Crowns For The Wise by Randy Gunnip PDF

Crowns for the
Wise
"He who wins souls is wise."

Proverbs 11:30
Randy Gunnip
Harvest Time Publications

P. O. Box 1334
Colleyville, Texas 76034
Crowns for the Wise

ISBN 0-9666779-1-9
First Printing, March, 2001
2001 Randy Gunnip
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in Whole or Part Without
Written Permission is Prohibited. Printed in United States of
America.
All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless
otherwise noted.
Published by:
Harvest Time Publications
P. O. Box 1334
Colleyville, Texas 76034
(817)485-6452
Acknowledgements
o successful endeavor is accomplished alone. At every

juncture of the journey, there are people who encourage
you, inspire you, motivate you and challenge you to press on, to
pursue your vision, to never give up.
I have experienced this in my professional life, in my
personal life, in my ministry life... and I've experienced it in the
preparation and writing of this book. Soul winning is the passion
of my life. I am very grateful to all of the people who have had a
significant part in the creation and writing of my passion.
To four proven and faithful men of God who inspired me
and gave me invaluable information in the research stages...
Dr. Jimmy Simple, Director of State Mission Commission,
Baptist General Convention of Texas.
Dr. Bailey Stone, Director of Evangelism, Baptist General
Convention of Texas.
Dr. George Worrell, Director of Evangelism (ret.),
Mississippi Baptist Convention.
Dr. Roy Fish, Distinguished Professor, School of Theology,
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas.
To my good friend, Mr. Bill Wilkinson, president of
International Fellowship of Christian Businessmen, who is a
great soul winner and tremendous example. I appreciate the
sincere encouragement Bill consistently gives.
To Evangelist Victor Small and his wife, Billie, for their
commitment to pray daily for me and the completion of this
book. Victor was able to direct me to valuable sources of
information on evangelism.
To my special friend Dr. Nasir Saddiki, founder of Wisdom
Ministries, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Nasir's personal support of my
soul winning ministry and his hosting me on TBN have been a
great encouragement.
To Sam Martin, one of the greatest soul winners of our time.
To Patrick Morley, author of the book, The Man in the
Mirror.
To my good friend, Mike Evans. As an evangelist for over
30 years, his ministry is responsible for millions coming to

Christ. Mike's passion to see people saved is a great inspiration
to me to reach every person I can. Mike shared with me many
soul winning experiences and scriptures.
To the creative writing team who made my dream a reality:
To project editor Pat Blais, who has overseen this project from
start to finish with editorial skill and special expertise. To editor
Elizabeth Prestwood, whose considerable talents we could not
have done without. I am also grateful to my brother, Robert W.
Gunnip for his editorial input early in the project. To Kelley
Majors for her artistic input and cover design. To artists Dain
Hampton and Dan Pomeroy for their graphic illustrations.
Thank you all for helping with the most important
objective...winning souls.
Introduction
"He who wins souls is wise." Proverbs 11:30
here is more to heaven than just getting there. Yet, studies
show that the majority of Christians live as though they

are satisfied to simply have a ticket to heaven.
But there is a higher purpose to our time herea purpose
that involves a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and then
sharing that dynamic relationship with others.
It is called soul winning.
The greatest and highest mission for any Christian is to win
souls. It is the greatest passion of God Himself. It is the Great
Commission that Jesus gave us before He left this earth. It is the
highest way to demonstrate our love for God and the people He
created. It is the key to the brilliant lifeone where the power
and presence of God are guiding you, providing divine wisdom
and power to conquer life's challenges.
Paul said in Ephesians 6:8 that any good thing a man does,
God will repay him in this life. When we become soul winners,
something dynamic happens which does not happen beforehand.
By making our life's mission to seek those who are lost, we are
enthroning Jesus in our hearts more deeply. We are exalting Him
and following Him more intimately. We are surrendering
ourselves to accomplishing His most important mission. We are
letting Him live His life through us. In essence, the power of
God is permeating our very life. We become His mouthpiece,
His hands, His feet, doing His bidding with His power.
By committing ourselves to God's true agenda, we become
soldiers of Christ and He cares for us as a compassionate general
would care about his soldiers.
Soldiers who lay their lives on the line to accomplish the
vii
Crowns for the Wise
mission are not expendable. They are valuable. Their

commander will see to it that their needs are met, that they are
well cared for and that they have all the tools they need to
accomplish their mission. In the same way, Jesus must have
special thoughts of a loving relationship, of close friendship and
of continual regard for those who willingly and wholeheartedly
take up His cause (Alexander Maclaren, D.D., The Victor's
Crowns, Funk & Wagnalls Company, New York, p. 50).
Because when they do, He responds with protection and
provision. In fact, just like a soldier watches the backs of his
comrades, God watches ours. The Word says He goes out before
usHe leads the wayand His glory becomes our rear guard
(Isaiah 58).
When we live in such close communion with Jesus,
following His lead, He makes a way for us and protects us from
the enemy who would try to catch us unaware. He also sees to it
that we are fully equipped to fight and win the war. Isaiah 1:19
promises us that if we are willing and obedient, like a good
soldier is, we shall eat the good of the land, which means we
will be blessed.
Instead of our having to chase after the blessings of God, the
blessings will begin to chase us. They will come on us and
overtake us because God is so thrilled with our true labor
leading people to Christ.
If we let Jesus live His life through us, we will make His
mission our mission. We will then touch the heart of God and
change the hearts of people. For, as William Evans has written,
"There is no Christian, however humble or insignificant he may
feel himself, or others esteem him to be, who is not appointed by
the Spirit to be a winner of souls" (Personal Soul Winning, p. 5).
After the end of our lifetime, when we are in heaven
standing before the judgment seat of Christ, we will be rewarded
crowns based on what we did with our talents, abilities and
opportunities. Within that context, how many people we lead to
Christ will greatly affect the extent of our reward.
Those who are wise follow the example of Jesus Who came
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Introduction
to "seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Those
who are wise receive the crowns for the wise.
We all want to shine, to have our lives count for something
and a truly wise man will. A wise man's brilliance will never
be extinguished, even by death, if he has heeded the exhortation
of the prophet Daniel: "Those who are wise shall shine like the
brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to
righteousness like the stars forever and ever " (Daniel 12.3).
Winning souls isn't as hard as many Christians think, nor is
it an option. When you love God with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your mind, then it becomes easier to win
souls.
Yes, there are things to know and understand from His Word
concerning it. Yes, there are ways to share your faith that are
comfortable and easyand I'll teach you these. But when you
truly love God, the life of Christ on the inside of you will
naturally spill over onto others. You can't help but win souls!
Embark on a journey with me...a journey to change the way
we've lived.. from focusing on our own lives to being consumed
with the lives of others.. from pursuing our own agendas to
pursuing God's highest agenda.. winning the lost.
Randy Gunnip
ix
Contents
Introduction
vii
Chapter 1
There's More to Life Than Just Living It
Liz's Story
13
22
Chapter 2
Going After Real Rewards
Pat's Story
25
36
Chapter 3
Run to Win
It Is Never Too Late
39
53
Chapter 4
Loving PeopleYour Greatest Mission, Your Greatest Reward
55
Reaching the Taxi Drivers
63
Chapter 5
Working God's Plan to Reach the Lost
No Heart Is Ever Too Hard
65
78
Chapter 6
How to Be an Effective Witness
Lisa's Story
81
91
Chapter 7
The Heart of Soul WinningLearning to Pray for the Lost 93
Because Someone Prayed
104
Chapter 8
The 3-Step Process of Soul Winning
The Couple at the Party
105
124
Chapter 9
Living A Life of True Significance
125
Chapter 10
Get Started Now
Sources of Gospel Literature
141
150
Chapter 1
1
There's More to Life Than

Just Living It
ot long ago I had the privilege of spending the day with

Sam Martin. Sam is a 78-year-old man who has spent his
lifetime leading people to a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ.
From his youth, he has been a soul winner. As a teen, he led
Pastor and Evangelist John Osteen to the Lord.
As I witnessed just one day in the life of this modern-day
soul winner, I was amazed.
He was so genuine, so real, so caring, so alive!
When I picked him up at his Houston home, he told me that
we had a divine appointment. The Holy Spirit had told him so. I
looked into his face and knew it too. This man had something I
needed and wanted more of in my life.
As we arrived at the hotel, I began seeing what I longed for
unfold. When we stepped out of the car and greeted the bell
captain, Sam said to him, "Hi, I'm Sam Martin. I want to tell you
about a friend you need Who will never let you down. I'd like to
give you something. If I do, will you read it?"
That's all he said, and he gave the man a tract.
We entered the restaurant lobby. As the maitre d' greeted us,
Sam said, "Hi, I'm Sam Martin. I want to tell you about a friend
you need Who will never let you down. I'd like to give you
something. If I do, will you read it?"
Crowns for the Wise
That's all he said, and he gave the man a tract.

As we were seated, Sam greeted the waiter. "Hi, I'm Sam
Martin I want to tell you about a friend you need Who will never
let you down. I'd like to give you something. If I do, will you
read it?"
And on he went. Every person with whom Sam had any
contact, he offered them the opportunity to meet the Lord Jesus
Christ. He never missed a single one. All day long I watched a
man in action who truly loves His God and people.
As I observed all this, I evaluated my own life. I am a soul
winner, but I've never addressed the issue of salvation with
every single person I've encountered. Obviously, I could do
more.
Then, I thought of all those people Sam talked to... and
wondered who it was in their family or circle of friends that was
praying for them...that caused God to send Sam, a laborer of the
harvest, across their paths.
That got my attention.
Think of the souls that would be saved if we all acted like
Sam.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone yielded to the Holy
Spirit in Nebraska (or wherever) and began telling your sister or
brother or mother about Jesus?
And wouldn't it be even more wonderful if you yielded to
the Holy Spirit and began to tell someone at your
workplace...someone who happens to be the friend, dad or
cousin of someone who has been praying for a Christian to
witness to them?
If we all won souls, multitudes would be saved, their lives
made whole, their families restored and, most importantly, they
would have a relationship with Jesus Christ for eternity. And
they would have the key to life and to everything we all truly
want out of life... health, happiness, joy, peace, genuine
friendships, prosperity, success...all the goodness of God.
14
That is what God has always had planned for each of us.
God Has More of Everything for You!
Life is no accident. God had an orderly design, an objective,
a reason for creating us. God's plan not only covered the overall
scheme of life: the balance of nature, the stars, planets and sun
being held in place, and so on. But God's plan is individual and
personal. You are in His plan. Before He ever created the world,
He knew you and had a purpose for your life.
"For he chose us in him before the creation of the
world" (Ephesians 1:4, New International Version).
Before the worlds were framed, before the stars were set in
place, before you were even conceived in your mother's womb,
God had an overall design and objective for you. This plan is a
plan for good and not for evil, a plan which will bring you great
joy, unshakable peace and tremendous blessing (Jeremiah 29:11;
Psalm 139:14-18). It is a plan which will bring you the deepest
sense of fulfillment in this life and the greatest reward in the
next.
It is an awesome plan that cannot be improved upon by
anything we can conceive.
God has always wanted your life to be better. He wants your
marriage to be better, your personal fulfillment to be peaked,
your heart's cry to be answered, your job to be fulfilling. In
short, He really wants your dreams to come true.
However good your life is, God has more for you!
But you have to access it. You have to conform to His plan.
You have to live your life so that what is most important to Him
is most important to you. You have to re-prioritize your life so
that your priorities match His priorities. You have to become a
soul winner. When you do, you will have found the key to the
brilliant lifeone where the power and presence of God are
guiding you, providing divine wisdom and power to conquer
life's challenges.
15
Crowns for the Wise
Paul said in Ephesians 6:8 that any good thing a man does,
God will repay him in this life. When we become soul winners,
something dynamic happens which does not happen beforehand.
By making our life's mission to seek those who are lost, we are
enthroning Jesus in our hearts more deeply. We are exalting Him
and following Him more intimately. We are surrendering
ourselves to accomplishing
His most important mission.
We are letting Him live His When we become soul winners,
life through us. In essence, the something dynamic happens
power of God is permeating
which does not happen
our very life. We become His beforehand. By making our life's
mouthpiece, His hands, His mission to seek those who are
feet, doing His bidding with
lost, we are letting Him live His
His power.
life through us. In essence, the
By committing ourselves power of God is permeating our

