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"WITNESSING"--A Fishing Manual for Fishers of Men!
--MOMay 1975GP 344(Compiled by Apollos & MO Ed. Dept.)© Copyrighted May 1975 by the Children of God, P.O. Box 31, London WC2E 7LX England or B.P. 752, 75123 Paris,Cedex 03 France
OUR JOB: MK.16:151. "GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD, AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE"
is not anoption! It's a commandment! The message is clear! There's no denying it, or excusing ourselves! We must simply have thefaith to obey, even if it means going out not knowing whither we go!2.
JESUS MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT ALL CHRISTIANS ARE ORDAINED TO PREACH THEGOSPEL
when He said in John 15:16, "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that ye should goand bring forth fruit"3.
THEREFORE, IT IS NOT JUST A NICE THING TO DO WHEN WE FEEL LIKE IT, OR CAN FINDTHE TIME, BUT IT IS THE GOD-GIVEN JOB AND RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL HIS TRUE CHILDREN,
as Paulexpressed, "For though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me: yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel!" (See also Ezk.3:17-19.)4.
THIS IS WHY WE ARE BANDING TOGETHER AND SPREADING AROUND THE WORLD:
to devoteour full time and energies to preaching the Gospel to every creature and winning their souls to Jesus Christ and their bodiesto His service for others!5.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR: TO WIN YOUTH FOR CHRIST!
For "herein is My Father glorified,that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples."
MAN'S GREATEST NEED: MT.9:36-38
6.
REGARDLESS OF NATIONALITY, COUNTRY, COLOUR, OR CREED, THE HEART OF MAN ISTHE SAME THE WORLD OVER,
and his heartaches and sorrows and sins and pains and fear of death are the same! Hislongings, loves, and hunger for God and His Truth, for joy and happiness and peace of mind, are God-created, and the samein men the world over!7.
EVEN THOUGH MANY OF THESE POOR FOLKS ARE REALLY SEEKING
genuine love
,
they seldom,if ever, find it. For there are so few of God's people who are willing to show them His real Love.8.
AS JESUS HIMSELF SAID, "THE HARVEST TRULY IS PLENTEOUS, BUT THE LABOURERS AREFEW.
Therefore," He commanded, "pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest"--Hisvast harvest of multitudes of frozen, cold, hungry people, wandering around in darkness without God.
GOD'S GREATER SOLUTION: ACTS 1:8
9.
ONLY THE SUPERNATURAL MIRACLE-WORKING POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GODHIMSELF CAN REALLY DO THE JOB
and really win their hearts, bring them to a decision and cause them to be bornagain as new creatures!10.
THEREFORE, GOD HAS PROMISED AN ANOINTING OF THIS VERY POWER TO HISWITNESSES TO HELP THEM LEAD OTHERS TO HIM.
"Ye shall receive POWER after that the Holy Ghost is comeupon you. And ye shall be witnesses unto Me! ..." The purpose of the power is for witnessing!11.
WE'VE GOT NOTHING BUT GOD, SO LET'S SHOW THEM HIS SPIRIT!
As Paul said, "My speechand my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."12.
IT'S THIS FIERY ANOINTING THAT COUNTS!
If you haven't got the fire, I don't care how "good" a
 
witness you are; it's just cold, dead icicles of facts and figures, and you'll never set anyone else on fire without it! As Jesussaid, "Without Me ye can do nothing."13.
BUT IF YOU DO YOUR PART, AND "ABIDE IN THE VINE" TOTALLY YIELDING YOURSELF TOHIM
in submission and humility, then the Lord will do His part, and inspire you, or fill you with His Spirit, so you can"bear much fruit"--new-born babes into the kingdom of God! (See Jn.15:1-8.)
MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD: 2TIM.2:2
14.
AS A YOUNG PREACHER WITH A REAL LOVE FOR THE LOST AND A SINCERE DESIRE TOTRY TO WIN THE POOR LOST SHEEP THE CHURCHES FAILED TO REACH, I TRIED EVERYTHING
Icould think of, dreamed up every method I could imagine to try to carry the Gospel to them.15.
I PREACHED ON THE STREETS
and in the parks; I sang at the top my voice; I showed pictures andmovies anywhere I possibly could--to reach the people outside of the church with the message of God's Love! But it wasstill the meeting method and the mass evangelism approach, which only had moderate success.16.
THEN, ONE DAY I FOUND OUT THE EXCITING TRUTH AND THRILLING FACT THAT YOUCOULD WIN MORE SOULS WITNESSING INDIVIDUALLY
to individual people wherever you could find them,without a church or a pulpit or a meeting of any kind, anywhere, any time, and all the time, everywhere to everybody!17.
THE LORD HIMSELF FOLLOWED THIS TACTIC.
Jesus and His handful of disciples kept moving andout of sight as much as they could, doing most of their witnessing personally to individuals! The only large crowds they hadwere not planned meetings!18.
THEIR METHOD WAS ALMOST ALWAYS INDIVIDUAL, PERSONAL EVANGELISM ON ASMALL SCALE,
depending on the effectiveness of a thorough personal witness and intensive individual training tomultiply the number of converts by making everyone a soul winner, and not all in the same place!19.
TRUE, SACRIFICIAL DISCIPLES ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN AND ARE HARD TO FIND!
