Many of us are ready to do anything but the one thing Jesus asked of us!
Imagine this not too far-fetched scenario: Mom and Dad are going out together for a few hours, and before they leave they make a simple request of their young son: “Johnny, we will be back in a few hours. Before we get back, could you please straighten up your bedroom?”

Mom and Dad enjoy their evening out together, but they’re shocked by what they see when they return home.

The lawn is freshly mowed. The living room has been vacuumed. All the dinner dishes have been washed.

“Johnny, the house looks great!” they exclaim. “We can’t wait to see how you straightened up your bedroom!”

“The bedroom?” he replies. “Oh, never even got near that.”

If you’re still with me, please don’t click off. We’re about to assault a major charismatic misconception that acts much like a “Johnny.”

Question: What’s the one simple mission Jesus gave to every Christian?

Answer: “‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every disciples of all the nations'” (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20, NKJV).

One mission–go. Two parts–preach and make disciples. Pretty simple, isn’t it?

Yet, like Johnny, we get busy doing all kinds of other “stuff.” Some of it’s pretty good stuff, even excellent, although none of it is actually the “one thing” Jesus said to do.

I’ve spent more than 30 years traveling in America partnering with local churches to ignite evangelism in their communities, and I’ve seen many types of teaching or training programs in charismatic and Pentecostal churches.

For example, men and women are trained to become pleasant, efficient ushers, greeters and parking-lot attendants. Believers are trained through continual exhortations, teachings and seminars to become good stewards who give financially. A constant, much-needed emphasis is placed on praying fervently, effectively and every way imaginable.

Praise God for all of these points of service. No complaints here on any of them.

Yet, recently I read that only 1 in 3 churches trains its people for evangelism. That means two-thirds of all Christians have been trained to do everything but fully obey the command of Jesus. As a result, many of us are part of a growing population of Johnnys who are ready to do anything but the one thing Jesus asked of us!

It’s amazing that evangelism is given token attention or even avoided for “deeper things” or more palatable spiritual matters. The majority of conferences, whether they are addressing the prophetic “this” or the restoration of “that,” rarely do more than make minimal, perfunctory efforts to help the saints practically or effectively spread the message of Jesus.

I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready to see the tide turn–now. It makes sense to me, especially if we’ve chosen to follow Jesus on His terms rather than ours (ouch!).

When Jesus saved me I was completely unchurched and totally unaware of anything remotely Christian. I’m Jewish, from New Jersey and was a heroin addict and hoodlum. But when I met Christ it was immediately clear to me that I must tell people about His work in my life.

It is not because I am an evangelist that I must do this but because I am a believer. That was 1970, and our ministry keeps going today by the grace of God.

Here is my proposal for you to prayerfully consider. Let’s take God’s one mission and have a very real and personal part in fulfilling it in our own lives, ministries and churches. Let’s honestly admit to Jesus that we have avoided and neglected what is so dear to His heart.

I want His heart to be my heart. I am sure you do, too.

It’s time to show the world how wonderful we know Jesus really is. How? By living and telling friends and enemies, in-laws and outlaws that we believe in Jesus enough to reach out, touch, help and tell.

The one we believe in is true. He still changes situations, families and lives today.

Despite the busyness of our everyday Christian lives, let’s remember to do the one thing. Jesus, and maybe you, will be glad you did.

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Scott Hinkle is founder of Scott Hinkle Outreach Ministries in Phoenix. A veteran evangelist, he regularly leads street ministry teams during Mardi Gras and other major events. He also sponsors evangelism training conferences. For more about his ministry, visit his Web site at .

Sharing Christ is not a ministry reserved for the super-brave.
Terrorism and terrorists: Since September 11 these two words have new meaning for us all. An evil plot, spawned in the mind of a treacherous enemy, has changed the way Americans live. The aim of the terrorists has been to bring down the wonderful freedom we all enjoy in this country.

Yet, are we aware that “terrorism” is assaulting the church–in the form of a hellish offensive by “anti-evangelism terrorists” to stop us from taking the love of God to others and to stifle our passion for His mission?

I’ve identified at least five of the “Most Wanted” of these “terrorists” roaming the body of Christ today. They aren’t the flesh-and-blood type, but if you’re a follower of Jesus you’re one of their targets.

Blindness. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18, KJV). This means that a Christian, a church or a ministry without a vision to bring people to Christ will stand by and watch them perish. That is a bone-chilling thought.

This is not a contemporary religious issue. Jesus addressed it with those closest to Him–His disciples.

Whether we call them His “leadership team” or His “associate ministers,” it was to those He knew the best who remained spiritually blind that He said: “Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest'” (John 4:35, NIV).

What is a “vision” for the harvest? It’s not an emotion. It starts with making God’s heart our heart (see 2 Pet. 3:9). Then we should order our lives like we believe Jesus’ heart is ours.

If you’ve lost this vision, ask Jesus to open your eyes to see the harvest. Expose yourself to solid evangelism training and ministry. Put the gospel to work by actively sharing it.

Deception. Often I hear Christians say, “Evangelism is not my ministry, my gift, my calling, my anointing.” What a lie. Sharing Christ is not a ministry reserved for the super-brave. It is for every Christian regardless of ministry gift,
temperament or age.

You are never too old or young to be used by the Holy Spirit. There is no biological clock that dictates when God cannot use you. Feeling shy, quiet or inadequate is a smoke screen to divert you from fulfilling God’s desire for your life: “Not that we
are sufficient of our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant” (2 Cor. 3:4-6, NKJV).

Fear. This makes us think someone will be offended or that we will be rejected if we share the gospel. It’s a strategy that has locked up many gifted believers from finding great joy in leading others to Jesus.

The Bible says, “‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you'” (Is. 43:1) and that “perfect love casts out fear” (see 1 John 4:18). With the God who is love dwelling in our hearts, we are capable of stopping this work of the enemy cold.

Apathy. This means we simply do not care, period. It may be the most lethal anti-evangelism force we face. Life’s circumstances, our own blessings, our words or the words of others, faulty teaching, or something else has turned our eyes and our hearts away from the harvest right in front of our eyes.

Scripture brings some pretty stiff reproof for apathy. “A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord’s work” (Jer. 48:10, NIV). Ouch!

Too often I hear, “I used to do evangelism.” May I ask what happened?

Whatever the reason, return to your first love and do the things you did at first–like telling others about Jesus. God wants you to “never be lacking in zeal” in serving the Lord (see Rom. 12:11).

Ignorance. Some of us just don’t know how to share the gospel. Usually, those who make the learning process long and drawn out do not witness very often. It takes longer to study than to do.

It is my guess that the sleeping church has often forfeited the heathen as its inheritance because it has complicated the process of reaching the untouched.

Let’s halt the activity of these anti-evangelism agents. Jesus’ mission is for all of us to preach the gospel. He’s given us a sure promise to enable us to bring in the harvest: “‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper'” (Is. 54:17).

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Scott Hinkle is founder of Scott Hinkle Outreach Ministries in Phoenix. A veteran evangelist, he regularly leads street ministry teams during Mardi Gras and other major events. He also sponsors evangelism training conferences. For more information, visit his Web site at .