An Evangelist’s Heart

Many years ago, when we did what we called soul winning, it was commonplace to approach people, introduce yourself and your church’s name, and tell them that you wanted to introduce them to Jesus. Hardly anyone would reject our attempts to win his or her soul to Jesus. They would be accommodating, listening intently while we explained the Romans Road to Salvation, which used specific scriptures in the book of Romans to explain the whats and the whys of people’s need for salvation. It was a tract, a small pamphlet that held the written message we were explaining. More times than not, many of those to whom we were witnessing would become so moved by the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ that they would weep, all the while stammering, “Yes, I want to be saved.” As this spiritual and emotional window was opening, we would pray with the person the prayer of salvation, thereby ushering that person into a relationship with Jesus Christ, solidifying his or her status as a child of God, newly born into the family of God.
The next step was to invite people to church and help them become acclimated to the life of a Christian. This entailed registering them for discipleship classes. These classes were the equivalent of Christianity 101, because in these classes, “new believers” would receive basic teachings about their new lives in God for the purpose of getting them grounded and stable in this holy lifestyle. These classes ranged from two to sixteen weeks long, and by the end, the new converts would be well versed in what their lives had embarked on, making them ready to begin their journey.
We all started that way. We won souls for the Lord. It was what Jesus meant when He told the disciples in the Bible to “go and compel them to come.” And this command was to have a reciprocal effect. One tells another, and that one tells another until the numbers of Christians in the world would outnumber those who were not.
It was easy. Christianity tugged at the heart. It drew people to God. Who could reject the fact that there is a God who loved the world so much that He let His Son die for the sins that they rightfully deserved the punishment for? Who could ignore God’s love after realizing He created people for His purposes, that He created them to have abundant life that could only be found in His Son, Jesus? The drawing love of God would woo people back into the original intent He had for them—which had been broken by Adam and Eve at the beginning of time. It is no wonder that the Bible emphasizes in John 15:143, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” All one had to do was share this knowledge with others and then witness people willingly and almost helplessly render their hearts to God.
But something happened. Something changed. Suddenly, there were other “religions,” other beliefs rising up and claiming that their way was the right way, or that Christianity was not the only way. I always felt that some people simply could not stand the fact that God’s love was permeating this world so much that droves of people found themselves accepting it as truth.
Consequently, there was the infiltration of strange religions and strange beliefs. People started saying, “Christianity can’t be the only way. It can’t be the only choice we have.” Some would say, “Oh, that doesn’t work for me. I need something that suits my needs.” What God said in the Bible was no longer relevant. It became, “Whose Bible is that? Who wrote it? I don’t want that.”
Now we have so many different denominations, beliefs, and religions that, in one way or another, oppose biblical doctrine. Some people felt that one size should not be made to fit all. The Bible as God’s one truth made no sense to many, and this led to the birth of the many thousands of alternative ways to believe in God (or not) and the many ways to get to God—if there is a God at all.
Ultimately, Satan, in his angry retaliation against God, conjured up new and untoward religions and has caused such a divide because his one and only agenda is for souls to be lost in hell forever. Hell was made for Satan and his fallen angels. He was thrown out of heaven when he decided to foolishly go against God’s authority and attempt to gather a following of his own. He managed to convince some of the angels to align with his wicked agenda, though fruitlessly. They were kicked out of heaven, and from that day until the present time, the war against God and His people has been fierce. Satan knows that his doom is imminent. But to end up in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone all alone, he refuses to accept it. Again, his one and only agenda is to take as many with him as he can. What better way to do that than to deceive the masses into believing that Jesus is not the one and only way to God? Or to deceive them into believing that their need is for some other deity, or to convince people that God doesn’t even exist?
Satan has worked his wickedness in many massive yet subtle ways. One woman, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, best known for the 1963 Murray v. Curlett lawsuit, pushed her agenda all the way to the Supreme Court, causing Bible reading in schools to be ruled unlawful. A year prior, another high-profile case ultimately prohibited prayer in schools. No longer is any mention of God or Jesus allowed. Though our country was founded on Christian ideals, there is the separation of church and state, which describes a distance between political influence and religious organizations.
Isn’t it odd, however, that these very rules and laws are immediately tabled in times of tragedy in our world? During incidences of sadness and grief, the first thing we hear is, “Let us pray.” Pray? To whom? This God whose name we are otherwise banned from daring to mention?
How did we end up here?
Where is the Church?