to God's true agenda, we
very life. We become His
become soldiers of Christ. In a
mouthpiece,
His hands, His feet,
sense, we step out of the
doing His bidding with His
civilian ranks of Christianity
power.
and enlist in God's army. As a
result, He cares for us as a
compassionate
commander
would care about his soldiers.
Soldiers who lay their lives on the line to accomplish the
mission are not expendable. They are valuable. Their
commander will do everything he can to see that their needs are
met, that they are well cared for and that they have all the tools
they need to accomplish their mission. In the same way, Jesus
must have special thoughts of a loving relationship, of close
friendship, and of continual regard for those who willingly and
wholeheartedly take up His cause, for those who voluntarily
enlist (Alexander Maclaren, D.D., The Victor's Crowns, Funk &
Wagnalls Company, New York, p. 50). Because when they do,
He responds with protection and provision. In fact, the Word
says He goes out before usHe leads the wayand His glory
becomes our rear guard (Isaiah 58).
16
When we live in such close communion with Jesus,

following His lead, He makes a way for us and protects us from
the enemy who would try to catch us unaware. He also sees to it
that we are fully equipped, possessing everything we need to
win the war. Isaiah 1:19 promises us that if we are willing and
obedient, like a good soldier is, we shall eat the good of the land,
which means we will be blessed.
Instead of our having to chase after the blessings of God, the
blessings will chase us. They come on us and overtake us
because God is so thrilled with our true laborleading people to
Christ.
God established this pattern in Deuteronomy 28:1-2: "Now
it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the
LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments
which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set
you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings
shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the
voice of the LORD your God."
God wants to bless us right here, right now. Proverbs 11:3031 reaffirms this fact: "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and he who wins souls is wise. If the righteous will be
recompensed on the earth, how much more the ungodly and the
sinner."
To be recompensed is to be rewarded. This scripture is not
merely stating that it is wise to win souls, but it says that a soul
winner will experience a wisdom concerning the affairs of this
life that is not necessarily readily available to others.
Daniel 12:3 is another confirmation: "Those who are wise
shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who
turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever."
The world highly esteems people who have the brilliance to
create billions of dollars in net wealth, even though their private
lives may be in shambles. One of the earthly rewards for being a
soul winner is a rare wisdom that causes you to shine in all the
affairs of life...how to deal with your family, friends, business,
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Crowns for the Wise
ministry, finances and health.

This wisdom produces success and is attractive to the
unbeliever. He wants to know what is different about you. He
sees not only your success, but he sees that you know things he
does not know. Not only that, you seem to know them innately,
as if you have inside information! This "inside information" is
the wisdom of God.
Let me give you an example. One time, years ago, the Lord
woke me up at 1 o'clock in the morning and told me to call a
client in Laredo, Texas. My first thought was, But Lord, it is 1
o'clock in the morning! I can't do that.
But I knew it was God's voice on the inside of me telling me
to do it. So, I obeyed. After I spoke to my client, I learned that
he was about to enter into a business deal the next day. I knew I
needed to be there, so I told him not to do anything until I got
there. I caught the next flight to Laredo later that morning.
What occurred that day, as I advised him in his business
decision, optimized his business interests and forever altered my
life financially as well. But the point is, God took special care of
my interests. I believe it is because I put His interests, His
mission and His passion first in my life.
This kind of success, tempered with a godly love and respect
for people, will attract the world to us and provide a wide open
door for telling them about Christ.
In 1 Chronicles 4:10, the Bible records an interesting prayer
a man named Jabez prayed to the Lord, "Oh, that that Your hand
would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I
may not cause pain!' So God granted him what he requested."
Jabez was an old covenant believer and it sounds like he
understood the principle of the overtaking blessings God
mentioned in Deuteronomy 28. What would happen if a new
covenant believer asked and believed for the same thing? Could
it be there are unclaimed blessings for you and me? And could it
be that even though we may have had a painful start in life, we
could end up blessed, influencing others for Christ and bringing
18
honor and glory to God? Could it be that God wants to expand

our influence so that we can win many, not just a few, to Christ?
Absolutely!
The truth is, our Christian life comes more fully into focus
when we accept the call to be soul winners. Jesus said, "Freely
you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8). In order to
experience the abundant life of Christ fully, you must freely
express His gift of eternal life to others, by turning them to
Christ. The greatest gift you have received, if you are a
Christian, is the gift of eternal life. You have been ransomed,
redeemed and translated out of the power of darkness into the
kingdom of God's dear Son (Colossians 1:13). Every person who
is born into the world has the right to this same gift, but how
will they know unless someone tells them? (Romans 10:14-15).
If you ask God to expand your realm of influence like Jabez did,
you will get involved in the most exciting, exhilarating, fulfilling
mission available, which is giving others a chance to accept
Christ.
Remember what it was like when you made Jesus the Lord
of your life? Everything that previously seemed hopeless
suddenly started brimming with hope. Purpose and meaning
came into your heart. Destiny began to give birth... and soon
expectancy began to unfold.
This is the story of almost every believer. Yet, for some
reason, our hearts become cluttered with life. We become so
busy achieving, attaining and acquiring, that we miss learning
how to simply receive the unclaimed blessings reserved for the
faithful. What believers need to learn today is how to get back to
the plan...God's plan...and extend the greatest gift of all to those
who have not yet received it.
Becoming a Christian is the greatest gift we can receive on
earth. Few would deny the difference it has made in their lives.
Few would deny its ability to affect their lives. Yet, telling
others is something that we resist doing, even though it opens
wide the door to tremendous blessings.
Sam Martin hasn't resisted. And God has blessed him. Sam
19
Crowns for the Wise
has enjoyed the rewards and blessings reserved for whose who
walk in God's plan.
Special Rewards Reserved for the Faithful
God wants to reward you, not only with blessings here on
earth like wisdom in your affairs, but with heavenly rewards in
eternity.
God has reserved special rewardsattainable by every
Christianthat will be granted on a great reward day in heaven.
Those rewards will eclipse even the highest earthly rewards,
those that come from being a Nobel Prize winner, or an Olympic
Gold Medal winner, a Medal of Honor winner, or any other
possible reward.
These eternal rewards are metaphorically expressed in the
Bible in the form of crowns. We become candidates for these
crowns when we fulfill His plan in our life and in the lives of
others.
The crowns are representative of a life of blessing now on
earth and later in heaven as rewards we will throw at Jesus' feet
as worship and honor to Him.
Nonetheless, the majority of Christians are satisfied to
simply have their ticket to heaven. They joyfully anticipate the
day when they will pass from this life into the glorious presence
of God. But there is more to heaven than just getting there.
In 2 John 1:8, the Bible admonishes us to, "Look to
yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but
that we may receive a full reward." A full re-ward is available
and we can receive it if we will choose to be faithful and
passionate. To choose to be diligent soul winners will help set us
on course to receiving a full reward. The nature of God's reward
system is a greater capacity for enjoying life, both on earth and
in heaven.
Why would anyone aim for less? If someone told you that
your labor would earn ten million dollars or ten thousand
dollars, wouldn't you choose the ten million? That is what God
20
is telling the church. There is a full reward to be received and

you can be a contestant.
Scripture foretells of a glorious day when we will bow down
before our Lord and Savior in worship and adoration, and
throwing our crowns at his feet, we will say, "You are worthy, O
Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all
things, and by Your will they exist and were created"
(Revelation 4:11). Matthew Henry's commentary on this verse
says that we will cast our crowns before the throne, giving God
the glory for the holiness with which He had crowned us on
earth. He says that we owe Him all the honor and joy, all the
grace and glory because His crown is infinitely more glorious
than ours, and that it is our glory to glorify Him.
Whatever honor and glory we receive from our rewards will
be our love offering to Him, because He created us and without
Him we can do nothing.
Sam Martin understands the richness of God's Word and His
rewards. He made the choice years ago to seek God's wisdom, to
experience the fullness of God. I, too, have made that choice.
For a truly wise person, earthly success will not be enough.
A truly wise person will seek to win the incorruptible crowns
God has reserved for the faithful and the wise. A truly wise
person will win souls (Proverbs 11:30). The real measure of a
man's wealth is what he has invested in eternity.
My heartfelt desire in writing this book is to show you the
powerful blessings that will flood your life if you will choose to
be wise and win soulsthat you will get more out of life than
just living it, letting the years pass you by.
God is eager to pour out His blessings. He searches the earth
just looking for people who will receive His goodness. If you
will consider the contents of this book, chapter by chapter, you
will not only begin to desire to win souls, you will learn the
easiest and most comfortable ways to do it. It is certainly not
hard. Just think if someone had resisted telling you.
21
Crowns for the Wise
Liz's Story
I was raised in church, so from the time I was small I was
taught to love God. But I never really knew Him personally.
When I was 13, I went to a large high school. There I met
Roxanne, a Christian who loved God. Looking back, Roxanne
sowed seeds of the gospel in my life, but never pushed.
My sophomore year I met Beth Anne. She too sowed seeds,
as did Carol.
Two weeks before my 16th birthday, I felt drawn to open my
Bible and read it. I had never done that before. I didn't even
know how to look up Bible verses. I didn't understand the
chapter and verse concept.
I "accidentally" opened my Bible to 1 Corinthians 13... the
love chapter. I was amazed that I could understand it. It was so
beautiful, so pure.
A week later I met Ronnie. He was a Christian, and not
bashful at all at taking me to gospel singings for dates. It was a
whole new world to me.
A month later I was saved. The message had pricked my
heart. Ronnie had been bold.
I'm grown now, married to a strong Christian man I met in
college and have two children. Ronnie and I are still friends, but
more importantly, I have lived for Jesus now for almost 22
years.
Before I was saved, I was
a scared, confused 16-yearold whose parents had
divorced. My world had
crashed.
Jesus' great and mighty gifts

didn't end with your salvation.
That was just the beginning of
what He wants to give you, and
do through you.
Jesus brought peace, love

and answers. He has guided me through all the decisions of my
life...what to major in, where to go to college, whom to marry,
where to move, when to have children, where they should go to
22
school...every day, every decision.

