Why I believe that our evangelism should be very distinct from a "missionary" spirit

Before expressing on the subject, I would like to say this prayer.

"Dear Lord, please show us when we should be bold and speak; also refrain us from uttering a word when it is much wiser to stay silent."

          Amen


Not everybody is ready to approach Yeshua: mind that truth

 Because they have been hurt and wrongfully treated by people who pretended to speak in Yeshua's Name, some people just don't want to hear about Him.
Some others do carry preconceived ideas about how Yeshua should be, how He should behave. They do think that He is some kind of awful tyrant who will deprive them of their freedom and force them into endless prayer reunions...I confess that I used to be one of these persons. For years, I have carried a distorted image of our Lord, and even to the point I didn't even want to hear the word "Lord" and open a Bible.

I could have kept on carrying these misconceptions for years, but Yeshua decided otherwise. He encountered my path and let me see who He is. He is just the contrary of what I have been shown in some assemblies of men. In fact His heart is so very humble and full of compassion that approaching Him will make you weep you like a little baby ( I am not exaggerating anything here.)

So, when should we share and speak about Yeshua?

While I believe that it is important to share our testimony to the world, I am also convinced that we should do it smoothly.
What do I mean by that?

I am a writer; I am currently writing my third testimony of our Lord that will be entitled "Heart of a Savior". I am writing and publishing my books, sharing them with like-minded people, but I don't force anybody to read them or to buy them.
When I step out of my apartment, I am not behaving in a way that deranges people. I don't speak about Yeshua systematically to each person who encounters my path.

I open my mouth when I sense a quest about Yeshua. I recently shared Yeshua with some Jewish friends from my hometown, because they asked me about Him. So I explained them that He revealed Himself to me as Yeshua, Messiah of Israel. To my greatest surprise, they didn't reject my testimony. One of them was even scared. I told her: "Don't be scared; this is actually good news for Israel!"

In the same way, I will speak out with Gentiles who ask me.

But I refuse to IMPOSE Yeshua to people and to make them look ridiculous because of their own beliefs or culture. I refrain from throwing verses at people's heads, because I experienced this in the past and it can be felt as humiliating.

Each time, somebody asks what my beliefs are, I am answering that I am a follower of Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel. I also specify that to me Yeshua is the fulfilling of the Torah and the Prophets.

Understanding Jewish people's reserve

I heard a lot of hateful statements against orthodox Jews because they don't accept Yeshua.
First of all, if you are a true follower of our Messiah, you should show love to everybody. This is not just an option, it is a true mitzvah from Yeshua.

A great majority of orthodox Jews are reluctant to accept Yeshua for the following reasons:

- they have been suffering for centuries from persecutions, mistreatments and forced conversions from people who pretended to act "in the Lord's Name".
- in Judaism, a conversion is a move from the heart that cannot be forced...actually the notion of " repentance" that is so dear to Christianity comes from Yeshua's people...it is named Teshuva. Doing a Teshuva is returning to Hashem.
Orthodox Jews will not give up Torah for foreign beliefs or to follow foreign gods. What Christianity has shown them is a mixture of syncretism and pagan traditions. Many of them envision Yeshua as a "goy", not as the Messiah of Israel, because they place Him on the same level as Santa Claus and Christmas tree, just to give you a few exemples...
-one of orthodox Jews' biggest fears is to be misled by a false Messiah

However, by the grace of Hashem, I believe that the veil is being lifted. Many people start recognizing in Yeshua their long lost brother.

Respect the person in front of you

Whether you are in front of a Jew or a Gentile, you must understand that ,for many reasons, the person may not want to speak about Yeshua.
Treat everybody as you would like to be treated. This is also a Torah-wise attitude, encouraged by our Messiah.

Yeshua waited 49 years for me to accept him. Who am I to impose Him?

Nevertheless, if you are thirsty about Him, ask Him into your life!


Copyright© by Isabelle Esling