10/21/25 FISHING FOR FISHERMEN

10/21/25 FISHING FOR FISHERMEN

Brother Wade and I were out again this week, looking for opportunities to talk to people and share Good News with them. Sometimes we meet folks who have no idea about the gospel, sometimes we meet people who are hardened and resistant to the gospel, sometimes we meet people who have become indifferent, sometimes we meet people who are backslidden and realize they need to repent and sometimes we meet people who are Christians in a right relationship with Jesus (at various stages or levels). I thank God that He leads me to people, whatever their status is with God, because God has something for everyone, regardless of their relationship with Him.

I am looking forward to going with other men in our church, to share the Good News with folks. I have watched brother Wade develop his witnessing skills over the past several months. Sometimes I am able to just stand back and pray, while he shares with folks. Sometimes we both share with a person in a conversational way, or he may individually talk to one person while I talk to someone else.

It takes time to witness this way because we are not just handing out Gospel Tracts. We are concerned about the people we talk with, and we care about the issues that are on their minds. This is very much like the interaction that Jesus had with people, with whom He was sharing. We greet them, we listen, we talk and we listen for the opportunity to share a witness or testimony at the appropriate time. We want to offer something that the person needs. God gives us everything we need for life and godliness. The Lord gives us words of care, encouragement, and challenge. Most of the time we have really good opportunities to offer specific answers to their questions and concerns.

There are a lot of broken people in our world and there are a lot of people who want healing or want a closer walk with Jesus. It amazes me how many people are open and responsive to the message of Christ, when it is shared in compassion. We look for those opportunities. Since most of the people we talk to are only visiting the area, I talk to them about their home church, if they have one. I encourage those who are attending a Bible preaching church. I encourage them concerning their personal lives, their family life, their church life. I always hope that they return home from their coastal get-a-way with a deeper desire to follow Jesus and be a stronger worker with their pastor and church folks. Maybe they see something admirable when they see the two of us, pastor and parishioner, working together in spreading the Good News.

Sometimes I meet folks who have not had anyone tell them about salvation or about Jesus, ever. Hopefully those people will read, listen for God's voice, and seek the Lord while He may be found. Hopefully God will send other Christians to those I have talked with, and there will be a more open door for a personal commitment.

Remember, God has given us the word of reconciliation, God has given us the message of salvation to give to someone else. This is why the Bible says we are DEBTORS TO OTHER PEOPLE. We have something that belongs to them, and we owe it to them until we have passed it to them.

We are living at a time when very few people in the USA even have a basic understanding of the Gospel, and there are very few believers who will ever reach out to those in darkness. I have been at this since 1965, but I am still learning how to be a witness. Don't wait until you are the perfect witness. Your knowledge, understanding, wisdom, ability will improve as you go. As the KJV puts it, "GO YE..."