I'm so thankful to Roxanne, Beth Anne, Carol and Ronnie.
They told me about Jesus. Their reward will be great.
23
Chapter 2
2
alvation is the greatest gift we will ever receive on this

earth. It is the first and foremost opportunity God offers us.
When we receive this gift, it alters the entire course of our lives
in a greater way than even the choice of whom we marry. The
power that comes from one simple decision to become a
Christian is staggering.
And God made it so easy to receive. Titus 3:4-8 confirms
that our salvation is the kindness and love of God appearing in
the form of His Son as a gift, one that cannot be earned.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast." In His wisdom and
mercy, God knew that without Him we were helpless, spiritually
bankrupt and hopeless. Thus, He freely gave His Son to anyone
who would desire a relationship with Him.
Once we receive God's free gift of salvation, He offers us a
second opportunityto become a worker for Christ.
The Scripture says, "For we are God's workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared
in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10, New International
Version). Our salvation is not by works, but we have been saved
so that we can do the works God prepared in advance for us to
do.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that since the kindness of God
has appeared in the form of free salvation, we are "to be ready
for every good work" (Titus 3:1). He continues his message,
Crowns for the Wise
saying, "These things I want you to affirm constantly, that those

who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good
works. These things are good and profitable to men" (verse 8).
"Every good work" means that no good work is excluded.
The phrases "affirm constantly" and "maintain good works"
denote a continual, ceaseless, habitual declaration to do good
works. He concludes by saying that a lifestyle of good works is
profitable.
The Bible also says, "Whatever you do"that means any
thing you do in lifeyou are to "work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you
will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the
Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:23-24, New
International Version).
To do the workswhatever they areearns rewards in
direct proportion to your labor. Winning souls is part of your
being a worker for Christ...it should be a natural part of your
day-to-day life.
Your Realm of Influence
Becoming a worker for Christ is not a call to drop your
present vocation and go into the full-time, fivefold ministry of
either an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher. God has
not called everyone into the fivefold ministry, but He has called
everyone to do good works.
We all have varied vocations. We all wear different hats. We
are employers, employees, professionals, business owners,
husbands, wives, parents, Christian ministry workers, children,
brothers, sisters, friends. And each of these stations has various
activities and responsibilities. To become a worker for Christ is
to fulfill these stations "as unto the Lord." That is, to seek the
wisdom of God and the mind of Christ. It is to do them with a
spirit of excellence. When we receive God's wisdom,
appropriate it and pursue excellence, it creates a platform of
success that draws people to us so that we can influence them
for Christ.
26
My friend Howard Pierson received a tremendous revelation

of this not long ago.
Howard attends the men's weekly Bible study I started in my
community. He came to the group one morning just after having
been inducted into the Air Commander Hall of Fame.
In Viet Nam, Howard was a Lt. Colonel in the United States
Air Force. As a Top Gun fighter pilot who had been awarded
Distinguished Flying Crosses, Airman Medals of Valor and
Gallantry Crosses, plus many other decorations for heroism,
Howard was a "blood and guts" kind of guy who would fly
suicide missions and come back as a celebrated hero.
Like a lot of fighter pilots, however, he was a drinking, hellraising, macho man whom the women loved. Even the other
pilots thought he was the greatest Air Force pilot in Viet Nam.
It wasn't until many years after Vietnam that Howard
became a Christian. Because of that, today, he directs his
passion and intensity toward serving the Lord.
That October morning at our Bible study, as Howard spoke
of the honor he'd received, he said, "It is a wonderful honor to be
inducted into the Air Commander Hall of Fame, but none of that
counts for eternity, because I wasn't living for the Lord in those
days."
Suddenly, it hit me. He wasn't seeing how God could use it
to impact people today.
I exclaimed, "Howard, you're wrong! It all counts! The
reason is because every one of those guys who flew with you
respects you. You put your life on the line. You got the job
done. You saved a lot of lives. You went to war and became an
American hero! Your peers respected you. Because you have
their respect, you have a platform of success that gives you
credibility. Now you can go to each one of them and tell them
how Jesus has changed your life. They will listen to you. God
will use it all, Howard, and give you credit for it in heaven if
you will use it now to lead those guys to Christ."
That day Howard's entire perspective changed. He saw the
27
Crowns for the Wise
truth.
The world worships success. Your success attracts people to
you and becomes a platform for sharing Jesus with them. If you
do everything wholeheartedly so that you become successful at
your task, you create a platform of credibility and favor with
people, which makes them open to hearing about Jesus. When
people respect you, they will listen to you.
God's plan is so wonderful. He created us for this very
reason: to glorify Him through our good works (Matthew 5:16).
This is our purpose in life. The good works do not earn our
salvation, but they do earn rewardsright here on earth and
later in heaven.
The Great Reward Day
If we will live our lives as wise men and women and win
souls, we will experience the most rewarding life Christ has to
offer us now, in this lifetime. And when we die and step into
heaven, by the grace of God, we will experience another kind of
reward when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
You may have cringed when you read the words "judgment
seat of Christ." Many people do because it brings up negative
thoughts and images of condemnation and failure. This is due to
an unfortunate and inaccurate understanding of this wonderful
event.
The judgment seat for those who become Christians, or
believers, will be a joyous occasion, because judgment for the
believer will be based on rewards, not punishment (read
Revelation 7:14; 20:11-15; 1 Thessalonians 1:10). The gospel is
a redeeming, not a condemning message. Jesus said, "For God
did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but
that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17). Those
who have received and believed the message of the gospel are
redeemed, not condemned. Therefore, for them, facing the
judgment seat of Christ is not something to fear.
The purpose of judgment for the Christian is to be
28
motivational, not fearful. Its purpose is to give us incentive and

inspire us to good works.
The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, "Therefore
we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well
pleasing to Him. For we must
all
appear
before
the
When we are coronated at the judgment seat of Christ, 'that
judgment seat of Christ, it will be each one may receive the
grander than the coronation of things done in the body,
according to what he has
any earthly king or queen.
done, whether good or bad."
We have been saved so that
Christ might live His life through us. We will be rewarded to the
degree that we have allowed Him to do so.
The evaluation of the believer's life that takes place at the
judgment seat of Christ relates to how we have conducted
ourselves since our salvation. A study of the word judgment seat
confirms this: The Greek word for judgment seat is bema, and it
means a platform or raised place. W. E. Vine's Expository
Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981, Fleming H.
Company, Old Tappan, New Jersey) explains that the term was
used to denote "a raised place or platform, reached by steps,
originally that at Athens in the Pnyx Hill, where was the place of
assembly; from the platform orations were made." References to
this usage are in Matthew 27:19, John 19:13, Acts 12:21, 18:1217, and 25:6. The term bema, has several usages in the Bible,
but in this context it is the place of judgment and awarding of
rewards at the Greek athletic games, for it appears this is the
meaning Paul referred to in his writings:
"Do you not know that those who run in a race all
run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that
you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the
prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain
a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight:
not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body
29
Crowns for the Wise
and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached

to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1
Corinthians 9:24-27).
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the
race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for
me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to
me only but also to all who have loved His appearing"
(2 Timothy 4:7-8).
What was Paul saying? He was saying that the same
qualities which make an athlete a winner earn heavenly rewards,
metaphorically spoken of in the form of crowns, for the
Christian. In his commentary of 1 Corinthians 9:26-27,
Theodore Epp states: "In Paul's day, freeborn Greek citizens
were the only ones allowed to compete in the games. For the
heavenly crowns, only born-again ones are eligible to be
contestants. Salvation is the starting point, not the goal. We do
not strive to enter into salvation. We enter into salvation by
faith, and then we work to win the crowns" (Harlan D. Betz, The
Nature of Rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ, Dallas
Theological Seminary, 1974, p. 29).
It is good to consider our ways...to reflect on how we think,
what we speak, what deeds we perform and what our motives
are. Our rewards for all eternity depend on how closely we walk
in the footsteps of Jesus and let Him live His life through us.
At the judgment seat this will be reflected in what we have
to worship Jesus with...no crowns, a few crowns, or many.
On that day, as we stand before the great throne, we will be
judged.
30
Our thoughts and motives will be judged (Hebrews

4:12-13).
Our words will be judged. Jesus said, "But I tell you

that men will have to give account on the day of judgment
for every careless word they have spoken" (Matthew
12:36, New International Version). That which is spoken

in privategossip, grumbling, complaining, backbiting,
judging and criticizingwill be shouted in public, for
"there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed,
and hidden that will not be known" (Luke 12:2).
Our faithfulness will be judged. God has given each of

us talents, abilities and opportunities. Matthew 25:13-30
records the parable of the talents. Jesus used this parable
to teach us that we will be held accountable for our
talents, abilities and opportunities. He also illustrated that
we are all equally responsible to use our gifts, regardless
of how much or how little we receive. In other words, we
are responsible for what we are given.
Jesus used another allegory, the parable of the laborers in

Matthew 20:1-16, to illustrate
this point. We will not be able
Our rewards for all eternity
to make excuses: "I am not as
depend on how closely we walk talented as Joe Christian." Or
in the footsteps of Jesus and let to shift blame: "I never got to
Him live His life through us. At preach to thousands, it is not
the judgment seat this will be my fault I led no one to
Christ." Our reward is not
reflected in what we have to
based on the length of our
worship Jesus with...no crowns, service, or how talented we
a few crowns, or many.
are, but on our faithfulness to
the opportunities afforded us.
Everyone will receive his own reward according to his own labor
(1 Corinthians 3:8).
In light of all this, God will hold us accountable for our
faithfulness to do the works He ordained for us to do. It is not
that we will be punished for sin, but that we will forfeit our
rewards for our lack of temperance, stewardship, accountability
and responsibility, for Jesus cautioned "Hold fast what you
have, that no one may take your crown" (Revelation 3:11).
At the judgment seat of Christ, we will either be rewarded
for our faithfulness or we will face Christ with no offering of
31
Crowns for the Wise
gratitude for the costly salvation He gave us. What utter

disappointment to walk away empty-handed, saved from hell,
but not having received any of the extra rewards for being a
faithful, dutiful and loyal worker in His kingdom. What futility
to have no love offering to cast at Jesus' feet. The opportunities
for earning those rewards will have been squandered by our
unfaithfulness or consumed by fire because we lived our lives
chasing success rather than winning souls and letting success
chase us.
But if we are obedient and win souls, oh, how wonderful
that will be. When we are coronated at the judgment seat of
Christ, it will be grander than the coronation of any earthly king
or queen. With our crowns we will worship the King of kings.
Wood, Hay and Straw
According to 1 Corinthians 3:8-15, there are things that will
be consumed because God is going to test the foundation of our
works. The Apostle Paul said:
"As a wise master builder I have laid the
foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one
take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation
can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with
gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each
one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare
it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will
test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work
which he has built on it endures, he will receive a
reward If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss;
but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
Jesus is the foundation. Each of us builds on that foundation,
with either perishable materials, which will be burned up at the
last day, or with imperishable materials which will endure.
Winning souls is imperishable.
Wood, hay and straw represent any works we do which do
32
not originate with God and will be burned up.

