To all Doves, Blessing and Praise in the
eternal name of Jesus Christ.
One of the pieces of Scripture that I
often find myself thinking about is from the Gospel of Mark.
Mark
16:15-16
King
James Version (KJV)
15 And
he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel to every creature.
16 He
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned.
This is one part of being a Christian
that crosses my mind, as I struggle with the call to be an
evangilist. While we are saved by Grace, not Works, I
do think that I (we ?”) have an obligation to
witness when the opportunity arises. I have had
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormon Missionaries at my door, and
I have failed to live up to our Lord’s call. At times
I have simply shut the door on them, while at other times, I
have been arrogant and argued with them. I failed to
see these people as lost sheep, and I have failed to respond
with compassion.
Last night I watched a video about
witnessing specifically to Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW’s), and
it was enlightening to say the least. When the
JW’s or the Mormons show up at your door, the expect
to be subjected to disrespect, rudeness, or a similar
response. If one says that they are a Christian, or if
you try to use another Bible, the JW’s will perceive you as
being possessed, as that is what they have been
taught. However, you can use their bible to show them
the true path to salvation. If we receive those that knock
on our door with true love and compassion, perhaps they will
leave questioning their own beliefs.
The video suggests using this one
question to give them cause to think. Pose this
scenario: “I have a knife in my back, it has
severed a major artery, and I will be dead in 3
minutes. What do I need to do to gain Jehovah’s
salvation?”. They will most likely be
stumped as they have no understanding of Grace.
When they cannot answer, a second follow
up question is, “What did the thief of the cross do to
win salvation?”. The answer is of course
acknowledging that “Jesus Christ is Lord”.
That is ultimately the only answer.
This question can also be used with
others who do not understand the meaning of Grace, and who
are trapped by the delusion of works.
The video Witnessing to Jehovah's
Witnesses: What Every Christian Should Know is below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgEM6tON7aI
I would like to encourage anyone who is
interested in discussing this, or helping me provide
witness, to come and be a part of the Apostolic Tradition
forum. As a reminder, this is NOT a Catholic
forum. It is NOT an Orthodox forum. It does have
Catholic and Orthodox content, but my intent is that this
forum will eventually become a place where all Christians
can come and learn.
This is where I would like to ask for
your help. Right now the Apostolic Tradition
forum is overwhelmingly filled with Orthodox and Catholic
information, because those are the traditions I grew up
with. I first visited The Five Doves site in 1997 or
1998, and my faith was enriched by the letters that were
posted. I still visit the Five Doves site every day,
and I am enriched by what I have learned. What I
cannot do well however is provide a broad spectrum of
content presents a balanced picture, and a fair discussion
about our varied beliefs.
I specifically created a forum “Theological
Concerns regarding The Latin Rite and the Roman Catholic
Church”, but it sits absolutely empty.
http://apostolictradition.org/index.php?board=65.0
Perhaps I am a fool for thinking that I
could build a community on my own. None the less I
pray, and forum exists in solitude. No one visits the
forum because there is no content. There is no content
because there is no community.
As with just about everyone who
contributes to The Five Doves, I do believe we are in the
“end of days”. This belief is not something that I
have picked up upon within either the Catholic or the
Orthodox Church. This is a belief or insight I have
gained by being one of the many who visit The Five
Doves. The Five Doves site has changed my life, and
beliefs. I have received hope, inspiration, and
knowledge by being a faithful reader. My prayers are
that someone who is lost may stumble across the Apostolic Tradition
forum and find a welcome place to discuss, learn, and grow.
YBIC
Robert G.
http://apostolictradition.org