The awkwardness experienced when you realize you have zero to nothing in common with your coworkers, not simply because of unshared common interests but rather because their hearts are bent toward this world and its desires-under the influence of the prince of this world. My heart belongs to another, not of this world. “Oh God, that your light would shine through me today, not only in action but in word, to help bring even one more person into the loving hands of their father-‘from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of the Son you love’.

We need to open our mouths. We need to get out of our comfort zones. Yes, I’ve heard it said many times that we need to ‘share the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words’ but…too many times this is simply a cop-out to not truly share the gospel with those around us. I completely agree that our actions need to represent our beliefs. We can’t preach one thing and do another-hypocrisy at its finest-and the reason many avoid the church altogether. 1 John 3:18 reiterates this point fully. But on the flip side, we need to speak. We need to say something. When we read through the book of ‘Acts’ in the Bible, we see the apostles, the disciples of Jesus speaking to people about their need for salvation. We see Peter delivering the 1^st New Testament sermon on the day of Pentecost and thousands being converted unto Christ. We see Peter ‘speaking’ to the man at the temple Gate and this man rising and walking under the healing power of the Holy Spirit. We see Peter ‘speaking’ to the first Gentile coverts in Acts 10 and them being born again and baptized with the Holy Spirit. We see Stephen ‘speaking’ in Acts 7 to the Sanhedrin and then getting stoned for the sharing of his faith. We see Philip ‘speaking’ to the Ethiopian Eunuch, sharing the progression of the Old Testament and how it led to Jesus, and then leading to this Ethiopian receiving Christ and being baptized.

We need to open our mouths. It’s fear of man that keeps us quiet. Fear of being rejected. Fear of being mocked and disliked. Fear of losing something. Fear is not of God but simply is of the devil. Satan wants us to remain in fear and keep our mouths shut. Sometimes the greatest lie perpetrated upon God’s people by the devil is ‘just be a witness in your life. You don’t have to say anything, they will be won over just by the way they see you living’. I understand some people may approach a Christian and want what they have (seeing godliness in them) but many people will never do that. Many people are introverted, to themselves and/or want nothing to do with Christianity unless we confront them. The Bible states ‘God was pleased through the FOOLISHNESS OF WHAT WAS PREACHED TO SAVE THOSE WHO BELIEVE’ and again ‘the message of the cross is FOOLISHNESS to those who are perishing’. Yes it seems like foolishness to the rest of the world. It seemed liked foolishness to most of us before we accepted Christ and became born-again.

You must open your mouth. You must share your faith. You must engage the unbeliever. Not just out of duty but out of love-because you care about their eternal destiny and their lives here on Earth (Gal 1:4). If you saw someone drowning in a pool, would you just walk by them with a life preserver in your hand hoping they would get the picture that they NEED a life preserver in order to save their lives??? No, of course not! You would throw them that life preserver and help reel them in to safety. You would DO something. You would engage them!

Oh believer in Christ. I plead with you today (as I plead with my own self), get out of your comfort zone today. Set your fear aside. Let the love of God pulsate within you and share your faith with those around you. Speak the message of the cross and what Jesus did. Reel them in! Go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit and let God speak through you! I believe the church needs to arise, and once again start proclaiming the message of the cross and the love of God to this generation! Then as Jesus stated in John 4, we will reap the harvest that is ready to be brought in!!!