Jesus set the example. He said:
"I am able to do nothing from Myself
[independently, of My own accordbut only as I am
taught by God and as I get His orders]. Even as I hear,
I judge [...as the voice comes to Me, so I give a
decision,] and My judgment is right..because I do not
seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do
what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own
purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father
Who sent Me" (John 5:30, The Amplified Bible).
Jesus submitted His will to His Father's will and made
Himself accountable to God. In setting this example, He said, "If
anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24).
So wood, hay and straw represent anything not built on the
foundation of Christ, or, that does not follow the example He
set.
We are required to learn to hear the voice of God, make
ourselves accountable to God, and deny our own will so that we
can accomplish His will. When we do not do these things, we
can become deceived thinking that much of what we do is of
eternal value when it is not.
For example, church work which is done because we feel
pressured to do it is not Christlike. Building ministries for
personal gain rather than for the benefit of others is not
Christlike. In fact, doing any good work for personal gain does
not exemplify the life of Christ and will not be rewarded. Wood,
hay and straw are anything built apart from our total surrender to
God's will.
Gold, Silver and Precious Stones
Gold, silver and precious stones represent just the opposite.
The only works which will pass the test of the fire are those
33
Crowns for the Wise
which result from our intimate relationship with God. Intimacy

with God entails personal, private time spent getting to know
Him through the Word, through prayer, through hearing His
voice and through depending on His power within us to
accomplish His will.
Intimacy with God is based on love, loyalty and
commitment, not fear, pressure or obligation. We will be
confident in our ability to correctly discern the voice of God
when we are able to say, like Jesus, "I do not seek my own will,
my own aim or my own purposes." True ministryworks built
on the foundation of Christwill be out of the overflow of our
personal relationship with God.
We will be confident in our

ability to correctly discern the
voice of God when we are able
to say, like Jesus, "l do not seek
my own will, my own aim, or my
own purposes." True ministryworks built on the foundation of
Christwill be out of the
overflow of our personal
relationship with God.
That which was built

through wood, hay or straw
will be incinerated like trash,
leaving the believer sad that
his efforts produced little or
nothing of eternal value, and
leaving the Master little for
which He can commend him.
That which stands the

fiery test, that which was built
of gold, silver and precious
stones, will become an eternal
testimony of faithfulness, a
crown of incorruptibility, and the commendation of his Lord,
"Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).
Jesus taught that it was better to gain the kingdom of God
and build an imperishable treasure in heaven than to lose one's
soul and gain the wealth of the world, which can be stolen or
destroyed by rust and moths (Matthew 6:19-20). He lived what
He taught by totally surrendering His will to His Father's will
and to eternal purposes (John 5:30).
In Romans 12:1-2, we are exhorted to do the same. Our total
surrender to Christ is the test of His Lordship in our lives. If we
do not obey Him, we cannot honestly say He is our Lord (Luke
34
6:46-49). The foundation of everything we do as Christians must

be Christ. No other foundation will stand the fiery test and earn
for us special crown rewards in eternity.
35
Crowns for the Wise
Pat's Story
Being raised in church, I was devout in my faith and wanted
to serve God with all my heart, but my relationship with Him
was distant and impersonal. I had always believed God was
someone I would get to know some day after I made it to heaven.
If I died without the stain of sin on my soul, my salvation would
be sure, so I sought to live a morally clean life.
But 24 years ago, at age 27 I was diagnosed with cancer
and came near death during surgery. Believing my life had been
spared for a purpose, I experienced a deep desire to know the
truth about salvation. I agonized over the question haunting my
mind: What if I had died, would I have gone to heaven?
I knew that Jesus died for the sins of the world, but I never
felt connected to Him or to God. I also believed spirituality
wasn't something a person wore on his sleeve. I thought religion
was a private matter. But in my thirst to know the truth, I met
several people who talked openly about their "personal
relationship with Jesus Christ." Their boldness to speak of such
a personal issue piqued my interest. Soon, after listening to
several people's stories, I told God that I wanted this personal
relationship but that I didn't know how to have it.
God answered my questions by sending more and more
people into my life who knew Jesus this way. I didn't seek them
out, they seemed to be seeking me out!
Over a period of several months they led me to a completely
different understanding of the gospel. Salvation was not about
me, it was about Him and what He did in my behalf I discovered
that while Jesus had died for the sins of the world, it was my
place to accept Him as my personal Savior. When I did this by
faith, trusting in God's forgiveness, suddenly God was no longer
distant and impersonal. I had a direct relationship with Him
through Jesus Christ, and Jesus became my closest and most
loyal friend.
Now I can talk to Him about anything, any time, and He
talks to me.
36
What I learned about salvation came as a direct result of

people being bold enough to tell me about their personal
experiences with Jesus. Twenty-four years later, I am still
grateful that someone cared enough to witness to me.
37
Chapter 3
3
Run to Win
o run the race of our liveswinning soulsis to fulfill

our highest mission and express God's greatest passion. It
is the kind of life that is built upon a foundation of gold, silver
and precious stones. It is the kind of life that, through the
graciousness of God toward us, can win crowns for the wise.
When Paul spoke of running the race to win the prize in 1
Corinthians 9:24-25, he said that athletes practice strict
discipline to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
The key qualification for earning incorruptible crowns is
temperance. To be temperate is to show restraint in thought,
action or feeling. Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me"
(Matthew 16:24, King James Version). Therefore, these
incorruptible crowns cannot be achieved by Christians who are
living a loose, wanton lifestyle.
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has
appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for
the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great
God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us,
that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and
purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for
good works" (Titus 2:11-14).
A carnal person, one who is impure and immoral, will not be
one who is longing for the appearing of Jesus Christ. His
Crowns for the Wise
thoughts, his decisions, his desires and his actions will not be
wrapped up in eternal things, but in the things of this earth. The
one who yearns for the appearing of Christ will temper his life
with restraint in all things which displease his Lord.
Another key to obtaining an incorruptible crown is humility.
It takes the power and grace of God to be a worker for Christ,
and one cannot have the power of God when pride is in the way.
God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (1 Peter
5:5).
Humility is that quality which causes a person to do
uncommon things in a common way. A humble person aspires to
do great things, but he does them quietly and without fanfare. A
humble person knows that it is Christ in him Who enables him to
do anything that is of eternal significance and value. The story
Warren Wiersbe and Lloyd Perry tell about missionary Hudson
Taylor in The Wycliff Handbook of Preaching and Preachers is
a fine example of true humility.
Taylor was invited to speak at a large Presbyterian church in
Melbourne, Australia. The moderator of the service introduced
him in eloquent and glowing terms, telling the large
congregation all that Taylor had accomplished in China. After
listing his accomplishments, the moderator presented him as
"our illustrious guest."
Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his
message by saying, "Dear friends, I am the little servant of an
illustrious Master."
Humility does not mean one thinks little of himself. It means
he doesn't think of himself at all, but thinks of Christ. John the
Baptist, speaking of Christ, passionately cried out, "He must
increase, and I must decrease" (John 3:30). John understood
that he could get in the way of God. Perhaps that is the best
description of pride. It is the weakness of a man who thinks he is
of any significance apart from the power and grace of God
working in and through him.
"The more humble a man is in himself, and the more
40
Run to Win
obedient towards God, the wiser will he be in all things, and the
more shall his soul be at peace." (Thomas a Kempis).
A wise person will not only take care of business in the
affairs of this life, but he will also understand that it is those
things which are eternal which are the most significant. This life
is but a vapor. Vapor is short-lived. Perhaps that is why the
Bible speaks of incorruptible crowns. Incorruptibility refers to
permanence, which refers to
eternity. Obedience, humility
Humility is that quality which
and temperance are eternal
causes a person to do
values. To aspire toward
uncommon things in a common winning crowns for the wise,
way. A humble person aspires is to be heavenly minded, not
to do great things, but he does earthly minded.
them quietly and without

fanfare.
The Bible lists these

crowns. While not all scholars
agree on the number, they all
agree they are incorruptible.
For example, some Bible scholars say there are five crowns: the
crown of incorruptibility, the crown of righteousness, the crown
of life, the crown of glory and the crown of rejoicing. However,
most Bible scholars group the last four crowns under one
heading: the crowns of incorruptibility. In other words, the
crown of incorruptibility is not an individual crown, but the
general description of the other four crowns, all of them being
incorruptible. I concur.
Most Bible commentaries also emphasize the fact that the
importance of a crown is not the crown itself, but what it
represents. Each crown stands for the type of labor for which the
believer receives it. In the following pages I will teach you about
each crown and while only one is of key importance to our study
of soul winning, it is reasonable to conclude that someone who
cares enough to win souls may gather the other crowns along the
way.
The Crown of Righteousness
41
Crowns for the Wise
The first crown, mentioned by Paul toward the close of his

life to Timothy, is the crown of righteousness.
"For I am already being poured out as a drink
offering, and the time of my departure is at hand I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also
to all who have loved His appearing " (2 Timothy 4:68).
Notice that Paul was not ashamed to say that he anticipated
a reward for his labor! Neither was he ashamed of modeling this
attitude to his protege, Timothy, knowing that "to a laborer, his
wages are not counted as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation
(something owed to him)" (Romans 4:4, The Amplified Bible).
Furthermore, he states that the reward is reserved for all
who anticipate and love the appearing of the Lord. Therefore,
anyone can be a candidate for the crown of righteousness.
The crown of righteousness represents a pure soul which
remains blameless. In anticipation of the coming of the Lord he
"purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:3). Nothing
inspires purity and holiness before God and decency and
integrity before men like the expectation of the Lord. No one
would want to be found carnal and corrupt on the day of His
return. While every believer freely receives the gift of
righteousness (right-standing with God), only those who keep
themselves pure will receive the crown of righteousness
(Romans 5:17). The key word is keep. It is possible to receive
salvation and not receive this reward.
A pure Christian is not a perfect Christian, rather he is one
who, when he commits sin, does not keep sinning. He repents
and keeps himself pure. He is one who deals honestly with
others, one who is chaste in word, thought and deed. He is
undefiled by the world. The Christian who keeps his life pure
and is obedient to the Word of God can expect the crown of
42
Run to Win
righteousness. He can anticipate the joy of worshiping at Jesus'

feet and saying, "I kept myself pure and I offer my purity to You
as a gift because I love You!"
The Crown of Life
The crown of life is awarded for enduring temptations and
trials. Two Bible passages reference the crown of life. First,
James wrote: "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for
when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life
which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James
1:12).
Second, John wrote in Revelation 2:10, "Do not fear any of
those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is
about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested,
and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life."
The crown of life is the reward for those who remain faithful
to the Lord through hardship, including the possibility that the
hardship may lead to death (martyrdom).
James made a curious statement concerning this kind of
adversity. He said: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever
you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing
of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish
its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything" (James 1:2-4, New International Version).
Perseverance, or patience, as the King James Bible calls it, is
not an inherent quality. Patience is a quality which must be
developed, and it is developed through trials and tribulation
(Romans 5:3). It is easy to be patient when we are not being
tested. But tests prove us.
We will all face tests and trials because we are redeemed
people living in an unredeemed world. As Christians, we are
traveling in opposite directions of the world, and this creates
resistance. Some common trials Christians face are:
Persecution at home for our faith. A Christian wife who

