15, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”
The gospel is a “gift,” but it is more than that. For Christians, it is a responsibility. Every single follower of Christ should be doing everything he or she can to try to reach other people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Here are some ideas on HOW you can share your faith.
1. Share these blog posts, and other Christian content on your social media accounts. Social media is an easy way to share your faith.
2. Share your testimony. Something CAUSED you to BELIEVE the Gospel. Share your testimony (when given the opportunity). Many things are debatable, but your personal story is not one of them. Everyone has a story.
3. When sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, remember it is about relationship with the Living God, not RELIGION. Jesus changes lives, not some religious system. Don’t get sidetracked by peripheral things, stay focused on the simple truth of the Gospel, and how God’s saving Grace has transformed your life!
4. Keep it simple and rely on God. While it’s important to have a basic understanding of God’s Word to be an effective witness for Christ, this doesn’t mean you must have a theology degree. Some of the most effective evangelists have been people who had no formal Christian training or background. Memorizing a few verses such as Romans 10:13, Romans 10:9 or John 1:12, is all you need for a reference point to communicate God’s promise that if an individual is willing to turn to Him, He will give forgiveness.
Romans 10:13: for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:9: that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
John 1:12: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,
5. Be Transparent. Although you may think it embarassing, sharing our own flaws, faults, sins helps us connect with others (keeping it real)...as well as glorifying the Name of Jesus who changes lives. Christians are not perfect people, we are just SAVED!
6. Ask for God’s help. (pray). Ask Him for boldness, wisdom, and the ability to speak clearly. Ask Him for opportunity to share your faith. Are you willing to inconvenience yourself and step out of your comfort zone to reach out to someone who is going through a tough time? Ask God to use you and give you the right words, at the right times. Ask for wisdom on who to talk to and how you should talk to them. Let God lead you and ask Him to fill you with His spirit.
At the end of the day….
The greatest thing you can do in this life is point someone else to Christ. You can’t make a person say “yes” to Jesus – that’s not your responsibility – but you can be a catalyst to help someone understand that his or her whole purpose in this life is to have a relationship with Christ. Our responsibility is to plant the seed. After that, we rely on God to bring the rain and fertilize the soil. This is what we should pray for, that God would cause the seed we planted to GROW.
God wants to use you. God can use you.
You may feel ill equipped, but remember, it’s not based on your personality, how well you articulate or how many Bible verses you know. Rather, it’s about your willingness to say, “Lord, here I am. Send me.”
Time is growing shorter and shorter. People are falling away from the faith in droves. It takes ALL of us SHINING our LIGHT to assist in God’s end-time harvest. We ALL need to work together to share what God has given us so that more can come into the Kingdom of God. It is sometimes difficult to share our faith, especially in today’s hostile world, but if you’ve never done it before, you will be so excited when you do!
Even if it doesn’t go well, even if you feel totally rejected, you can lay your head down on your pillow at night KNOWING that you did somthing for the KINGDOM OF GOD…and for our KING JESUS! You planted a seed! And that is going to feel very, very good!
