All By Myself

Over the years I‘ve had a few individuals tell me I shouldn’t be doing street evangelism alone. They think it’s unscriptural because Jesus sent his disciples out two by two. Certainly, there are advantages to going out in pairs or groups. Deuteronomy 32:30 says that if one can chase a thousand, two can “put ten thousand to flight.” There is power in agreement.

However, that doesn’t mean Christians are useless by themselves. There are examples in the Bible where individuals ministered to others without having fellow believers with them such as Philip leading the Ethiopian eunuch to salvation (Acts 8:26-40). While I prefer having a partner with me on the streets, many times no one else has been available or willing to join me.

One day while staying at a church in Hanover, Germany, the Lord told me to go out and evangelize that afternoon. But except for handing out a couple of tracts, I resisted doing so because I wanted someone else ministering with me. While venting before the Lord in the church sanctuary, I received a revelation as to why He often has me witnessing solo. It is to overcome the fear of man. As the old saying goes, “You and God are a majority.”

Because of my disobedience, the Lord kept me in Hanover an extra day and told me to aim for ten salvations. I had to do a lot of “fishing” to find those ten souls. During this, I was also able to share many Scriptures with an atheist, a lesbian, and a young woman promoting the Green Party. After praying with my tenth person that day (a Muslim originally from Lebanon), I was walking back to the church when I felt led to approach a couple talking in front of a tattoo parlor. The woman spoke English and prayed with me to get born again. Praise God for 11 salvations that day!  

If Jesus Christ continues to tarry His Second Coming and more laws are passed restricting the preaching of the gospel, we may find ourselves in challenging situations where the Lord will expect us to testify of Him even if other believers aren’t present. Jesus said in Matthew 10:18-20 (KJV), “And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.”  

If you were waiting at a bus stop and the Lord put in on your heart to witness to an elderly person standing next to you, would you refuse to do so just because nobody else was with you? I hope not. You could be that person’s final opportunity to receive salvation.

Speaking of the elderly, I once saw a news report about an 84-year-old New Yorker named Irma Moraes. For over 40 years, Irma passed out gospel tracts alone in the Times Square area almost every day. If an 84-year-old woman can do that all by herself, then how can other Christians have an excuse for not obeying the Great Commission?

 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” - Matthew 22:14

Real Zeal

Last year while street evangelizing in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I got to know a man who was one of the most “on fire” believers I ever met.  Surprisingly, this man insisted he wasn’t zealous enough.  Many times when I talked to him on the phone, he asked me to pray that he would have more zeal.  Personally I thought he was more zealous for God than me!

One dictionary defines zeal as “great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.”  Worldly people think it’s wrong to be zealous or fanatical about the things of God (I’ve often been labeled a “religious fanatic” when taking a public stand against sinful activities).  Yet many of these individuals have no problem acting fanatical at a sporting event.  Keep in mind the word “fan” is short for fanatic.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Be ye still men of might and vigour, men who serve their God with diligence and zeal.”  Several verses in the Bible encourage zealousness.  Here are a few of them…

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day” - Proverbs 23:17

“who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” - Titus 2:14

“But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.” - Galatians 4:18

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.  Therefore be zealous and repent.” - Revelation 3:19

Zechariah 1:14 and 8:2 says the Lord is zealous about His people and their land.  When Jesus chased the moneychangers out of the temple in John 2:17, His disciples remembered Psalm 69:9, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”  Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13 refers to one of the apostles named Simon as “the Zealot.”

However, being zealous doesn’t mean being rude to people.  We must always speak the truth in love and with compassion.  I’ve seen eager believers witnessing in a manner that pushes people away.  A soul winner must learn to discern when to draw back from someone who isn’t receptive to the gospel.

Overzealousness can create problems when sharing the gospel in certain situations.  Just two days ago while doing street evangelism in a Minneapolis suburb, three boys were riding their bicycles towards where I was standing.  Believing this was a divine appointment, I offered them tracts and soon found out all three boys weren’t sure of their eternal destiny.  As they prayed to get born again, I perceived I needed to keep my time short talking with them.  Instead I attempted to minister to them more when a woman interrupted our conversation and got upset with me because I didn’t know the boys beforehand.  This is a reminder we must use wisdom when witnessing to younger children and get parental permission first whenever possible.

Romans 10:2 mentions that the Jews “have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”  The next verse explains why: “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” 

One should be zealous not to build their own kingdom but the kingdom of God.

“Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.” - 1 Corinthians 14:12