43
Crowns for the Wise
lives with an unbelieving husband may face attacks

because he resists her lifestyle, because he belittles her
faith or because he refuses to repent of his own sin. He
may even forbid her from attending church or Bible
studies. Believing children living with unsaved parents
could face the same type of criticism and assaults on their
God-given freedom.
Persecution at work. A Christian who practices a godly

lifestyle and godly principles of business will most likely
bring resistance and criticism from his unsaved
coworkers, or even from his boss.
Persecution through the world. At its worst, persecution

in the world may come in the form of imprisonment for
our faith, or even martyrdom. Although Americans do not
usually face this type of persecution, we face it through
the continual chipping away at our religious freedoms,
and through the moral decay of our nation. We are
pressured to be "politically correct," and to accept
alternative lifestyles. To concede is to condone sin, yet, to
resist is to bring persecution.
The trial of our faith, through a temptation or test. We

have a spiritual enemy, named Satan, whose only purpose
is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). When he
maneuvers with circumstances to do one of these three
things, we are obligated to resist him. These trials could
include, but are not limited to, sickness, disease, financial
ruin, family ruin, sin, drugs, immorality, mediocrity,
laziness, hatred, unforgiveness, overindulgence and so on.
According
to
the
Scripture, faithful endurance
As persons of faith, we are
of temptations, tests, and trials
committed
to a good report and
resisting the inclination to
to
maintaining
a good spirit in
retaliate or rebelbrings the
temporal
reward
of
the midst of tests and trials.
undisturbed
peace
and
composure in the face of
44
Run to Win
adversity, and earns for us the crown of life.

The Bible calls these "light afflictions" and contrasts them
with the "eternal weight of glory" they will produce on judgment
day. If we are faithful, Jesus will see that the scales tip in our
favor and for His glory (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
"In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a
little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by
various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more
precious than gold which is perishable, even though
tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory
and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter
1:6-7, New American Standard).
The New International Version adds even more clarity: "In
this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may
have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so
that your faithof greater worth than gold, which perishes even
though refined by firemay be proved genuine and may result
in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
In the last chapter,
I explained that fire
will destroy wood,
hay and straw, but
it only purifies
gold. This is a
metaphor that says
gold
is
more
durable than wood,
hay and straw. In this passage, Peter is saying that, ultimately,
even gold will be destroyed because everything of this world is
temporal. Gold signifies earthly riches and represents the highest
standard of earthly values. As the New International Version
states, our faith in God is of more value than gold, because gold
is not eternal.
The purpose of tests and trials is not to

destroy us, but to enable us to develop
patience, to appropriate the power and the
love of God, and to walk in the Spirit rather
than the flesh. Tests and trials mature and
complete us so that we will lack nothing.
Life brings times of trial and hardship which we endure

through a love for Christ. As persons of faith, we are committed
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Crowns for the Wise
to a good report and to maintaining a good spirit in the midst of

tests and trials. As we triumph, we experience the joy of victory
and qualify for the crown of life.
The Crown of Glory
It is fitting that the Apostle Peter introduces the crown of
glorythe crown awarded to the faithful shepherd and feeder of
the flock. When Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him and Peter
responded affirmatively, Jesus said, "If you love Me, then feed
My sheep " (John 21:15-19).
Peter later wrote: "Shepherd the flock of God which is
among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but
willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords
over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and
when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of
glory that does not fade away" (1 Peter 5:2-4).
The dearest things to the heart of God are His sheep. That's
why He reserves a crown for everyone who genuinely reaches
out to His sheep...who feed His flock as either a:
Sunday school teacher
cell or home group leader
Bible study leader intercessor
a counselor
an elder
or anyone, in any capacity, who feeds His sheep
Jesus' love for His sheep runs deep. He identifies with His
sheep. When He confronted Saul, the persecutor of the Jews, on
the Road to Damascus, He did not say, "Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute the Jews?" He said, "Why do you persecute Me?"
(Acts 9:4).
When we take care of Jesus' sheep, we are directly
ministering to Him! First Peter 5:2-4 is a clear indication of His
heart. When you lead or oversee members of a flock, by being a
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Run to Win
good example, by modeling godly behavior, then He promises an

imperishable crown of glory.
God loves it when we encourage His people. Hebrews 3:13
says, "Exhort one another daily...lest any of you be hardened
through the deceitfulness of sin. " Anyone who feeds the flock
of God through encouragement, teaching, Bible study, leading
by examplewith a godly and right attitudeis living in such a
way as to be awarded the crown of glory, because those actions
pour the Word of God into the sheep and mature them in Christ.
Hebrews 6:10 promises us, "For God is not unjust to forget
your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His
name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
" Ministering to the flock of God flows directly from one of the
two great commandments. The first great commandment, He
said, is "To love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your
soul, and all your mind. " And the second is like it: "You shall
love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:38-39).
Ministering to the sheep is a by-product of loving your neighbor
as yourself. It means meeting their needs as you would want to
have your needs met.
The Crown of Rejoicing
The final crown is directly
related to our study of soul
winning. It is the crown of
rejoicing. The Apostle Paul
mentions this crown in 1
Thessalonians
2:19-20.
Addressing the believers he
had personally won to Christ,
Paul said, "For what is our
hope, or joy, or crown of
rejoicing? Is it not even you in
the presence of our Lord Jesus
are our glory and joy."
To commandeer an immortal
soul from the eternal fires of hell
is to save the most precious
heavenly commodity. It is the
most holy service one can
render to God and it is the most
honorable sacrifice one can give
to man.
Christ at His coming? For you
He mentions this crown again, in Philippians 4:1:

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Crowns for the Wise
"Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and

crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved." Notice here that
although he does not use the term "crown of rejoicing," Paul
couples the thought of a crown with joy. The fullness of joy in
heaven will be seeing those who, through our personal influence,
are safe in the presence of the Lord forever!
I believe it is the most significant crown a believer can attain
because of what it representsall the souls you have led to
Christ through your soul winning activities, either directly or
indirectly.
There are four reasons why I believe the crown of rejoicing
is the most significant crown.
The first reason is the cost involved. God paid the absolute
highest price possible. He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus, for all
mankind. Jesus' blood was more than enough for you and me and
for every person to be redeemed from living an empty life and
then spending eternity in hell. If the price alone were the sole
determinant, then the crown of rejoicing is clearly second to
none among the crowns.
The second reason is the
mission.
Following
His
The greatest treasure we can Father's
example,
Jesus
build in heaven is souls won to reaffirmed the significance of
soul winning by making the
Christ.
Great Commission the chief
and primary commandment to
the Church. This mission is both individual and corporate. In
response to our obedience, I believe God compensates us with
the most significant reward a believer can achievethe crown
of rejoicing.
The third reason is that souls are the only thing that we
will be able to take to heaven. when we leave this earth, we
will leave behind our houses, our cars, our bank accounts,
everything. The greatest treasure we can build in heaven is souls
won to Christ. Nothing is more valuable because souls are
eternal. To commandeer an immortal soul from the eternal fires
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Run to Win
of hell by leading him or her to Christ is to save the most

precious heavenly commodity. It is the most holy service one
can render to God and it is the most honorable sacrifice one can
give to man.
The fourth reason is the glorious splendor of the reward.
No other crown offers an eternal reward of extraordinary
brilliance like the crown of rejoicing. Daniel 12:3: "Those who
are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and
those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and
ever."
If we lead others to Christ, we shall shine in heaven like
stars...many stars! Only one other condition can make us shine
in such increasing and continuous glorybeing a believer.
Proverbs 4:18 promises us that, "The path of the righteous is like
the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of
day" (New International , Version).
By accepting Christ we begin to shine in increasing splendor
until we are as bright as the sun, but that is only as bright as one
star.
By leading others to
Christ, we experience no limit
to the glory and splendor God
bestows on us. He describes it
"as the stars"plural and
limitless in number"forever
and ever," an inconceivable
glory.
Daniel 12:3 paraphrased:

"Those who turn many to
righteousness shall shine like
the stars forever and ever."
All throughout Scripture a star is a symbol of royal

dominion. In the book of Revelation, Jesus made a promise to
him who overcomes temptation and tribulation that is directly
related to dominion. In chapter two, verse 28, He said, "And I
will give him the morning star." The morning star is not the gift
of Christ, for every Christian possesses Christ through the work
of redemption (1 John 5:10-13). Rather, the morning star is the
brilliance of being like Christ in royal splendor! It is another
inconceivable reward of being an overcomer and a soul winner.
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Crowns for the Wise
In 1 Thessalonians 2:20, Paul said those whom we lead to

Christ are our glory and joy. So, every soul you win to Christ is
your glory and your joy. This glory is part of your special eternal
reward. It is part of the eternal weight of glory and the shining
brilliance you will exude in eternity as you throw your crowns at
Jesus' feet.
God wants us to fully realize how important winning souls is
to Him. Just think about the efforts He has put forth to get us to
do it. He even created a special crown for it! A glorious crown!
In direct reference to Daniel 12:3, Sam Martin calls a soul
winner "A BRIGHT STAR MAN!" A bright star man is one
who leads many to righteousness. He will shine in heaven like
the stars forever and ever... stars that are multiplying second by
second as the universe continuously expands.
The greatest way to honor God is to highly esteem what He
highly esteemsand saving a soul from hell is obedience to the
chief and primary command of Christ to win souls. It glorifies
Him. It honors Him. It demonstrates our love for Him.
Proverbs 11:30 says, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of
life, and he who wins souls is
God becomes our debtor when wise."
The most gratifying fruit

of the tree of life is a soul won
to Christ. "He who turns a
sinner from the error of his
way will save a soul from
death and cover a multitude
of sins" (James 5:20). What better fruit can a Christian bear?
Jesus said that we glorify Him when we bear much fruit. What is
more valuable than a living soul?
we labor for His kingdom. We

become more usable to Him
when we make His agenda our
agenda.
Every person we win to Christ will be in heaven with us

when we receive our eternal reward. This reward will not be a
momentary honor, esteem, respect or recognition, but it will last
for eternity. Our crown of rejoicing is what we will lay at Jesus'
feet as our offering of love, devotion and respect to our King
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Run to Win
our offering of love to Him! We will say to Him, "I was not
selfish with the gift of salvation. I offered it to everyone I knew,
because I love You."
Run Life's Race
Start a new course today. Start running after souls. Start
running to minister to the needs of others. Start running after
righteousness and true holiness. This is the race Paul was talking
about. It is the race he ran. Your quest will run you directly into
persecution and hardship, but at the same time God will run after
you to bless you. God becomes our debtor when we labor for
His kingdom. We become more usable to Him when we make
His agenda our agenda.
Be wise! Make your talents, your energy, your efforts, your
creativity, your compassion and your time count for eternity.
Those who seek only to shine in this life, to gain fame, glamor
and fortune, the glory of which will all fade, are not wise. The
heroes of today can become the scandals of tomorrow. We have
seen it happen often with Hollywood actors, professional
athletes and even famous preachers. Even the brightest star in
the celestial heavens is just a ball of gas which will eventually
burn itself out.
We all want to shine, to have our lives count for something
and a true wise man will. A wise man's brilliance will never
be extinguished, even by death, if he has heeded the exhortation
of the prophet Daniel: "Those who are wise shall shine like the
brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to
righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).
Those who are wise follow the example of Jesus who came
to "seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).
Being willing to share the gospel, being willing to ask God
to teach you how to naturally and comfortably share such a
powerful and life-changing choice, is all that's required to
become a soul winner for Jesus.
When you put God and His passion for every soul to be
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Crowns for the Wise
saved first in your life, He quickly moves into the middle of your
life with blessings. He is longing to bless you, and when you live
in obedience to His Word, He can.
Be willing to touch the heart of God and move the hearts of
men.
When you love God with all your heart, with all your soul
and with all your mind, then it is easy to win souls.
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Run to Win
It Is Never Too Late

