Facebook Evangelism – Trisha Ramos

No doubt our Facebook pages can be a witnessing tool for the Gospel and with the advancement of modern technology and all the various social media venues, we don’t even have to leave the house to be a witness for the Lord. In fact Facebook, in particular, is a great way to reach many people at once by quoting bible verses that tell of the Lord's wondrous deeds and that call people to turn from their sins and trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ. Don't get me wrong, I realize that there are many other reasons why we have Facebook pages (networking, business reasons, etc) and I'm sure there various things that we post about our daily lives, but in the midst of it all, honoring the Lord and proclaiming the gospel should be in the forefront for the follower of Christ.

To make this more clear, when you accept a friend on Facebook, typically the very first thing they do is view your pictures. In fact, sometimes that's all they may do. They quickly skim through them to see how you look and what you’ve been up to for the past decade or two and then off they go, onto the next person’s page. It reminds me of the ol' adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words." This saying refers to the idea that a picture communicates something. Sometimes it communicates too much. So with that in mind, when was the last time you went through your Facebook pictures and asked yourself, "Is this modest?" or "What am I communicating to my 'friends'?" and “Would I want my brothers and sisters in Christ looking at theses pictures?”

Ladies, this is especially for us. If you are a professing Christian and if you haven't done this already, here’s something practical that you can do: Go through every picture on your Facebook (This may take time depending upon how many pictures you have, but it will be worth it since on Judgment Day you will give an account to the Lord for all of these things) and if you are dressed in an immodest manner, hit 'Delete!'

If you need help with deciphering what is modest and what is immodest, ask a modest sister in your local church for help, or a godly older women who can give you wise counsel, or ask your husband (assuming that he has biblical standards for modesty). And if all else fails and you have no one else to go to, well then, there's always me and I'll be quick to toot my modesty horn.

For starters, here's a few specific areas that might help you out, let's begin with cleavage. Ladies, if you are showing cleavage, hit 'Delete' as fast as you can! I don't care how "cute" you look or if someone else posts the pic of you or if it was way back in your BC (before Christ) days. This is not acceptable in any circumstances for a woman who professes to follow Christ. Simply delete the picture or 'Un-tag' yourself.

If you have photos of you or your friends in bikinis, hit 'Delete' as quickly as you can and don't look back. Or if your mid (midriff) section is showing hit 'Delete' please. And short shorts are a no no, so you know what to do with that, 'Delete, delete, delete'. And then check your heart and ask yourself, "What is it within me that desires to present myself in this manner?” and “What does this speak of the condition of my heart?”

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel..." 1 Timothy 2.9a

Encouraging email

"Thanks Trish- had my son with me as we tried your idea of giving the McDonald's window lady a tract and paid for the guy behind us- she gave him a tract. Cool idea- he gets to see dad witness, the workers were all talking about the tract and the fellow in the white truck got the good news- win win win!" -Jeff Allred

Watch what Jeff was referring to on the short 2 minute clip below.
Then try it this week when you go through the fast food window.

Crazies like these...Inspire scoffers like these...

God-ordained "Coincidences"

The below is from Ray Comfort today about something interesting that happened while we were in Israel filming for The Way of the Master Season 5. This was one of many incredible things that took place on our trip. I thought you all would enjoy reading this portion from his newsletter. Our God is huge and there are no coincidences with Him (left: Cana, Israel).

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We were able to film every one of the 13 episodes of Season Five of our TV program at amazing locations in Israel (Galilee, Jericho, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, etc.) without any problems, for which we're grateful to God. I will give you more details another time, because I want to tell you about one highlight I will never forget.

We have been working on a documentary for about four months that evolved into the most powerful production we have ever made. It’s called “Hitler, Religion, and the Holocaust,” and it contains interviews of five women and two men who are pro-abortion who change their minds on-camera to pro-life within a matter of seconds because of something they heard. We had already decided to give away 200,000 copies of this DVD later this year at 100 of the country’s top universities, and I wanted to get a promo into the hands of key people.

