Page 3 - May 2025 - Truth & Tidings

e preach, “sow” the Word of often confronted with questions about the
God in various ways, share our Bible, driving us to Scripture so that we
Wtestimonies, and “water” these might be “prepared to make a defense to
activities with prayer in the great hope that anyone who asks you for a reason for the
precious souls will come to faith in Christ. hope that is in you” (1Pe 3:15). Our grasp
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But very often it does not happen. At the of the Word is substantially sharpened as
same time, even if our efforts don’t lead to we seek to reach others for Christ.
the salvation of souls, many good things Very often, our faith is strengthened when
happen as we evangelize. One blessing is we labor to win souls. We ask God to allow
that we unite in a common goal. My disagree- circumstances in a person’s life that will
ment with brother so-and-so suddenly be favorable to the gospel and then He
seems insignificant as our focus becomes answers our prayer. We cry to the Lord to
working together to reach the lost. As we give an opportunity to speak to a particular
evangelize, we also have the privilege of person about our Savior and He grants
uniting with the Lord Himself, becoming our request. We pray that God will open
“God’s fellow workers” (1Co 3:9). The sta- the door for a specific gospel outreach and
tus of our labor could not be elevated more. He comes through again. Little by little, He
Another wonderful blessing of evange- increases our faith as we engage in gospel
lism is that we sow what God might use later. activity.
Christ spoke of the seed of the Word fall- We can also find great encouragement
ing upon four different types of ground. in the fact that, as we obey the Great Com-
Although much of the seed might settle mission, we are obeying the Word of God.
upon soil that is hard, rocky or thorny, And in so doing, we receive the blessings of
some will surely fall upon good ground, obedience, for, as our Savior said, “blessed
and it may just take time for God’s Word … are those who hear the word of God and
to have its effect and for fruit to be mani- keep it!” (Luk 11:28; cf. Psa 128:1).
fested. Therefore, we sow, encouraged by So, do you want to be blessed? Keep on
the promise that the Lord will bless His witnessing. Keep on evangelizing. Keep
Word in His own time (Isa 55:11). on preaching. Keep on sowing. And we
As we evangelize, we deepen our un- hope you keep on reading this issue, which
derstanding of Scripture. This is true, not is devoted to the weighty and wonderful
simply because we must study the Word subject of evangelism.
to prepare a message for a public gospel
meeting. As we personally witness, we are 1 Bible quotations in this article are from the ESV.

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