Ministry Resources

Be Prepared

Be Prepared

Do you remember the day you started learning to read? You may have had a difficult time. At first you knew nothing about reading. Then you were taught to read the first letters of the alphabet. Soon you could read a word, then a sentence. Step by step you learned to read, until now it is a very natural thing.

Perhaps you remember also the time when you were being trained for your job. You did not learn everything in one day. You learned a little at a time. You put into practice what you learned until finally you were able to do your work well. It is the same in your Christian witnessing. There is much to learn as you go on sharing Christ with others. In Lesson 1 we learned about God’s plan for sharing the good news with men and women. Now we will see what kind of preparation we need in order to win souls for Christ.

Lean to Know Christ

You and I have been saved for a purpose. We have been called to witness, to share what the Lord has done in our lives. But before we can witness for Christ, we must first learn to know Him personally. To know Him, it is necessary to spend time with Him. For how can we speak of someone we do not know? Would any court call on you to be a witness of a case you have not known?

It is true that Jesus sent His disciples into the whole world to spread the good news. But He also told them to wait until they were fully prepared. And this preparation takes time.

It may not take a lot of time to memorize certain Bible verses or to study ways to approach people. Watching how other workers have brought people to Christ may not take long. But learning to know Christ, to know the power of His resurrection and the depth of His love, requires spending time with the Lord. We desire to know Him better when we are working for Him.

The apostle Paul wrote about this to the Corinthian church. He said he had made up his mind not to know anyone or anything else except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (See 1 Corinthians 2:2.)

The disciples also had their time of schooling. And this learning time was the key secret of their success in spreading the good news about Christ, their Lord. There is no doubt in my mind that from the very day Christ called His disciples, they believed in Him. It just takes a moment to believe in Jesus and to accept Him. But just as a baby cannot grow up and walk in one day, it took the disciples a long time to learn to know Jesus. It took all of their lives!

We read in the Bible that Jesus turned the water into wine at a wedding ceremony. When His disciples saw this, they believed in Him. When He spoke to the wind and to the raging sea, the wind stopped blowing and the sea was quiet. His amazed disciples asked themselves, “Who is this man?” (Mark 4:41). They came to know Him better that day. They saw more of His power. This knowledge of the unlimited power of their Lord gave them peace.

Later on, the Scripture says, at the closing of Jesus’ ministry on earth, many of His disciples left Him. But the 12 disciples who had come to know Him so well did not leave. Peter, in their behalf, told Him, “Lord, we cannot leave you. We know that you have the Word of life.” (See John 6:68.) This knowledge kept them close to their Lord.

Thomas, one of the disciples, was completely shocked by the death of Jesus, in whom he had believed. Overnight he became a confused doubter. He refused to accept the fact that Christ was risen from the dead. But when Christ showed Himself to Thomas, he fell down and said, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). That personal knowledge of Christ drew him closer to his Master.

Peter had seen all the splendor of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:29). God had revealed to him the true nature of His Son Jesus. Three times he was given a charge by Jesus to help other believers. He spoke with power and authority concerning Jesus’ name. Yet he did not know the extent and the greatness of God’s love. He did not know that God’s love was for all people, no matter what their race or color. God had a hard time getting Peter to go to the house of Cornelius. It was not until then that Peter realized that God treats everyone on the same basis (Acts 10:34).

So you can see that it was through their continuing experience of being with Jesus, listening to Him, and talking to Him that the disciples really got to know Him. We must learn to know Him in the same way before we can share Him with others.

Be Filled with the Spirit

You Need Power

In order to see results in our personal Christian service for Christ, you and I need power. Before Christ could start His ministry, He was given the power of the Holy Spirit. (See Luke 4:18.) Christ knew that His disciples would face difficulties and would need help. Before leaving them to go back to His Father, He said, “But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power and you will (then) be witnesses for me” (Acts 1:8).

The Holy Spirit has been sent to give us boldness and power. He helps us in our daily personal witness for Christ.

When I was a college student, my country experienced a great revival. On weekends, we would go out to witness. We saw many churches grow, and many new ones were started. It was the power of the Holy Spirit that caused this to happen.

