I’m a Missionary Kid in Japan. I am responding to the challenge asking to share about how the Lord is leading me concerning witnessing during this Coronavirus crisis.
Ever since the Coronavirus reached Japan in mid-February, my family and I have been praying every day, our hearts especially burdened for not just the healing of bodies, but the healing of souls through the Gospel. We know that the Lord has some kind of unique plan for this time! I had been wondering and praying for weeks, and had become a little stuck in trying to figure out what is my niche for this particular time. I was really encouraged by the first episode of the TG Talk, and right after watching it I spent some good time with the Lord, really seeking what I can specifically do for spreading the Gospel during this time, and I really just spent some time in prayer and, most importantly, some needful time in silence, waiting for answers. At first I asked, Who can I reach, who should I text or write to? And though at first my mind was a bit of a blank, the Lord started bringing different friends and acquaintances to mind, then I asked for how am I to start conversations with them and bridge that to sharing the Gospel? The Lord also gave ideas on that, but I didn’t write those down right away, so I had half-forgotten them. However, the next morning I got out a pencil and some paper and got on my knees again, and the Lord brought those things back to mind and a few new ones as well. I’d like to share a few things from what He showed me:
When contacting someone I want to share the Gospel with:
- First show a caring spirit and inquire how the person has been doing. (Jesus cared for the physical needs of people!)
- Catch up on a few things with that person, then express some sympathy and concerns about the people sick with corona virus and the people who are under difficult quarantine circumstances (but Not dwelling on bad things people are doing or poor government decisions. Everyone is already dwelling on all the bad news from the media, so why should we do that, too? Does absolutely no good to complain or to repeat all the bad news we hear). End on the note saying that I have been praying, I know that the Lord is working, and I have peace because I can leave everything in His hands.
- Next it would be good to touch on the fact that people of all ages have caught this virus, and that no one is guaranteed to live a long life. Very sudden things happen. We all need to be prepared to die someday.
- After that I can share that I have peace and joy in knowing where I am going when I die. Then I can ask the person, how about them? (Show sincere care and compassion, this is their eternal life on the line, it truly is important!!) If they express uncertainty, or at least if they don’t seem averse to my sharing, and I can then go on to share about Christ and share my personal testimony and about how the Lord loves them and wants to save them.
- Sometime during the conversation, praise/thank the Lord for something! Salvation, protection, something! (Psalm 40:3 “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”)
- And above all, Pray and Prepare!! Pray for power of the Holy Spirit to work, pray to have God’s love and compassion towards that soul, and pray each step of the way, before every text/email I send. Spend good time in reviewing the Gospel, getting ready to answer any question. (1 Peter 3:15 & Eph. 6:15)
So these were some of the specific things that the Lord was working on my heart concerning how to approach sharing the gospel during this time, though really, most of it applies to any time! I’d truly appreciate prayers for me—I have so much to go in actually getting out the Gospel to so many people who I honestly should have already shared it with a long time ago. I don’t want to waste any more precious time!
I also plan to use my testimony tract when sharing the Gospel, which I want to explain about here in a moment. Mr. Bobby Bosler had commented that some others had mentioned writing some gospel tracts. I was really excited to hear that!! Last summer in August the Lord had prompted me to write a Japanese Gospel tract in the perspective of my testimony, a tract that I can personally hand out to people I know. It was my father’s idea that he had mentioned to me over a year ago, and the Lord made it happen last summer. I’m thankful that God has given me opportunity to share it with some people already. I’d love to share it with you all. I just translated my tract into English, since before I only had it in Japanese. Some of the wording may seem a bit unusual, but I wanted to leave a bit of a Japanese flavor to it, rather than rephrasing it to what I would usually say in English, to give you a more accurate idea to how it actually goes in Japanese. It is simply phrased, but the explanation is more detailed because in Japan it is very needful to start with the very simple basics, since most of the population (probably over 90%) has never heard the Gospel, or even has a vague idea of who the God and Creator we serve and worship is.
And I’d like to challenge all you out there—Please, after this, ask the Lord if He would have you to write your own testimony tract! You can use whatever verses and however much or little of your story, just make it personal and bursting with the Wonderful news of the Gospel!