After church one day, as was my custom, I dropped by the
local nursing home to talk to, encourage and minister to these
sweet, old, often discarded citizens of a past era.
Today, I felt a prompting to go beyond my usual rounds to
the far rooms in the back of the facility. Led to one of the very
back rooms, I approached an old woman who, upon further
inquiry, turned out to be quite senile, as were several of the
others I approached.
Regardless, I asked each if they knew Jesus loved them,
smiled, and moved on, not receiving any response, except wild,
raving sounds. At the back of the room, in a rocking chair, sat
another old woman with obviously blind, opaque-blue eyes,
rocking gently. I knelt down, repeating the question I had asked
the others.
A loud, "What?" was the reply.
"Did you know Jesus loves you?" I shouted in the nearly
deaf woman's ear.
She listened intently as I shared Jesus and the plan of
salvation with her.
As it turned out, the woman had been a world traveler,
looking for God all her life.
As she prayed a simple salvation prayer with me, her face lit
up with such joy, as she said, "You know, I have searched all my
life for God...and now I have found Him."
I left her there in her chair, rejoicing in the privilege of
being used by the Lord to be His tender hand, reaching out to
answer the heart-cry of a dear, old woman at the very end of her
life.
All I did was take the time to ask and harvest a soul.
Barbara
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Chapter 4
Loving PeopleYour
Greatest Mission, Your
Greatest Reward
4
o receive the crown of rejoicing is the greatest special

rewardand it came from the most costly sacrifice. Jesus
Himself purchased every person's salvation with His own blood.
John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life."
To tell others this good news is our greatest mission. It is
what Jesus instructed us to do in Matthew 28:19-20. How can
we deny Him?
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have
commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end
of the age."
When Jesus gave us the Great Commission, he laid out for
us our greatest mission...and our greatest reward. By repeating
Himself almost to the point of redundancy, Jesus emphasized the
importance of this mission.
Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be

preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations,
and then the end will come."
John 15:27: "And you also will bear witness, because you
Crowns for the Wise
have been with Me from the beginning."
Mark 16:15-16: "And He said to them, 'Go into all the

world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who
believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does
not believe will be condemned."'
Luke 24:46-48: "Then He said to them, 'Thus it is written,

and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to
rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in His name to all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses
of these things."'
John 20:21-22: "So Jesus said to them again, 'Peace to

you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. 'And
when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to
them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. "'
Acts 1:8: "But you shall receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to
Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to
the end of the earth."
Jesus had made His message clear. There was no way the
disciples could misunderstand that their job was to announce the
Good News to everyone.
Not only had Jesus made the message clear, but most of the
disciples had been personal witnesses to the crucifixion and
knew of the resurrection firsthand. The message of salvation was
fresh. Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. Salvation, which had
been long awaited and long anticipated, had come.
Armed with this bold, personal testimony, they
enthusiastically and passionately passed the news along. There
was nothing else to do other than spread the message as quickly
as possible. The result of their conviction and their passion to
share it was massive growth in the early church.
Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, begins where he left off
in his gospel by recording the initial fulfillment of the church's
mission statement in Matthew 28:19-20. While the gospels
56
record the acts of Jesus during His earthly ministry, the book of
Acts records the acts of the apostles and the first disciples of
Christ after His resurrection. Interestingly, the key word in this
book is growth. The early believers not only grew in their
knowledge of Jesus and the Scriptures, but their numbers also
grew daily.
Acts 2:47 says the believers were "Praising God and having
favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved."
Acts 5:41-42: "So they departed from the presence of the
council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame
for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they
did not cease teaching and
preaching Jesus as the
The believers in the early church Christ."
not only grew in their knowledge

Acts 16:5: "So the
of Jesus and the Scriptures, but churches were strengthened in
their numbers also grew daily. the faith, and increased in
number daily. "
This growth pattern can also be seen in the following verses:

Acts 1:15, 2:41, 4:4, 5:14, 6:7, 9:31, 13:49 and 19:20. Although
signs, wonders, miracles of healing, and more can be seen as
well, they were not the focus. The focus was church growth
because they recognized soul winning as their first duty and
responsibility. It was how they grew. Their primary focus was
personal witnessing, not evangelistic meetings. No one was
exempt from witnessing, regardless of his position or title. The
pastor, deacon, elder and the lay person all accepted soul
winning as his or her first and primary function.
The mission has not changed. Our job is to announce the
same good news.
Unfortunately, winning people to Christ is foreign to many
believers. For the most part, the church neglects the unchurched
masses. Jesus said that the harvest of souls is truly plentiful, but
the laborers who want to bring them in are few (Matthew 9:37).
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Crowns for the Wise
The average church member seems comfortable with his church

attendance and with resting in the assurance of his salvation. As
a result, the average church member is missing out on his
greatest mission and his greatest reward. Not only does the
individual Christian miss out, but the church misses out as well.
Since a large portion of the church neglects the ministry of
soul winning, they do not experience the blessing of growth.
Church growth follows soul winning and new births into the
Kingdom of God. It does not
follow signs and wonders. The
by-product of new believers The fact that God rewards the
being added to the church is
soul winner with a crown
the signs and wonders that indicates what an honor it is.
many churches seek. Jesus
The fact that soul winning is
never said that He came to
Jesus' central commandment to
demonstrate
signs
and
wonders! He said that He the church tells us that it is our
duty.
came to "seek and to save that
which was lost" (Luke 19:10).
Then He commissioned His disciples to do the same. "Follow
Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). To
seek signs and wonders is to miss the mark. To seek souls is to
hit the mark.
The reason most Christians have never led anyone to Christ
is not because they could not or would not, but because they
have never fully realized that it is their privilege and their duty
as Christians. The fact that God rewards the soul winner with a
crown indicates what an honor it is. The fact that soul winning is
Jesus' central commandment to the church tells us that it is our
duty.
One of the best indicators that a person is a Christian is that
he wins the unsaved. A person who truly understands what he
has been saved from will want to see others saved as well.
Second Corinthians 5:20-21 explains that we are God's
spokespersons and that it is our responsibility to tell others about
the free gift of salvation: "Now then, we are ambassadors for
58
Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore

you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him
who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him."
Jesus went to the cross, now we are to take up our crosses
daily and follow Him. The cross is sacrificing for the sake of the
mission. Soul winning is the mission of the church, therefore,
soul winning is the mission of every believer.
Even though soul winning (or evangelism) is our duty, it is
only one aspect of a balanced Christian life. The balanced,
healthy Christian lifestyle revolves around evangelism,
fellowship with other believers, discipleship, ministry to the
saints and worship. A believer who develops in one or more of
these areas without developing equally in the others will lack
balance in his Christianity. The imbalance will drain his
spiritual, emotional and physical energy and render him
ineffective. Balance is the key to a healthy and effective
Christian life and ministry.
Remembering the importance of balance, we must also
remember that soul winning is the Great Commission. The early
church knew this well and worked diligently to fulfill their Godgiven mission.
Since Jesus said that the job is massive but the laborers are
few, we must answer the question, why, for the most part, do we
not follow the example of the early church? The missing link is
attitude. God is not complacent, apathetic or passive. Rather, He
is compassionate and passionate. To God, each lost person is a
lost child. What parent would not go to the greatest lengths to
find and restore a lost child?
Develop Your Compassion for the Lost
When we find out God's deep passion for peopleto save
them and bless themthen we can adopt His attitude, receive
His compassion and be passionate about winning the lost.
God's passion for people is most easily seen in how He
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Crowns for the Wise
interacted with His own chosen people, the nation of Israel.

Historically, Israel was a nation of people who sometimes
served God, but mostly rebelled against Him, disregarded His
love and turned to idol worship. For example, the book of
Judges records how, during a 400-year span, and in seven
distinct cycles of sin to repentance, Israel set aside God's law for
what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). This pattern is
seen throughout the Old Testamentfrom Genesis to Malachi.
Israel's history is a picture of a roller coaster ride. Sometimes
they were upserving God and enjoying the blessings of God.
Other times they were downworshiping idols and reaping the
consequences of their disobedience.
While Israel's heart grew colder and colder with each cycle,
God's heart remained hot with passion. With earnest longing and
affection, He said, "How can I give you up, Israel?...My heart
will not let me do it! My love for you is too strong" (Hosea 11:8,
The Good News Bible).
The New Living Translation puts it this way: "Oh, how can I
give you up, Israel? How can I let you go?...My heart is torn
within me, and my compassion overflows. "
Isaiah 30:9 and 18 give another account of the rebellion of
Israel and the passion of God to have her restored in spite of her
hard heart: "For this is a rebellious people, faithless and lying
sons, children who will not hear the law and instruction of the
Lord...And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting,
looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He
lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show
loving-kindness to you" (The Amplified Bible).
God's love is boundless and unchanging. Even today, He
ignores rejection and continues His passionate pursuit of the
object of His affectionmankind.
Even the most rebellious cannot escape the quality of God's
love. Jeremiah 31:3 says: "The LORD has appeared of old to
me, saying: 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."
60
Deuteronomy 7:7-8 says: "The LORD did not set His love on
you nor choose you because you were more in number than any
other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because
the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which
He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a
mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage,
from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."
The Berkeley Translation of Deuteronomy 7:7-8 uses the
expression "fastened His love" for "set His love." This paints a
picture of God permanently gluing Himself to the object of His
love. In other words, nothing can change Him. He won't budge
or bend. God loves the murderer, adulterer, child molester, thief
and extortioner. He loves everyone, regardless of his or her sin.
He does not love the sin, but He does love the sinner. There is
no sin conceivable that will cause God to stop loving the sinner.
His love is constant, continuous, endless, enduring and undying.
These are some of the qualities of God's love for Israel in the
Old Testament. What about today? What hope of God's love do
the vilest of sinners have? Romans 5:5-8 states the answer:
"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of
God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy
Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still
without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die;
yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to
die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
God clearly shows us that He has fastened His love upon us.
Now we need to fasten our love on the unsaved. The Apostle
Paul said that the love Christ has for sinners is a constraining
factor (2 Corinthians 5:14). It confines us to one attitudeto
love the sinner. We need to tap into that same compassionate
heart of Christ that will not let go, that loves in spite of not
because of.
No amount of earthly gain can make up for the inexpressible
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Crowns for the Wise
loss of a single person's soul. Luke 9:25 reveals the value God
places on the soul of one person: "For what profit is it to a man
if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?"
The value of one saved person outweighs all the wealth,
resources, talents, abilities, education, knowledge, power,
accomplishment of the entire human race combined. There is no
comparison. If you were to add up all the wealth and assets you
have acquired, it just would not compare to the value of winning
one soul to Christ, nor could it compare to the tremendous
experience of personally seeing to it that a person will get to
spend eternity in heaven worshiping Jesus. There's simply
nothing on earth like it!
The Christian lifestyle needs to be balanced. As stated
before, the balance revolves around evangelism, fellowship with
other believers, discipleship, ministry to the saints, and worship.
And while each of these components is important, according to
the Word of God, the Great Commission of the church is soul
winning. The Great Commission of the church is the mission of
every Christian. The other four components of the Christian
faith are essential, but they are not the passion of the Great
Commission. God's passion is for souls. The believer whose
passion is soul winning will be a person after God's own heart.
Jesus said "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words,
of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His
own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels" (Luke
9:26). Jesus is looking for how often you tell the lost about Him.
That is the sign that you are not ashamed of Him. That is the
sign that you finally have the same passion as God. The lost
must be won at all cost! Yield to His greatest mission for your
life, remembering to balance evangelism with fellowship,
discipleship, ministry to the saints and worship.
62
Reaching the Taxi Drivers

