“I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, “Here am I!
send me.” Isaiah 6:8
I recently received a newsletter from “On Eagles’ Wings,” a ministry of Ron Hutchcraft. Ron had just come from the funeral service of Billy Graham where the pastor posed a soul searching question: “Billy’s gone – what happens now? Who will take Billy’s place?” Who will take the gospel to the next generation? Will it be a superstar like Billy or one of his sons, or will it be regular people like you and me? George Mueller said, “God buries His workers. He never buries His work.”
On November 6, 1935, Billy Sunday, a famous American evangelist passed into eternity. That same night, a gangly teenager wandered into a revival meeting led by Dr. Mordecai Ham in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. When the invitation was given, that teenager went forward and put his faith in Jesus Christ. His name was Billy Graham. In a single night, God took the voice of one generation home and brought to saving faith His voice for the next generation!
However, the spread of the gospel does not depend on a superstar! If anyone comes to Christ, it will most likely be someone in their life who spoke to them of a Savior who loved them. Could it be that “one on one” evangelism will be the norm for the 21st century? “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
We live in a changing society. Today, there is very little sense of sin, no moral compass, reverence for the Bible or fear of God. If we wait for folks to come to church, we will probably be disappointed. The hope of the gospel rests with men and women who live Christ, someone who acts like Jesus. Someone they trust who walks with them, hears their stories and prays with them through trials. Someone who helps clean up after hurricanes and natural disasters! Being “Jesus with Skin!”
When Jesus wanted to reach the Samaritan people, he met a Samaritan woman right where she was. He sent her back to her own people to be His voice. The result was, “Many … from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’” John 4:39.
Don’t wait for a great communicator to reach the lost people you know, pray for opportunities to speak to family and friends in ways that will touch their hearts. Ask God for open doors to say a word for Him to the salesperson, the maintenance man, the neighbor or acquaintance who doesn’t know the Lord. Believers should be a “city on a hill” whose light is a beacon attracting the lost to Christ. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Your friend, Jean