You can find the video here: https://www.facebook.com/RichlandNaz/videos/2641194899531671/UzpfSTE0MTU3MDI3MDE4NzkzMjc6Vks6MjY0MTE5NDg5OTUzMTY3MQ/

Something that will help us all stay connected is to keep up the discussion on the Live Stream. Don’t forget to like, follow, and Share these devotions. And comment today where you’ve seen God lately, look for God sightings.

2 Timothy 1:6-13

If you’ve been around for any length of time, your life has a story. Even if the story is that you were just born yesterday, you have a story to tell – maybe not with words yet – but your new parents, they can tell us your story already.

In the same way, those of us who are born again, we have a story to tell. Even from the beginning of the new life we find in Christ Jesus we have a story to tell. And frankly, I can’t tell your story any better than you can tell my story. We need to share the story that we have been given, good, bad, ugly – it doesn’t matter because in Christ we all find salvation.

When I say the word evangelism, many of you want to run to the hills. There are quite a few pastors that would join you there. Just because we are called of God to pastor or shepherd His people it doesn’t mean we feel or think that we are qualified in being evangelists – even the Bible recognizes that Evangelists are different from Pastors in their giftings. But that doesn’t relieve us of the responsibility to share what God is doing in our lives. We call this personal evangelism.

The book of Acts isn’t over just because John saw the future and wrote Revelation. We are a continuance of the book of Acts, Jesus is still working, we are between the last chapter in Acts and the first chapter of Revelation. Here is how Paul put it to Timothy.

2 Timothy 1:6-13 (NIV) For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

So – we are almost at Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit was loosed upon this earth in a new and fresh way. Bet that upset the apple cart a bit. I mean what was the point of sacrifice after that. Jesus had been offered up as the ultimate sacrifice. We humans became the temple of the Holy Spirit. The time when God was to write the Law on the heart of humanity was here. And it was finally possible to live in communion with God.

And here is Paul, he’s in jail – how embarrassing – but wait, he’s in jail for proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And he tells Timothy that he shouldn’t be ashamed. That He should tell the story he has, the testimony of what the Gospel of Christ has done in the life of Timothy.

You see we don’t need a rehearsed five point plan to salvation, or the Romans road to heaven. Those things are nice, they help us organize our thoughts. But you know what makes even more of a difference, is when you share what God is doing right now – what God is doing in your life – what difference is He making. Bottom line evangelism is rooted in love for others.

Magician (and atheist) Penn Teller says that when Christians fail to evangelize, we’re showing that we don’t care for others:

“I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward—and atheists who think people shouldn’t proselytize and who say just leave me along and keep your religion to yourself—how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that” (Penn Teller, quoted in Justin Taylor, “How Much Do You Have to Hate Somebody to Not Proselytize?” The Gospel Coalition [blog], November 8, 2009, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/how-much-do-you-have-to-hate-somebody-to-not-proselytize/).

It’s probably not as hard as you think, but how much do you have to hate someone to not tell them the difference Christ makes in your life?