Because of my profession, I travel a great deal. I'm always
needing a ride to and from the airport.
For years someone took me and picked me up. But in recent
years, I've opted to take a taxi...because I have a strategy.
Almost every time I have to go to the airport, I call a taxi.
And I always pray for the driver to be someone who is not a
Christian, maybe someone who is Muslim or from the Middle
East.
When I get in the taxi, I start small talk...and eventually
always present the gospel to them. I give them a copy of the
book The Mystery of Eternity, and I give them a generous tip. I
want them to know that I appreciate their service and I also see
it as an opportunity to treat them the way God would treat them,
with dignity and respect.
Once on the plane and after I arrive at my destination, I
often leave a copy of The Mystery of Eternity on the seat. I sign
the book and write my phone number in it telling whomever
reads it to call me if they have any questions.
It is simply another seed sown, another opportunity to reach
another person for Christ.
Randy
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Chapter 5
5
Working God's Plan to

Reach the Lost
n Acts 1:8 Jesus laid out His plan for accomplishing the
church's mission of reaching the world with the gospel.
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in
all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
There are four parts to His plan which immediately stand
out.
1. Jesus said that the plan will be carried out with the
power of the Holy Spirit.
2. The plan will be carried out through witnessing.
3. The plan is universal.
4. The plan is systematic.
1. The Power of the Holy Spirit

The power to be a witness comes from the Holy Spirit Who
lives on the inside of every believer. Even Jesus Himself never
did anything in His ministry without a divine infusion of power.
In Matthew 3:16-17, it is recorded that when Jesus was baptized,
the Holy Spirit came upon Him. All His ministry followed this
incident.
It is reasonable to believe that if Jesus could not minister
without the Holy Spirit, then neither can we. And the good news
is, God does not command us to be witnesses without giving us
Crowns for the Wise
the power to do it. The Holy Spirit is God's marvelous plan for
empowering His children with His own ability, strength and
wisdom. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to act like God
would act, go where God would go, do what God would do and
say what God would say.
Because of His empowerment, we are His mouthpiece,
pleading with the lost to be reconciled to God. We are His hands
extended to them and we are His feet taking His message to the
uttermost parts of the world.
But because we have natural bodies and we live in a natural
world, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit to succeed. Thus,
Ephesians 5:18 exhorts us to be continually filled with the Holy
Spirit, because without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).
Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ has
said: "To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with Christ.
The Holy Spirit came to glorify Christ. Therefore, if I am filled
with the Spirit, I am abiding in Christ..And if I am controlled
and empowered by Christ, He will be walking around in my
body, living His resurrection
life in and through me"
(Haddon
Robinson,
"On
The Holy Spirit gives us the
Target," Focal Point.)
ability to act like God would act,
It makes perfect sense that
we cannot be effective
witnesses without the power
and presence of Christ.
go where God would go, do

what God would do and say
what God would say.
2. The Plan Is Carried Out Through Witnessing

A witness is defined as one who gives testimony to
something which he has personally seen, heard or experienced.
Witnesses in a trial are not allowed to testify of hearsay; they
must present evidence based on their personal knowledge. Every
believer who has had a genuine, personal experience with Jesus
can relate his testimony.
Witnessing to the lost is as simple as relating to another
66
person what has happened to you. How did you realize you were
lost? How did God reveal Himself to you? How has your life
changed since being saved?
The book of Acts records how the Gospel was promoted in
the early church. According to research by seminary professor
Roy Fish, many of the disciples were not called of God to
preach. Therefore, they were not preaching, they were
witnessing, and as a result the people came under conviction of
their sin and recognized their need for salvation (Roy J. Fish, J.
E. Conant, Every Member Evangelism, Harper & Row,
Publishers). It was not until the individual witnessing had taken
place that there were large meetings where there was preaching
(Acts 2:14).
Many believers today defer their personal witnessing duty to
mass evangelism, and it is easy to do. We hear stories of how
many thousands of souls are won through mass crusades.
However, it is interesting that there is only one mass crusade
mentioned in the book of Acts. You can read about it in Acts
2:14-41. The rest of the gospel preaching is one-on-one
witnessing.
While mass evangelism has its place in Christianity, the fact
is, most people come to Christ through personal evangelism. A
missionary friend of mine, whose ministry spans more than 50
years and who has preached
throughout most of the world,
Every believer who has had a takes a poll most everywhere
genuine, personal experience he goes of the Christians who
were saved through mass
with Jesus can relate his
evangelism and those who
testimony.
were saved through personal
witnessing. Everywhere he has
conducted this poll, the results reveal, that 2 to 5 percent were
saved through mass evangelism and 95 to 98 percent were saved
through one-on-one witnessing. With these figures it is plain to
see why Jesus commanded us to be personal witnesses.
Jesus also gave us many personal examples in His own
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Crowns for the Wise
ministry. To name a few, it was one Jesus witnessing to one

Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), one Jesus witnessing to one woman at
the well (John 4:6-42), and one Jesus witnessing to one tax
collector (Matthew 9:9). Then in Luke 15, He used three
parables to illustrate the principle of personal witnessing. It was
one shepherd after line lost sheep, one elderly lady after one lost
coin, one father after one lost son.
The Ripple Effect of Witnessing
Recently I heard the following story told by a leading
missionary/evangelist. This story illustrates the far-reaching
ripple effect of our personal witnessing. I heard it like this:
In Boston, Massachusetts, many years ago, there was a man
named Edward Kimbell, who had a speech impediment and very
little skill, but who was dedicated to ministering to the young
boys in the Old North Church. One day he went into Holton
Shoe Store and asked Mr. Holton if he could go to the back
room and talk to the stock boy about Jesus. Mr. Holton said,
"You certainly may, and God bless you as you go!"
Mr. Kimbell went into the stock room, sat down on a
cobbler's bench and talked to the young 13-year-old boy who
was working in the stacks. He said, "May I tell you about
Jesus?"
The boy said yes, and Mr. Kimbell proceeded to tell him the
plan of salvation. The boy accepted the Lord. That boy was D.L.
Moody, the man who probably did more to advance the cause of
Christ in his time than any other.
D.L. Moody won a teacher by the name of R. A. Torrey to
the Lord. R. A. Torrey later taught at Moody Bible Institute and
Biola University, and also won a man named Billy Sunday, who
became a premier evangelist in his day. Billy Sunday won a man
named Mordecai Fowler Ham, who became an evangelist as
well.
In 1934, Mordecai Ham held a revival meeting in Charlotte,
North Carolina. Years later, in the 1950s, Reverend Ham was
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reading through his old journals and came across this entry:
"Revival meeting, Charlotte, North Carolina, failure. Nothing
happened. Only one 16-year-old was saved. Billy Graham was
his name."
Only God knows the souls
who
have been won as a result
One-on-one witnessing
of all these men's Christian
increases the kingdom of God witness. Look at the farlike no other tool. We may never reaching effect of the personal
know the ripple effect of our
witness of one man, Edward
personal witnessing.
Kimball.
One-on-one
witnessing
increases
the
kingdom of God like no other
tool. We may never know the ripple effect of our personal
witnessing.
Christian's Role: Witness!
Witnessing also revolves around the word go. Jesus did not
tell His disciples to stand on the shores and that the "fish" would
come to them. He said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers
of men." If you are going to catch fish, you have to go where
they are. You go to them before you bid them to come to church.
Every church should be a witnessing community. If your
"fishing" is not producing any results, the fish are not hungry.
Go where the needs are and the "fish" will bite!
In areas of the world where people enjoy a good deal of
prosperity and entertainment such as we have in the United
States, people do not generally recognize their need for
salvation, and Christians for the most part do not recognize the
urgency of soul winning. As a result, ministry for many
believers usually means participating in church activities, i.e.,
singing in the choir, serving on committees, teaching Sunday
school and so on.
These are all good and important ministry activities. It is
good to participate in them, but they can never take the place of
soul winning. We can be in the choir and win souls. We can
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Crowns for the Wise
teach Sunday school and win souls. We can fellowship with

other believers and win souls. We have to worship God and win
souls.
The balanced, healthy Christian lifestyle revolves around all
five of these areas: evangelism, fellowship with other believers,
discipleship, ministry to the saints and worship. A believer who
develops in one or more of these areas without developing
equally in the rest of them will
lack
balance
in
his
Every church should be a
Christianity. The lack of
witnessing community.
balance
will
drain
his
spiritual,
emotional
and
physical energy to be effective in each area. Balance is
important to a healthy and effective Christian ministry.
Whatever we do, we have to win souls as well. We have to be
directly involved in people's lives and meet their true need.
Jesus was always busy ministering to people with needs.
This is a vital first key to
witnessing.
Everyone has needs. Ask God effective
Everyone has needs. Ask God
to send you some hungry souls.
to send you some hungry
Meet them at the point of their souls. Meet them at the point
need with the gospel and the of their need with the gospel
power of the Holy Spirit.
and the power of the Holy
Spirit. You may be the only
Christian who comes into a certain person's life. If you neglect
him, how will he ever hear the gospel?
The late Dr. Jim Ponder, former Director of Evangelism for
a large denomination in Florida, told the following story:
When he was growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, a layman at
the North Fort Worth Baptist Church named Brother Renfro
went to his home every Saturday for many weeks to witness to
him about trusting Jesus.
One day Jim Ponder was walking home after football
practice. Dr. James N. Morgan, the pastor of the North Fort
Worth Baptist Church noticed him as he was driving by. He
70
stopped and witnessed to him with much intensity. The

