Evangelism Blood transfusion to the the enquiring Offered by Doug Blair, Kitchener ON, 2021 I have always felt that the Book of Acts in the New Testament shows how valuable closeness and touch and shared space were in the Early Church. People rubbed shoulders, hugged, shared meals and resources. They resorted to simple words and opportunities to describe their glorious discoveries in Jesus and His enabling Spirit of Holiness. They turned households into sanctuaries and quiet places of prayer (perhaps down by the river) into stairways to Heaven.
In recent years I have seen how the rush of the clock and the restless agendas of men have squeezed honest “touch” out of church meetings. Honest, direct and compassionate encounter. Let us realize the importance of believers being approachable and honest about their shortcomings. Of visitors not finding stuffiness or alienating language or self-congratulation inside church doors. The Great Commission is largely about “going out” and touching with the aroma and stories of Jesus.
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The First Thing Said to the Church
John 20:
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (NIV)
It is my submission that the Church was birthed in this room of prayer when the disciples saw the risen Lord and received the communication of the Holy Spirit. Others suggest that it was on the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit came in powerful manifestation following Peter's signal sermon (Acts 2). In the above verses I note that the very first statement after Jesus breathed upon His friends concerned forgiving others. Indeed it is at the heart of every Gospel message. Divinity has provided the remedy for the burden and consequence of sin. We are to preach this message. We are to exemplify it. Bitterness and pettiness will only mar the testimony and throw self-imposed chains of handicap around the follower of Christ.
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To forgive is to run against the grain of this insecure society. It is shocking and shaming when observed in its innocent simplicity. The observer may be convinced that the God of this ethic does offer the means of release and a fresh start. In this fashion the Christian witness does cause the remission of sins (KJV). If you are in a struggle of hurt and resentment, take it to prayer and expect the supernatural provision of liberty and love.
Gospel of Peace Spiritual Currency
Summer Tent Meeting Remembered
Our friends were new to this experience, but it had not taken much courteous coaxing. A poor second crop. A dear neighbour found dead in a hot summer field. A part-time job disappearing with the closing of the lumber yard in town. A teen-age son in rebellion and mixing with some undesirables, despite warnings. The music began, complete with fiddles, banjo, drums, accordian and trombone. The old favourites brought a comfort and an encouragement. "Got Any Rivers? You think are uncrossable. Got any Mountains? You can't tunnel through. God specialises in things thought impossible. He'll do for you what none other can do."
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An old saint was called up from the crowd to give a testimony. Ravaged early life. Drugs, dealing, break and enter, jail, divorce, unemployment. But then in a lonely dilapidated boarding house, a visit with Glory for the asking, and a new beginning at age 48. He spoke of the particular power of a portion from the Psalms: If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. (Psalm 130: 3,4) And then the message from Brother Fuller. Parts of it remain still now, clear in the memory, filled with promise, and filled with the thrill of our young friends stepping forward in response to the call of Jesus: "Enough, friends, to be in His family; To relish in the engagement of real, caring prayer; To know that His Testament bequeaths us Life, unburdened conscience and new spiritual power. To sense fore-tastes of Heaven. Enough, to see His artistry at break of day; To hear His serenade in the turtledove; His optimism in a youngster's laugh.
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To thrill at His power in the thunderbolt, In the stinging wind over dry fields, In the deluge that fills the watercourses In mere minutes. Enough, to hear his words of rebuke To the Enemy, the Slanderer, And his underlings who whisper, threaten or foreclose; To understand His assurance that no man, no devil Shall take a child out of His hand. This is our Father, As represented by our Elder Brother. This is salvation, and This is forever." The gathering and the ushering away of new converts. The singing of "Just a Closer Walk with Thee". The dismissal of the assembly from the tent to the clarity of a sparkling late-summer night sky. The scenes remain vivid and awe-inspiring to us, some thirty-five years later.
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I have portrayed one of those glorious revival tent meetings of earlier decades. But a believer can turn his own backyard fence into a sanctuary. Casual talk with a neighbour can include respectful mention of some words of Jesus or a story of His incomparable compassion and willingness to forgive. The same might occur in the school cafeteria or the check-out line at the store or the hospital waiting room. Give it a try leaning on the inexhaustible supply of the Holy Spirit.
Repent and be baptised
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