

Weekly Reading - Urgent Witnessing
15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
I heard this past week of a homeless chap I used to greet every so often when purchasing the odd few groceries passing away suddenly from a brain haemorrhage. I came to know him when I moved into the area and began using the local store. He would sit outside the shop and play music on his old guitar. I would often engage him in a quick chat; greeting him, asking him how much he had made in the day or usually cracking some joke about the weather. Our conversations never went much further than that, and I often wished I could speak to him about the Lord. He had a very coarse tongue, often blaspheming about something or other.
I never did pluck up the courage to say anything about God as far as I can remember, to my great shame and regret. I am currently undergoing a course in my church about how to spread the gospel in today's world. If the opportunity crops up again, I certainly don't intend a repeat of my mistakes.
Upon learning of his death it really brought home to me the urgency to speak to those who do not yet know God. The reality is God may ask me one day why I did not speak to that man. What will my response be? I don't honestly know, I don't like even thinking about it. I wanted to say today that if you know someone in a similar situation, I would strongly urge you to summon the courage to speak to them about God, He can use anyone to reach hardened hearts. Our witnessing needs to carry with it an urgency, for we may never get another opportunity to speak to someone about what Jesus has done for them