But you might ask me, “How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?” Just open your heart before the Lord. Tell Him of your weakness and of your desire to share His good news with others. He will fill you with His Spirit and power, and you will know the joy of being well equipped for the task. This promise is for ALL who believe in Jesus Christ. (See Acts 2:1-4, 39.)

You Need Leading

The command of Jesus is to go throughout the whole world. His working field is large. To avoid wasting time, you and I need the leading or guidance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus assures His disciples that when the Spirit comes, He will lead them into all the truth (John 16:13).

People everywhere want direction. Some turn to their dead ancestors for leading. Others are trying to find direction from the stars, the horoscope, fortune telling, or other means. But as we look for places to serve Him, our leading comes from God. No matter where He leads us, we can know that it is right, for He is the way. Even as a plane can be directed in darkness and through clouds until it lands, He will lead us to the right people at the right time.

Philip (the evangelist) was led by the Spirit to a hungry, seeking man in the wilderness (Acts 8:29). The apostle Paul was led by the Spirit to the right place so that he could hear the emergency cry of the man from Macedonia and help him (Acts 16:9).

In 1921, the Holy Spirit led the first Assemblies of God missionaries to the West African country of Sierra Leone. From there they moved across French-speaking Guinea, through Mali, and into the heart of West Africa to my country of Burkina Faso.

If the Holy Spirit had not preceded these missionaries, they could have stopped in any one of the countries they passed through. But because they followed the leading of the Spirit, many people in Burkina Faso believed and accepted Jesus. And it was through these new Christians that the good news of Jesus was spread back through almost all of the neighboring countries.

Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to those who will listen as you share the good news about Christ with them. I am glad that God led evangelists to my country even before I was born, so that I could know Jesus.

Using the Best Tools

The Sword of the Spirit

My people have a proverb that says, “Empty hands do not kill a snake.” Jesus has not sent us empty-handed into the world. He has given us tools to work with. The task is great, and we cannot do it with our own strength.

There is someone who is trying to stop us from sharing the good news of Christ. He is the devil. He stopped Adam, the first man, from doing God’s will. He stopped the people of Israel from obeying God. He even tried to stop Christ from sharing God’s love with men. Jesus fought him in the wilderness and at the cross and won the victory over him. What did Jesus use to fight the devil?

He used the Word of God, which is called “The Sword of the Spirit.” If we will use the Sword of the Spirit, we too will have victory over Satan. In Hebrews 4:12 we read:

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of man’s heart.

Jesus Himself used that Sword (God’s Word) when He was tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:4).

Stephen used the same Sword, and made his accusers angry and confused (Acts 7:54).

Paul wrote to the Ephesians and instructed them to put on all the armor of God. The battle
against Satan is great. We are not fighting against human beings, but against wicked spiritual forces.
Paul gave the illustration of a soldier putting on his armor, which protected him from the enemy. He
gave a list of the armor in Ephesians 6:14-17. We will list it here:

Truth = Belt

Righteousness = Breastplate

Readiness to share the good news = Shoes

Faith = Shield

Salvation = Helmet

Word of God = Sword of the Spirit

When you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you received the helmet of salvation. Your faith is your shield. As you speak the truth, you put on the belt. Your new life is clean and pure. It is your breastplate of righteousness. Your shoes are your desire to share the good news about Christ. The Bible is your Sword of the Spirit. When you put on all this armor, you will win the battle!

The Name of Jesus

Do not ever forget that you have been given the privilege of sharing the good news about Jesus Christ. It is not in your own name that you speak, but in His Name. An ambassador does not speak for himself. He speaks in the name of his country.

It is the name of Jesus that saves. Outside of His Name there is no salvation. If we go to God through that wonderful Name, He will hear us and answer our prayers. Christ did not leave us with gold or silver. He left us with something that money cannot buy. He left us with His wonderful name! No wonder thousands of Christians all over the world sing about the name of Jesus. “There’s just something about that name!” (Luke 10:17; Acts 4:12).

And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6, KJV)