When we arrived in Jerusalem last week, I learned that Kay Arthur (from Precept Ministries International) was in Jerusalem. A friend of the ministry had met her in the hotel lobby and found that her room was next to his. The amazing thing was that he didn’t know who she was, but mentioned to me that he had met her. That night, we discovered that Kay Arthur’s personal assistant had been through “The Way of the Master Basic Training Course” and loved the ministry.

Kay and I were introduced, and the next day she asked how Kirk became involved with the ministry. When I said that someone had given him a CD called “Hell’s Best Kept Secret,” she pushed my shoulder, jumped back and said, “You are the one! You are the one!” It turned out that she had just listened to “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” in her car (twice), and loved it. That night I screened the new video to her and her staff, and she gave it a wonderful written commendation on the spot.

I already suspected that God’s hand was in this video, but when I thought of the odds of her being in Jerusalem when we were there, at our particular hotel, in a room next to our friend (in a hotel with 284 rooms), her assistant already loving the ministry, and Kay having just listened to “Hell’s Best Kept Secret,“ I am certain God is directing us. We hope to have it available in few weeks. Watch for details.

Discernment & Street Reality - Trisha Ramos with Kristen Rasor

No doubt you have been to the zoo, or some place like it, and seen a pack of wolves. In that setting they look and act much like our sweet and friendly pet dogs at home. So, it can be somewhat hard to believe that if we were to step over the protective barrier separating us from them, that they would want to kill us. Their desire to kill us would not be obvious at first because they would not immediately lunge at us; instead they would carefully eye us, then slowly get up and begin circling us. In an instant, they would go from reminding us of our beloved pet, to reminding us of the reason for the protective barrier.

Street witnessing can be much the same in that people at a distance appear to be as friendly and harmless as we are, and it’s not until we start talking to them that we are able to discern if we should continue our witnessing efforts, or if they are preparing to circle us like a pack of wolves. But why would that be? We have good news! Scripture tells us that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing”, and Jesus warns us in Matthew 10:16 of the hostility we will face when sharing it when he says, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” These two scriptures alone tell us not to be naïve into thinking that everyone with a smile on their face is embracing what we are saying. And, we women in particular must make it a point to be more aware of this then men simply because we are more vulnerable. Here are a few things for us ladies to keep in mind when we are witnessing on the streets:

First and foremost, never go out on the streets alone to witness. Follow the example Jesus set in Mark 6:7 when he sent the disciples out two by two; always have at least one other person with you.

Second, resolve in your heart to dress modestly. This is key! Never dress in a way that would call more attention to yourself than to God. Modest women must live for the glory of another. They must live for the glory of God. This means that the Christian women’s chief aim in life is to call attention to the beauty of God and not themselves. Make sure that you are seeking Christ’s approval - when you dress - and not man’s approval, which will always disappoint. Before you leave the house to go out and share the gospel, make sure you look in the mirror and ask yourself, "Would Christ be pleased with what I am wearing?" You never want to tempt your fellow co-labors in the gospel or unbelievers that you are witnessing to. Make sure you are dressed in a manner that represents the Lord well. If you are still not sure if your outfit is modest, ask a modest sister from church for her opinion. Or if you are married, ask your spouse (this presupposes that your husband has a high standard on modesty as we are called to have by the Word of God).

Third, always heed the warnings of the Holy Spirit. He is like our protective barrier, and if we “step over” him we can find ourselves in serious trouble. He guides us in the way we should go, so if something doesn’t feel right, it’s time to end the conversation, hand the person a gospel tract, and move on. Here’s an example of what to say: “What is your name again? Steve, I appreciate you talking with me (hand him a tract), be sure and read the back when you get a chance.”

Finally, consider your surroundings before approaching a group, especially a group of guys. Different atmospheres create different attitudes. For example, a college campus during the day is safer than the city downtown at night.

If you are new to witnessing, it can be difficult at first to discern if someone is genuine or not in his or her conversation with you. If possible, have an experienced person with you for a while until you are comfortable witnessing one-to-one.

Go! Share the Gospel
One Person at a Time