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Christian Living

ChurchWatch 05/14/10

Start From the Beginning: Simply Sharing Jesus

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)

I’m writing from Durango, Colorado. To date, I’ve been to 14 states, handing out quarters and talking about Jesus. Have you ever wondered if the person sitting next to you knows the basic Jesus story? Never assume the answer is yes. Sometimes, we must start at the beginning.

Jade was a Buddhist from Viet Nam and married to an American Baptist. She’d gone to a Baptist church many times. She was my nail tec somewhere on I-40 as I headed west. I introduced myself and asked about her faith. Excuse the grammar. I wrote this exactly as it was said. Note that I match speech patterns and speak in short sentences when talking with someone where English is a second language.

“Oh, I not religious. I Buddhist, but not much,” Jade said.

“How long have you been in U.S.?” I asked.

“6 years.”

Where you Buddhist in Viet Nam?”

“I nothing,” Jade said. “Not religious. What are you?”

“I follow Christ,” I said. “That makes me Christian. I love Jesus. I asked Him to come into my life.”

“My husband Baptist,” she said.

“Does he go to church?” I asked.

“Some,” she said.

“Do you go with him?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Baptists are Christian. Do you like Baptist church?” I asked. “Do you like preacher?” 

She shrugged. “I no understand preacher.”

“Christians believes that Jesus was born to a virgin, killed on a cross, and came back to life. A Christian has admitted mistakes and prayed to ask Jesus to enter their life. A Christian has personal relationship with Jesus,” I said.

“He born to virgin?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said. “God was His father. It is hard to understand because Jesus is God. God saw how bad we were living so He came to earth to save us. God has different roles, but is one God. Just like you – you do nails, are mother, and wife. God the Father is our daddy. He made us. He made flowers and trees. God the Son is Jesus. He came to earth as man to teach us and save us so we can go to heaven. When we pray to ask Jesus into our life, Jesus gives us Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is the part of God that lives inside of us and helps us. “

“Do you know Buddha?” she asked. 

“I know about Buddha,” I said. “Buddhism is a philosophy and peaceful way to live. Buddha was teacher and taught what he called 4 Noble Truths for how to live. The people that I know who follow Buddha are good people. The difference between Buddha and Jesus is that I have relationship with Jesus. He did not teach truth – He is truth. He rose from dead. He is alive. No one who is Buddhist tells me they have personal relationship with Buddha.”

“He is alive?” she said, clearly surprised.

“Yes,” I said. “The world killed Jesus, but He came back to life. He is God. He is alive in us when we ask Him to come into our life. He teaches us. You said you did not understand preacher. If you had Holy Spirit inside of you, Holy Spirit would help you understand him. Jesus is the way to heaven. Do you believe in heaven?”

“Yes,” she said. “Buddha say if you live good you go to heaven. I try to live good.”

“That is another difference between Jesus and Buddha. Jesus does not tell you to live good to go to heaven. He says to believe in Him. Heaven is free – if you believe in Jesus and ask for heaven. If you tell Jesus what you did wrong and ask Him to forgive you, He does. He does not even remember your mistakes after He forgives you.”

“He does not remember?” she asked in awe.

“No,” I said. “It is as if it never happened. We call that grace. It is free. You cannot work your way into heaven.”

I pulled out a laminated card that had 4 simples steps to becoming a Christian. “Do you read English?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said.

We read the tract. “Jesus loves you,” I said gently. “He said so right here. The Bible is God talking to you.”

“It is?” she said.

“Yes,” I said.

“I think I believe in God,” she said.

“I can tell you want to believe in Jesus. You do not have to understand everything to be Christian,” I said. I read her a sample prayer to ask Jesus into her life. “Do you want to pray this now?”

“No,” she said. “Can I have card? I want to read it to my husband. I want to ask if he did this. I want to know what he think.”

My time with her was over. She clung to the card as I walked over to dry my nails.

Just before I left, she came over. “I want to say thank you. No one explain this to me before. I did not know what Christian was. You taught me about Buddha. I did not understand difference. You good person. Thank you. Maybe I do this.”

“Please do,” I said.

How many Christian hands had Jade had painted while working in that shop? Surely, some were Christian. Had none of them told her that Jesus loved her? She was married to a Baptist. Why hadn’t he started at the beginning? She went to a Baptist church. Why had no one figured out that she needed to start at the beginning? Pray for Jade.

Would you like to know Jesus? Find out how you can have a relationship with God.

Tools to Share Your Faith from CBN.com

More Evangelism Resources on CBN.com

 

Previous blog from the 2010 Tour:

April 26: Simply Sharing Jesus: Pockets Full of Quarters Journey 2010

The 2009 Mission to America Posts on ChurchWatch:

July 6: Mission to America: Touching the Mentally Ill

June 22: Mission to America: Week Two

June 16: Pocket Full of Change: Churches in America

June 9: Mission to America: Saving Souls, One Quarter at a Time

Learn more at http://www.pocketfullofchange.org/  


Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries.  She is the author of 2 Books: Pocket Full of Quarters: 5 Steps to Loving God and Pocket Full of Christmas: Having a Purpose Filled Advent. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to http://www.pocketfullofchange.org/ or call Gail Golden at (904) 316-5462.

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You can buy Cheryle's newest book, The Secret to Dealing With Chronic Pain and Related Depression, and her other books at http://pfocbookstore.blogspot.com/.

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