Running from the Devil

Since my last entry, I sat down with God and had a good talk. But then when I was done talking, I listened. I began to think new thoughts, which I know were placed in my brain by God. While speaking to him I kept repeating how I don't know how people live without him. I literally have no clue how people can walk around this world and not have Christ. I'd be a basket case! God showed me how that truth needs to be my inspiration in life. Spreading the gospel, not primarily so that people don't "BURN IN THE LAKE OF FIRE FOR ETERNITY" (eeek) but so that they don't have to live another second without Jesus. People are not walking around this world thinking, "How do I keep myself from burning forever when I die?" but instead they are thinking, "What's my purpose? Why am I so lonely? What does this all mean?"
The great thing about someone accepting Christ is that they can know Him and be with Him, live with purpose and eventually meet Him face to face. This approach to evangelism is so much more effective than, "Hey you, accept Christ or you're gonna burn and I don't want your blood on my hands, so since this all about me and you not burning, better commit to this guy you know nothing about."
Now that I have rekindled this understanding of spreading the gospel, I will be a more effective witness and light for Jesus Christ. I guess it's simply like choosing between saying, "Come to Jesus and live!" or, "Come to Jesus or DIE!"
I choose option A.
My husband is a phenomenal salesman. He ranked among the top sales people in the company he use to work for. He says the reason why he was good at his job was because he believed in what he was selling and he was passionate about it. There were some pieces of equipment in his store that he thought were garbage, and had alot of trouble selling them. He just didn't believe in them. He found it easier to sell more high-end, expensive stuff that he knew was top of the line. He focused his energy on telling the customer about the positive benefits of the good equipment. It's easier to use, low maintenance, longer life, safer, delivers better results. He didn't stand there and say, "You should buy this treadmill, because the other one you were looking at is built poorly, it's going to tear up your shoes, it won't last very long, the motor stinks, it's not safe.....blah, blah, blah."
This technique would leave the customer knowing nothing about the treadmill Jason was trying to sell, but instead they would have a head full of negativity and their time would be wasted. A customer doesn't stick around a store very long, so the sales approach has to be positive, effective and informative about what they should do and the positive effect it will have on their lives. It helps if the person can speak from personal experience.
I think we as Christians, especially as Salvationists, spend alot of time focusing on 'hell avoidance.' It is true that you can not get to heaven except by the Son of God, but do we want to scare a bunch of people into Salvation or do we want to attract people to unconditional love, forgiveness, peace and joy? People today associate Fire and Brimstone preaching with a cold and out-to-lunch church that just wants to be right. I say we show people Jesus so they can know whether or not they want to know this man and allow him to rule their lives. You and I know that if they can REALLY see Jesus in us and through us, they won't be able to say anything but, "Yes, I want to know this man, I want to love this man, and I someday want to meet this man named Jesus."
People want Jesus, and alot of them are already living in their own personal hell. Let's show them the light instead of making them afraid of the dark. That way we will see Christians who not only despise sin, but love Jesus Christ more than anything.