Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Candy Christians

I've been giving a lot of thought to 'The Way of the Master' Seminar by Ray Comfort that I attended last weekend.

Evangelism and witnessing is not something I have felt drawn to like some people I know. After attending this seminar and pondering further the subject matter I've admitted to myself that the reason is because I never knew exactly what to say.

I've always approached witnessing as a one on one, individually tailored interaction between two people that have developed relationship through another means. Just talking to a complete stranger about Jesus has never appealed to me. I've done it, but it's not been something I've initiated. Usually it's been the outcome of a conversation started on another subject, or in response to a direct question they've asked.

But after attending this seminar, and now as I read the accompanying book by the same name, I'm getting quite excited about talking to complete strangers about Jesus. I feel equiped, I know where to start and I know where to go from there.

It's a very good teaching and one I completely agree with. The sugar coated church of today in America is producing celophane wrapped candy Christians. (My definition, not Ray Comfort's) They're good to begin with, but once they become unwrapped they only last for a moment. Unwrapping comes in the form of trials, disappointments, and challenges.

He teaches that the reason for this is because we are telling them they are saved "to" something. Life will be easier, you will have a friend in Jesus, all your problems will be solved because you'll be linked up with the greatest problem solver of all time. But then when, not if, times get tough and tribulations begin, as they will for every believer (it's a promise)they turn away saying; "this is not what I signed up for." They feel like they've been deceived, and actually they have.

To the greater extreme you have the "Name it Claim it" (cults in my opinion) telling people God doesn't want you to ever suffer or want for anything. There's a lot of disappointment down the road for them when they can't figure out what they are doing wrong because they have suffering and are not getting everything they want. They turn away feeling as though they've failed at being a good christian.

Ray Comfort contends that if we would switch to offering people salvation "from" something, when the trials and tribulations come they would be able to persevere, knowing that the alternative is much worse than anything we can suffer in this life. Salvation from forever being separated from God, from eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth in the pit of hell. Once a person understands that is the destiny they are choosing by their self-righteousness and their false hope that God is a good and loving God and wouldn't condemn someone to such a fate... which is what many of the walking dead believe.

If you're interested in reading more about the method used to help a person see their need for a savior, read the previous post. If you have any questions about this (I don't know who I'm talking to here, I'm the only person that reads my blog! LOL), email me. Let's talk.

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