Youhave to search them out individually, personally, with tender loving care and personal attention. Jesus said that the goodshepherd "calleth his own sheep by name (personally, individually) and leadeth them out."
WHO ARE WE TRYING TO WIN? LK.5:3820. AS THE CHILDREN OF GOD, YOU SHOULD HAVE LOVE AND COMPASSION FOR EVERYONE,
not just your own--young or old, rich or poor, strong or weak, hippie or Systemite, even if you don't like 'em--"everycreature!"21.
HOWEVER, GOD'S SPIRIT WILL LEAD YOU ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO REALLY NEEDYOUR LOVING HELP,
and who will respond in loving appreciation, just as it will also lead them to you.22.
GOD GOES WHERE THERE ARE OPEN AND RECEPTIVE HEARTS THAT ARE HUNGRY:
Heseeks the low and the humble and the contrite heart, but resists the proud. His Word says, "He hath filled the hungry withgood things; and the rich (or full) He hath sent empty away. … For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to thehumble."23.
THERE IS NOT MUCH HOPE FOR THE OLDER GENERATION.
For "No man also having drunk oldwine straightway desireth new: for he saith, the old is better." They have become satisfied with life, and are taken up in their material pursuits of the competitive, hypocritical society!24.
BUT FOR THE YOUNG WHO ARE SEEKING, HUNGRY, UNHAPPY AND YEARNING FOR THESPIRITUAL, THIS IS THEIR DAY!
As Jesus Himself said, "New wine must be put into new bottles."25.
HE HAD TO POUR HIS VERY NEW WINE INTO VERY NEW BOTTLES
who could expand their receptivities sufficiently to take it, accommodate it, and even rejoice in it, for it spoke their language and helped Him toreach the drunks and harlots and the publicans and sinners and the radical young zealots and hippies with whom Heassociated.
 
26.
IT IS FROM THE RANKS OF THESE THAT MOST OF OUR DISCIPLES COME, MOST OF WHOMHAVE ALREADY DROPPED OUT
of society and home in heart or in mind or in spirit or literally, and who already hatethe money-mad, science-worshipping, earth-polluting, and hypocritical churchy system!27.
SO THEN, WHO ARE WE TRYING TO WIN? FIRST,
I would say, these poor lost kids! They are our  primary target to try to reach with our good sample to save them from the System!
TIPS TO USE WHEN WITNESSING: PR.11:30--On Relating and Adapting--28. IN WINNING PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO INSPIRE THEIR FAITH IN YOU BEFORE THEY CANBELIEVE GOD.
You are their link with God. You are a priest to them and their mediator. As Jesus said, "He that receivethwhomsoever I send receiveth Me." For "ye are (right now!) a royal priesthood."29.
YOU MUST ESTABLISH POINTS OF CONTACT WITH THEM.
There must be something in common inorder for people to communicate. Use the kind of language that will win them. If it takes strong language to get the pointacross--use it! If it takes sweeter language, even church language, use that! But if you use churchy platitudes to the poor,lost, wandering hippies, they will puke! Ask God for wisdom! (Ja.1:5)30.
ONE OF THE MOST NEEDED ABILITIES IN WITNESSING IS ADAPTABILITY:
being able to beanything to reach anybody and to become all things to all men. This tactic of adaptability was largely responsible for muchof the Apostle Paul's soul-winning success.31.
HE SAID, "TO THE JEWS, I BECAME AS A JEW; THAT I MIGHT GAIN (WIN) THE JEWS;
to themthat are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them. ... I am made all things to all men, that I might by all meanssave some."
--On Listening--
32.
SOMETIMES, ALL SOME PEOPLE NEED IS FOR SOMEBODY TO LISTEN,
and that's half the job of  being a witness! Let's not fail them in showing them we're willing to listen to their troubles. Often they're really hungriestfor fellowship and companionship and real love and sympathy, just somebody to talk to, to relieve their loneliness and tofeel like somebody cares and shares their misery and their needs and problems.33. (Prophecy):
"CAN YOU NOT HEAR THE HEARTCRY OF THEIR BOSOM?
... To love is to weep withthem, to cry with them, to suffer with them that suffer, and to feel the agony of heart with them whose hearts are broken!"
--On Staying Simple--
34.
I WON LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE LORD WITH ONLY JOHN 3:16:
"For God so loved the world thatHe gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." That's all youreally need to know to win souls. You shouldn't try to cram the whole Bible into the guy you're witnessing to anyhow. Justharp on a verse or two until he's got 'em so memorised he can't forget 'em; otherwise, you'll just confuse him.35.
BEWARE LEST YE BE LED AWAY FROM THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL!
Except ye be as alittle child ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! You gotta be a baby! And babies don't waste most of their time arguing over theoretical, theological, doctrinal shibboleths!36.
REMEMBER, THE WORDS THAT THE PHARISEES SPOKE WERE WELL-EDUCATED,
but theywere flesh and they were death! Why? Because they spoke from their heads, but Jesus spoke from His heart--from theSpirit. That's the difference!
--On Desperation, then Salvation--
37.
YOU CANNOT GET A GUY SAVED UNTIL HE FINDS OUT HE'S A SINNER 
and just can't make itwithout the Lord. It is not until you recognise you're a sinner that you're desperate enough to seek salvation. And that's when
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