Spreading the Good News

We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves… Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”" (2 Kings 7:9, NIV)

Tony Campolo, the well known Christian communicator and sociologist, found himself seated beside the governor at a state prayer breakfast. In the course of conversation the governor said that he was sympathetic toward Christianity but not personally committed. Campolo asked, "Why not?" The governor replied, "Well, to tell you the truth, no one ever invited me to commit."

Campolo said, "I'm inviting you." within five minutes that governor had committed his life to Christ.

We have good news that is essential to every human being; it's a matter of their eternal life or death. We may be the only conduits God has to certain persons. We must help him reach them.

Let us not disqualify people from hearing the gospel by presuming their disinterest.

From DAY LIGHTERS by Nico Bougas. available from amazon.com on Kindle

Almost Persuaded

In the Peanuts cartoon the team statistician brings Charlie Brown, the manager, his report.

"'I've compiled the statistics on our baseball team for last season,' Linus says. 'In twelve games we almost scored a run and in nine games the other team almost didn't score before the first out. In right field, Lucy almost caught three balls and once almost made the right play.

"'We led the league,' he concludes, 'in almosts.'"

In Paul's day King Agrippa was also an almost … he was almost persuaded to become a Christian. We hope that he did while he had the opportunity. However, if he didn't, he is lost forever because there is no indication anywhere in God's Word that anybody is given a second chance after death to receive Jesus as their Saviour

.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” (Acts 26:28, NKJV)

Almost Persuaded

Brett Blair writes how on January 23, 1909, a small invention played a crucial role in the lives of 1500 people. The New York-bound ocean liner, the Florida, rammed into the Republic. Jack Binns, the Republic's new wireless radio man, reassembled his contraption which had been destroyed in the collision. He sent out distress calls for the next 12 hours until the crew and passengers were rescued in the dawn light of Sunday morning. Only a few died.

"Jack Binns became a national hero. He was given a ticker tape parade. Songs were written about him. He even testified before Congress on the importance of regulating wireless technology on all ships. Congress listened politely but ignored his message. Binn gave up his quest, accepted no profit from his celebrity, and went back home to England to await reassignment. Three years later he received an assignment aboard a ship that he turned down. He had fallen in love and was soon to marry. The turned down assignment? The Titanic.

"It is now felt that Binn's message was ignored because so few lives were lost on the Republic. It took tragedy on the scale of the Titanic for the importance of wireless to be understood."

King Agrippa was an almost-persuaded ... but lost. Be certain not to wait until it is too late to take heed of God's warnings in the Bible. Be sure you have accepted God's plan of salvation from a lost eternity. Whatever you do, don't be an almost-persuaded.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian. (Acts 26:28, NKJV)