Hello again everyone, today’s post will be a bit different. As the New Year approaches, many decide to undertake goals in the hopes of forming new habits. I…. am one of these people. My New Year’s resolution is to drink half my body weight in ounces of water each day (ex. if I weighed 10 lbs, I would only need to drink 5 oz!).
With the New Year in mind, I have decided to list some recommendations that can help prime the pump of our hearts to evangelize. In case you were wondering, the style of this post will be largely similar to our latest podcast episode, but will feature different items. So feel free to keep reading!
Without further ado, here are my recommendations from 2019.
1. READ YOUR BIBLE
Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”
The best way to prepare your heart to evangelize is to read your Bible. And no, I am not just writing about reading the Gospels, or the New Testament, but ALL of it. The entirety of the Bible points to Jesus Christ, our Savior, and it is necessary to Christians, those who profess Christ, to read His written Word. However, it becomes more necessary when you are attempting to share the Gospel, whether that be in organized outreach events or just with friends and family.
How are we to share the Gospel if we don’t know it? Furthermore, how are we to know it by heart if we do not regularly read His Word, which proclaims it from start to finish?
Ligonier Ministries has a pretty extensive list of Bible Reading plans that I would recommend, even if it is just for research purposes. Personally, I try to read two chapters from the OT Histories, Wisdom Literature, Prophets, and New Testament every day. This is an adapted version of the ESV Daily Bible Reading Plan, found in the link above.
2. Prepare your heart through prayer
Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
In the reformed community, the truth of God’s Sovereignty often rubs against prayer. I’ve often heard, “Why pray, if the ends are already established by God?”
Readers, prayer changes us. God uses this discipline to mold and shape our hearts— to sanctify us. Examples of this reorientation are found throughout Scripture, but one can observe this especially in the Psalms. David often starts disoriented but is then reoriented by the Lord through this means (see: Psalm 42 and 43). As we pray and are changed by God, He will shape our desires to become more like His.
In evangelism, the less we magnify ourselves, the better. After all, the Gospel is not about us, and especially not about how others receive us. To be succinct: prayer, in regards to evangelism, should help us place our eyes on the Savior.
3. Consider supplementing your Bible reading with missionary biographies
Reading missionary biographies can be a great encouragement to the saints if we do it with the right mindset. This mindset is one of observing how the Lord has worked through weak men (and women).
There are two missionary biographies that I’d like to recommend. Admittedly, I haven’t read them yet, but they are in the recommendation list because of my husband!
The first book is John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides. At the time of his missions, the New Hebrides (located in the South Seas) were inhabited by cannibals. Through the Lord’s providence and His work in John Paton, He brought the cannibals of the New Hebrides to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Against impossible odds by the world’s standards, the Lord prevailed.
The second is The Life and Journal of David Brainerd. David Brainerd was a puritan who shared the Gospel with the Native Americans in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts in the eighteenth century. Through the Lord’s working in him, he took many risks to be able to accomplish this task. Additionally, he was John Edward’s son in law!
4. Supplement your Bible reading with other books
The motive behind this bullet point is much the same as the last: we can be encouraged by the godly men who have undertaken the task of writing on subjects for the saints. All the same, we should be good Bereans and test everything against Scripture.
In regards to evangelism, I am including a list of books that I have read (or am seeking to read) that I think may be of some benefit to you all.
The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur. *
The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer
One Thing you Can’t do in Heaven by Mark Cahill
*John MacArthur has a section on dispensationalism (and his acceptance thereof) in this book. I would just… overlook it.
5. Buy Tracts!
Tracts are a really good way to share the Gospel with passerby’s 1) if you are nervous and 2) if you are not as confident that you can present the Gospel. While these items should not always be used in place of human interaction in sharing the Gospel, they can surely be an aid. To hear more about my stance on tracts, you can check out The Aquila and Priscilla Hour Episode Two: Evangelism.
Generally, we make most of using tracts during evangelism outreach events. I have found it helpful to have some in the car or my purse so I can leave them (WITH tip) at restaurants, drive-thru’s, stores, etc. To see a list of tracts I have used in the past, check out my Resources Used page. However, if you’re just wondering about my favorite, it is the Don’t Stub Your Toe Booklet.
To finish, I would just like to wish you all a very happy New Year. Do you have any recommendations for me? I would love to hear them. Do you have any requests for what I should write about next? LET ME KNOW! As always, be good Bereans and strive to share this glorious Gospel that the Lord has given us.