[God] hath done whatsoever [H]e pleaseth.  (Psalm 115)

God willing, we will begin a book study this next Tiesday with other men of God.  I am looking forward to this. The book we are to study (DV) is called, “The Man of God.” by Albert N. Martin. The book speaks to the calling of a man by God to serve in a ministerial capacity.

One (1) of the points that is made early on is mistakes made by pastors and how these mistakes serve to make a better pastor, a more experienced pastor. When I look over the two (2) decades of ministry, one (1) mistake always comes to mind. I am embarrassed again and again by this mistake. (DV), we will shre this mistake with you. This mistake is something a pastor or a witness could and should learn from.

At the beginning of my preaching life I preached a message on a lamb. This lamb was a little girl’s pet but in the father’s eyes it was to be sold as meat. We’ll not go in to depth but let it be said, the girl lost her pet. The message was on sacrifice.  There were many streams of tears to be sure.

I was asked to preach at another church and I chose the same “sermon.”  I figured if it brought persons to tears once, it’ll do it again. There is no other way to say it than the “sermon” was dead, dead, dead!!! There not only were no tears but God wasn’t in it at all. I was preaching a sermon and not delivering or bringing a message to the people of God from the peoples’s God. I was utterly humiliated. I learned a very valuable lesson that day….God is not an electronic device.

God will not be turned on or turned off when you wish Him to. God does not react on command. God will not do this if you do that. I know how to press or push buttons on persons…I can do that very well, but God…..God has no buttons. God has no levers. God has no switches.  The minister, in whatever capacity he acts, must learn this…must know this…must remember this. It is God that turns you on and off. He pushes and presses your button, you have levers and switches.

This brings me to door to door witnessing. I used to do this and I know how it is done, and how wrong it is.  Christ said, “Do not go house to house.”  Christ’s directive overthrows Acts 20. I used to watch persons go from house to house like robots. These person’s (who were taught this and thought they were doing right) would say the exact same thing. It was obvious to the persons behind the doors that it was all rehearsed and was not genuine.

There is nothing wrong with going door to door….if you are inviting persons to church and if the Spirit prompts you, testify to your Faith and to Christ. There is nothing wrong with leaving invitations on front door handles but never in mail boxes and parking lots can get you into trouble.

I’ve seen sinners say “the prayer” just to get us off their property. It was obvious that thisperson meant it not, but it was reported as a soul saved anyway.  This style of….I don’t even want to call it evangelism.  This door knocking can give a person a false sense of salvation. When this person with the false sense of salvation is witnessed to by someone who is doing it properly, the unsaved will respond with, “O’ I’m already saved.” I’ve seen it.

Do not think I’m trashing the art of the witness, I’m not. I know a pastor that goes to garage sales and makes himself friendly and then before he leaves, he gives a good witness.  That’s one (1) good way it’s done. Another good way is grocery store attendants or convenience store clerks. Go to the same clerk or attendant and over time, build up a familiarity and when the time is right, give them a tracts and tell them about Christ. These are persons you plan on working with over a period of time.

My methods vary. We will go to a Panera, find a Bible study and then assault their faith as foolish. This gets them stirred up and others customers focus in. I then tell them I’m a minister and it was great to see them fight the good fight.  Many things are accomplished with this method:
*Christ-ians defend their faith and God
*God is pleased to see and hear this.
*The Christ-ians I verblly assault are greatly encourages and they share their experience with others.
*The other customers hear about God and see Christ-ians in action.
*I have a lot of fun and enjoy my God.

Often in small business shops, Christ-ian’s will play Christ-ian music, these persons can also be encouraged as those above.

T-shirts are a tremendous witness as are ball caps. There is always a way to let your light so shine….always:
*Words spoken
*Tracts
*Clothing
*Music
*Good works
*Be seen going to church.
*Invite others to church
*Give books
*Give messages on CD or DVD.

But…However…Even so, do not expect God to act or react to your witnessing or your preaching or your teaching.  There have been times I felt absolutely alone in the pulpit. I would be so close to cutting everything short. Then after the service, persons come to me and tell me how encouraging the message was and how it was exactly what they needed. Other times, I sense God and liberty and power and though no one says anything…I know God did something magnificent. It is very rare when I sense God’s Abscence and these times are aweful….I go to a quiet place and ask Him, through tears of doubt and sorrow, why?  Then I receive a fresh-filling and those tears of doubt and sorrow and lonliness are turned to tears of, “I should have known better and tears of thanks and of power and authority.  I know many do not understand this and maybe even disbelieve it….that’s your loss.

There have been times when I had to wait upon the power of God before I dare speak, preach, or teach from His Word.  But what about the persons waiting?  Let them wait, their wait will be paid off a hundred fold (“…When [H]e was set…” Matthew 5).

I know most ministers do not minister in these fashions anymore. This is why so many ministries are dead, dead, dead.  Look at the life and ministry of D. Martyn Lloyd Jones.  This man would stand in the pulpit and pray for thirty (30) minutes before beginning if he sensed not the power from God. Research the filling of Jonathan Edwards, D.L. Moody and many others that are still read today. Reader, I’m not talking about Pentacostals, I speaking to the giants of classic Christ-ianity.

In any event take what you will, but to doubt what I have written is to call me a liar or a crazy person.  Those that know me will take exception to that.

Godspeed.

P.S. Please forgive mistakes in spelling, punct., and grammar. Tired I am.