It is a powerful witnessing tool, that you can print and hand out in person, or in times like these, send digitally to people (Maybe even post it up on your social media?? Let it go viral like Mr. Bosler was saying!!). I believe a testimony tract has a much more personal touch to it that could bring the Gospel home to the hearts of your lost friends, family, and acquaintances—maybe more than a tract that you got at your church would, (though there is nothing wrong at all with using those!) But I think this kind of thing is one way that you can really Show that God means something to You, and that you have a truly personal walk with Him— and that others can, too!! Please pray and see if the Lord stirs up your heart for this.
Praying this a blessing and encouragement to you in some way! I am looking forward to hearing the different ways in which God is leading others!
My Joyful Testimony, by Sarah
This is the testimony of my faith. I want to introduce you to the Saviour who has done great things for me. I was taught about the one true God by my parents, and from a very young age I knew about Him. Growing up, I probably looked like a good kid, as I tried to obey my parents and do good things. But it wasn’t enough that I just believed that God existed. I didn’t yet have a one-on-one, personal relationship with Him. I knew very well that as the Bible (God’s letter to mankind) says, no matter how much I tried, I could never get to Heaven by doing good works. One day, when I was 8 years old, I decided to accept the free gift of God which is called the “Salvation of Jesus Christ,” also known as “Eternal life.” That day I acknowledged what the Bible says, that all mankind has sinned and are therefore sinners; and I confessed before God that I, too, was a sinner. Even as an 8 year old, I knew that because I had not obeyed a number of God’s commandments, I was a sinner, and that I would have to receive the punishment of my own sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” This ‘death’ is a spiritual death, which means eternal separation from God when leaving this earth, and suffering in Hell. But God, in his boundless love, planned a way for mankind to be able to escape that punishment. Continuing in that same passage, it tells about the gift of God, “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Again another passage, John 3:16, says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That day, I believed in Jesus Christ. This wonderful Jesus Christ, taking on Him the form of man, came to earth and lived 33 years in the world, living a sinless life. Then He was hung on a cross and suffered a terrible death. He offered up His own life on the cross so He could bear our sins on Himself and receive the punishment for our sins—Death. After that He was buried in a tomb. But so He could gain victory over death, three days after He died He rose from the dead so that I, and any other person who believes, can have eternal life. Because this Saviour took the place for the likes of me, taking all my sins upon Himself, I was able to receive forgiveness and eternal life by asking pardon for my sins through Jesus Christ, and I am saved from the fires of Hell. By this, my heart has peace within.
When I was saved, I became what is called a Christian. Even if I die right now, because I have been forgiven of all my sin, I will live forever in Heaven with God. When I leave this earth, I will have an everlasting joy! The day I was saved I was changed from the path to destruction to the path to Heaven! Now I have a one-on-one, personal relationship with the Creator of the world, and I talk to Him through prayer, and He talks to me through His Word. Through prayer and reading God’s Word, everyday I receive joy, encouragement, and strength from God. As a Christian, I am not at all perfect. I am still very much studying the Bible and growing, learning how I can best live for the glory of my Saviour and how I can walk as a good witness for Him. Over the past 14 years my faith has grown. The deeper I get to know God, the more I love Him; and the more I study His Word, the more I desire to follow and obey Him. Though He cannot be seen with our eyes, He is always beside me. Even if I mess up a lot, and fail many times, I have His wonderful promise in Hebrews 13:5 which says, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” I am so thankful for that! My life’s goal is to please God who loves me. He protects me, loves me, and saved me from the path going to destruction, and from my heart I want to follow Him and introduce my friends and acquaintances to Him. Because God also loves you, and He wants to save you from the path to destruction. I want you to know about God’s wonderful gift.
In closing, I’d like to say a heartfelt Thank You to Thee Generation and all those working behind it and contributing to it. It has been a huge inspiration and source of encouragement to me. Thank you, Lord, for making something special like this!! I greatly look forward to every post, podcast, and video, and I am greatly encouraged to hear how the Lord is working in others’ hearts, and that there are so many other young people out there truly wanting, and—by God’s grace—living out total surrender to our Wonderful God, and total dependence on His power to turn the world upside down with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Let’s redeem this time for the Glory of our Lord!
