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Wise Witnesses
by Bro. Peter Rahme
 “AND JESUS summoned to Him His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out, and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of weakness and infirmity… …16 Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves.” Matthew 10:1, 16 (AMP)
Eternity without Christ
I asked the Lord to reveal divine truth to me about an eternity without Him. On December 2nd, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. He said to me, “Think of the darkest hour of your life, multiply that to be a million times darker, and then multiply that by a million years - that is only the beginning of eternity without Me.” What a frightening thought!
Effective Witnesses
We, as Christians, are commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ in Acts 1:8 to be effective witnesses of the truth of the gospel. We are to bring the light of the Gospel of Christ to a world darkened by sin. Our text says we must be wise as serpents and innocent, or harmless, as doves. To be wise is to be thoughtful and considerate of the person you are witnessing to; to be knowledgeable in the scriptures you share with them, to be sensitive and have a heart of compassion as Jesus did. We must always approach a person in love, keeping in mind that they are eternal beings, and the Spirit of the Lord has put them before you so that you can lead them to eternal life with Christ.
People have gone through many tests and trials, and are bombarded daily with bad news. They are waiting for someone to give them some good news, and you could be the person that they have been waiting for. The love of Christ that dwells in you will play the most important role in winning them over to the Lord.
We have to do everything in our power to let all of our family members, our relatives, our friends and even our enemies (if there are such people in your life), know the truth of what Jesus Christ of Nazareth did for them on the cross of Calvary 2,000 years ago. Every person on earth deserves an opportunity to hear this truth of the gospel at least once, so that they can receive it or reject it. Amen!
 People will defend their wayward life and look for a way out rather than accept the truth. Deep down in all of us there is this question, is this all there is to life, or is there a God? Jesus said people love darkness rather than the light, they will not come to the light because they practice evil works, and don’t want their deeds to be exposed. When we show people the truth and they accept it, they will also practice the truth, then their deeds will be clearly seen, that they have been done in God (John 3:19-21).
When you share the divine truth of the gospel, ask the spirit of God to guide you. Romans 8:14 says ”For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Always try to lead them in the prayer of salvation. God’s Word never returns void. (Click here to read "How to assure eternity with The Lord Jesus Christ").
The apostle Paul uses the same word Jesus used for harmless (as doves) when he says, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:14-16
Harmless means pure, guileless, sincere, and innocent, it also means discerning what is evil, and choosing only what glorifies God (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). As children try to please their earthly parents, so we should live our lives to be pleasing to our heavenly Father. Nothing pleases Him more than to bring the lost back to Him. Paul says in Romans 16:19, “For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.”
“Take your part with others in enduring hardships as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one when  engaged in military service allows himself to become involved in civilian pursuits, in order that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:4 (Wuest)
We must always share the truth and freedom of Christ in love. This Good News has been entrusted to us and the scriptures should be learned so that the Word is readily available when we need to give answers to those we come in contact with. We have been called to be servants and witnesses; we do not belong to ourselves. We are warriors for the Captain of our salvation - we have to please Him who enlisted and chose us as a soldier.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Bro. Peter Rahme
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