2 Timothy 4:1-4

If you would scroll down to the bottom of the page, you would realise that the verse is there- it happens to be a verse i live by; a verse i learnt to memorise, then to love; during a youth camp in my church.

After listening to a lesson from Faith Bible Institute, whereby John Yates (the speaker) emphasised on "CHARGE" in another verse- i suddenly thought of my theme verse and i realised the whole emphasis God places on this verse!

We all know that the Lord wants us to share the gospel with people around us, ec etc.

BUT. Do we really KNOW?

The Lord has CHARGED US to go forth and preach the Word!

Very recently, i struggled to understand the dfference between fear and love- i always felt that i loved God, but i did not Fear Him with an actual Fear that is a magnificent manifestation stemmed from such great awe and respect. (Note: this is not the same fear as the lonesome fear of the dark; or the awful, stomach lurching fear of heights,etc). Likewise, i longed to share the gospel with my family and friends- BUT because i feared for their souls, and i loved God..not because i feared Him!

However, when John Yates emphasised on CHARGE, as an Outright Command, i truly, finally understood the fear that we are supposed to have! The fear comes from fear of DISOBEYING God's outright commands. You see, Man cannot trust his own emotions and feelings, for they are deceitful..at least, i know mine are. Ah, many a time where my anger would get the better of me and i would lash out hurtful words to my parents! Although fear is also a feeling, it (more often than not) stops us from doing something out of spite or anger.

Let me elaborate. I personally think i was born to be a 'spitfire', as some call it. My emotions have always been an immense difficulty to me- i can swing from one end right to the other in a matter of seconds. ( Thank God for granting me the will to control my emotions so i could be a better example to my siblings-in-Christ-- although, of course, i am still struggling) However, i did not DARE to hurl those sarcastic, hurtful words to my parents when i was angry with them, because i was afraid of THE CANE. (which could very well bring me to another sharing about "Sparing the rod, Spoiling the child", but i shan't go into it as of yet.)

Then..i simply grew up. And now that i am not afraid of the cane (i am a "swingin' seventeen" now), i realise it has become so terribly hard for me to control my emotions! And why is that? Because, i lost the FEAR that was in me. i did not lose the LOVE for my parents- in fact i think my love for them grew by leaps and bounds- but i simply lost the Fear of them. And that alone makes it so difficult for me to control my anger when it comes in such a rush..

Thus, i have come to the same conclusion regarding this matter. Many of us, no doubt, long to "Preach the Word" to our dear loved ones, but we probably face the same problems:

1. "I Don't know what to say! What if i offend, or say the wrong things, or they ask me a question i dont know how to answer?"

Well, i DO feel the same way too. But you then must understand that sharing the gospel is also borne from a spiritual aspect- God has to be involved in this! Precisely because God knows that often, Man are so full of such doubts.. that is why He chooses to use us! (Remember, God chose a donkey -an "Ass"- to ride through he streets where everyone was welcoming Him). 'Sharing the gospel' does not in any way mean 'using your own strength to preach the Word'.

Prayerfully, my sharing has helped overcome yr doubts. But when i first heard it, it did not really quell my huge doubts about this. For that, then, there is another way out. As C.H. Spurgeon said.. i quote a long paragraph from his sermon you can find here (this is the back part of his sermon) :

The peculiar form of usefulness which the Religious Tract Society lays hold upon, is admirably adapted to those persons who have but little power and little ability, but nevertheless, wish to do something for Christ. They have not the tongue of the eloquent, but they may have the hand of the diligent. They cannot stand and preach, but they can stand and distribute here and there these silent preachers. They do not feel that they could subscribe their guinea, but they may buy their thousand tracts, and these they can distribute broadcast. How many a little one in Zion has spent his life in doing this good, when he could not perhaps have found any other good within his reach.

Is not that such a great relief for those who earnestly seek and yearn to be able to pluck up the courage and witness? (: Even if you lack the eloquence of speech (no doubt, it might be a talent given, but to touch other's hearts with that eloquence is a gift), this does not mean you give up and dont do anything! As he also states:

the very earnestness in the Christian will cause confusion, unless you lead forth that earnestness to its proper field of development. I have always found that where there is a quarrelsome Church, it is sure to be an idle Church, and where men are always “at it,” they have very little time to find fault with one another. When we fuse iron, the two pieces will soon weld, bring two cold pieces together, and the stoutest arm and the heaviest hammer can never weld them. Let our Churches be united and they will be earnest; let them be cold, and they will be dashed to a thousand shivers.

I urge you, brethren, that you do not think this "giving out of tracts" as such a simple matter! For many others have started out that way- why, i would not be surprised if CH Spurgeon himself started out giving tracts. For he says:

Let each one of us, if we have done nothing for Christ, begin to do something now. The distribution of tracts is the first thing. Let us do that and attempt something else by-and-bye. Are we, on the other hand, diligently engaged already in some higher service for Christ, let us not despise those steps which helped us up, but let us now assist others with these steps that they too may rise from the grade of service which is theirs to a higher and a greater one. Let us in fact encourage this society at all times with our contributions and with our prayers.

Yup! I have been greatly encouraged by his wonderful sermon and would wish you all to read through his sermon.

On a lighter note, (for those who very kindly read through the end), do pray for me as i seek the Lord's will in my life! (: