Walking up to a stranger and asking something like “Do you know Jesus” or “have you found Jesus” is not in my makeup. I remember being asked “have you found Jesus” and resisting the impulse to say “Don’t look at me, I didn’t lose Him.” So rather than a direct approach I’ll make a comment such as “It’s time to get right with God” at every opportunity and the opportunities are numerous in today’s fear filled world. Even nonbelievers feel something is wrong and off balance, so I plant a seed.
I try to find a common ground as did Paul on Mar’s Hill. Rather than berating the pagans for their hundreds of gods and goddesses he homed in on the “unknown god.” However, common ground or not, Paul still had a warning for the pagans; Act 17:30-31, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”
And it is apparent that God is no longer winking at our ignorance that has morphed into outright obedience.
In the 90s I circled the drain of the New Age, a fact that gives me greater discernment along with common ground with the New Agers than I would have otherwise.
Several years ago I had an earth based pagan friend to whom I gently witnessed for about two years at a winter market. Another vendor told him that he was headed for Hell because he was a pagan. With steam issuing from his ears my friend told me of his run-in with this well-meaning vendor. Did I agree with her, was he headed for Hell? I was truthful and that was the end of any possibility of bringing him to faith. Lesson learned, be sensitive in your witness.
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