following Sunday Jim trusted Christ and went on to become one
of the best and most traveled evangelists in the world.
That was on the north side of Fort Worth.
On the east side, there was another young man who was
unsaved, who regularly attended Sunday school classes. A
Sunday school teacher by the name of Winifred Oxford,
although she was not his teacher, called that young man every
week, addressing his need to accept Jesus. She even sent her
husband to talk to him about the Lord. She would not take no for
an answer. At 18 years of age, after the personal witnessing of
Winifred Oxford and her husband, that young man became
gloriously saved at a church camp. That boy later accepted the
call to the ministry and has traveled the world over for more
than 50 years preaching the gospel.
On the south side of Fort Worth, there was a man named
Roy Perkins, a Sunday school teacher. He started telling a young
man on the south side about Jesus. Every Saturday he witnessed
to him, and the young man rebuffed him. Finally, he came to
church on a Sunday morning after months of witnessing and
Theron B. Ferris, the young man, got saved. Dr. Theron B.
Ferris later became an outstanding missionary/evangelist.
On the west side of Fort Worth, Dr. James Ponder later
served as pastor at a church located near Weatherford, Texas. A
young man came into Sunday school and filled out a visitor's
card. The back of the card asked if he wanted a visit from the
Sunday school teacher and he said yes. When the visitor's cards
were turned in, Dr. Ponder asked if the Sunday school teacher
had visited him. He said no, he hadn't had time. The next
Sunday, the same thing happened. The boy asked for a visit and
the teacher did not go.
The third Sunday, the same young man visited a third time,
obviously searching for Jesus, and asked for a visit the third
time. For the third time that Sunday school teacher did not go
visit him and tell him about Jesus.
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Crowns for the Wise
That young man's name was Lee Harvey Oswald, the man
believed to have shot President John F. Kennedy in Dallas in
1963. That Sunday school teacher may have been the only one
who could have reached Lee Harvey Oswald.
Lee Harvey Oswald obviously had needsneeds no one
took the time to meet.
Jesus wants us to meet other people's needs. He wants us to
love them as He does. He wants us to love them as we would
want to be loved.
Think of the biblical story of the paralyzed man in Mark 2:14. The Bible says that he was carried on a stretcher to the home
where Jesus was teaching. The house was so full of people that
his caretakers could not enter the door. So, they carried him to
the roof, uncovered the roof and lowered him on his stretcher
down into the presence of Jesus. Would this man have been
healed and saved without the assistance of his friends? Most
likely not since he was paralyzed.
Just like this man's friends helped him, unbelievers need
assistance from their friends. They need someone to help them
get get in touch with their real needsalvation.
The immediate need of every unbeliever is the salvation of
his soul. Whether he denies it or not, he cannot escape the
following facts:
1. There is a God (Romans 1:19-20).
2. Man is a sinner (Romans 1:21-22, 3:23; John 16:8-9).
3. God is offering salvation to man (Romans 10:9-10).
4. Judgment will one day come to man (John 16:11;
Romans 2:5; Hebrews 9:27).
Without the aid of believers pointing these facts out, a
person will most likely never recognize his need for salvation.
Above all, realize that witnessing is your personal
responsibility. You must accept this responsibility, respond to
the call and just do it!
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Then, when you have witnessed to someone, get him or her

into church. Professor Roy Fish says, "The one main business of
the church is witnessing, both private and public. Private
witnessing is to be done by all, and the public is to be done by
those whom the Holy Spirit selects" (Every Member
Evangelism, p. 13).
Unfortunately, we have
looked
to the church to reach
If you are faithful to go and to
the
lost,
but most unsaved
witness the gospel, you will
people would not darken the
experience a generous portion
door of a church. That is why
of God's power in your
we need to be witnesses in the
witnessing.
marketplaces of life. Before
we ever invite them to church
we need to witness to them. Soul winning happens in the
marketplaces. Then, when we get them saved, we need to get
them into church.
Pastor's Role: Teach Witnessing
Roy Fish also writes: "Pastors were given to the church for
one primary reason: to enable individual members to become
successful in winning the lost" (Every Member Evangelism, p.
17). The problem most pastors have is with motivating people.
According to evangelism organization statistics, 95 percent
of all new converts are made through someone who has been
saved less than 12 months. A wise pastor knows that new
believers make the best witnesses. He will encourage them to
light the fire of enthusiasm among the rest of the church. Think
about it: The first thing a baby learns to do is talk, and once he
discovers his voice, he spends much of his waking hours
babbling indistinguishable words. Similarly, the first thing a
"babe in Christ" does is talk about Jesus.
The second thing a baby learns is to walk. Perhaps this is
why the Bible specifically mentions having our feet "shod with
the preparation of the gospel of peace " (Ephesians 6:15), which
means being prepared to share the Gospel everywhere we go!
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Crowns for the Wise
In other words, to be fully armed with the armor of the God,

we have to be a soul winner. And brand new Christians have the
boldness to speak about their faith like no one else. They talk
about Jesus everywhere they go. Remember how easy it was to
tell others how Jesus had changed your life when you were first
saved?
One of the pastor's first responsibilities to a new believer is
to teach him to be a good witness by teaching him effective
ways of relating his testimony. Roy Fish also writes, "The Lord
has given every pastor to his church so that he may train the
members in soul-winning, even to the point of going out on to
the field with them and doing it by their sides, or helping them
until they learn how. The skilled ones in turn are to help train
beginners until there is a church full of skilled and successful
soul winners. No one ever learns to win the lost by studying
books or by listening to sermons" (Every Member Evangelism,
p. 17-18).
Witnessing was the way the gospel was spread in the early
church right after the resurrection. The new converts could not
help but boldly tell others about Jesus and about His power. It
was witnessing, not preaching, that caused the majority of
growth in the book of Acts.
If you witness faithfully, you will experience a generous
portion of God's power. In Romans 1:16, Paul said, "For I am
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to
salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also
for the Greek." The gospel is the power of God. When you are
speaking of the gospel to others, you are tapping into the power
of God like no other time. This is why, as a believer, witnessing
is one of the healthiest spiritual activities in which you can
participate. Witnessing to others brings the power of God, the
presence of God and the glory of God into immediate
accessibility like no other spiritual activity. Witnessing sets you
onto the path of fulfilling your personal destiny.
3. The Plan Is Universal

74
The mission of the churchto reach the entire world with

the message of the gospelis universal. In Matthew 24:14,
Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in
all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end
will come. " Before the end of this age comes, the gospel of the
kingdom will be preached to every nation in every language. No
one will be excluded. The gospel is not for the Western world,
for the Eastern world, or for the Third World. The gospel is for
the lost in every part of the world!
We are living in the most
exciting time in the history of
the earth. It is the window of
time that the Old Testament
prophets foretold... a time
where there would be a great harvesting of souls.
We need to touch the lost with

the gospel as if the end time
harvest were already upon us.
The prophet Amos said, "Behold, the days come, saith the
LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the
treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall
drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt" (Amos 9:13).
This harvesting will happen so fast that the sower (the
plowman) will overtake the reaper.
The prophet Joel also spoke of this accelerated harvest: "Be
glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your
God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He
will cause the rain to come down for youthe former rain, and
the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be
full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil"
(Joel 2:23-24).
The latter rain represents the fall rains, which is the season
to sow. The former rain represents the spring rains, the season to
harvest. The timing of these two rains coming down in the same
month is representative of a great acceleration in the harvest.
Those who study biblical prophecy and watch the times
agree that we are on the brink of this great harvest that will
usher in the Lord's Second Coming.
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Crowns for the Wise
Therefore, the highest priority of this age is to win souls. It

is paramount to God, and many believe that there is an end time
anointing specifically available for the saints who have a heart
for reaching the lost. To receive that anointing simply requires
getting involved in winning souls.
One minister friend of mine believes it is an "allencompassing" anointing. In other words, an anointing that
encompasses every facet of your life.
I believe this is true. The signs of prophecy coming to pass
are evident in so many world events of the last two decades. We
have witnessed the Berlin Wall come down, the fall of
Communist countries throughout Eastern Europe, and the gospel
rush in. Christian television programs are on the air in Russia
and other Eastern European countriessomething that seemed
impossible only 20 years ago.
We need to touch the lost with the gospel as if the end time
harvest were already upon us. We need to get out into the fields.
There are many who need to be harvested, but there are few
laborers who will actually do it. We have read that some people
will sow and cultivate, but others will actually do the reaping.
Then we read that the seeds that are sown will bear fruit, and
that it is the harvester's job to put in the sickle when he sees the
fruit is ripe for harvest. For the most part the church has majored
on the behavior of the Christian rather than the mission for the
Christian. The Bible does say we are to be a holy people, but
Matthew 24:14 also instructs us to be a harvest people. Jesus
cannot come until the gospel of the kingdom has been preached
in all the world as a witness to all the nations. The more people
who participate in harvesting the lost, the sooner Jesus can
come.
4. The Plan Is Systematic

When we look at Acts 1:8,
we notice that Jesus broke The highest priority of this age is
to win souls.
down the areas of our witness
into
three
divisions:
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Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. Jerusalem was the center of the

church at that time and it represents a person's immediate world:
his family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Judea and
Samaria surrounded Jerusalem and they represent a person's
individual world as it extends from their immediate world. Judea
and Samaria also include getting involved in missionary work
and supporting the gospel worldwide. After Jesus commanded
His followers to go into all the world, first to Jerusalem and then
into Judea and Samaria, He then directed His followers to
witness to all these areas simultaneously. It was a systematic
plan that we can follow.
First, consider your immediate world and follow Jesus'
example. He rarely ministered in the temple. The majority His of
ministry was in the marketplaces of life. Many sources estimate
more than 95 percent. The Gospels clearly show this. Many
accounts reveal how He healed people right in the streets, such
as the woman with the issue of blood, forgave sinners like the
woman caught in adultery, He taught from hillsides and even
from a boat floating offshore. His focus was not to reach those
who were already seeking God in the synagogues. He
concentrated on those who crossed His path as He went about
His daily business.
Second, move out into the Judea and Samaria of your life.
Find ways to get involved in
Jesus rarely ministered in the the kingdom of God in bigger
way. Hook up with ministries
temple. The majority of His
reaching people outside of
ministry was in the marketplaces your immediate circle of coof life.
workers, family and friends.
Hook up with ministries
reaching people that you physically cannot. As you are led by
the Holy Spirit, support the missionaries or projects your church
sponsors. Sow your time, money, food, clothes and other gifts
into mission outreaches and meet people's needs.
Remember, reaching souls is the optimal goal. It is the
highest mission.
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Crowns for the Wise
No Heart Is Ever Too Hard

By the time I had finished college and gotten my first job in
television, I was an alcoholic. My life was in shambles, only I
didn't know it. The day I was fired was a wake-up call. For the
first time I realized I needed help.
I went through Alcoholics Anonymous. I even became a
spokesperson for them. But something was still missing.
I kicked my boyfriend out, got a new job that was great and
a new apartment. Still, I wasn't fulfilled.
Through the years Christians had witnessed to me. I thought
those people were weak and needed some kind of crutch. I
figured I was stronger. Why, I had even overcome a serious
challenge.
But something was pulling at my insides.
A new friend at work began talking to me about God. My
old reaction wanted to kick in, but something drew me to what
she was saying.
She invited me to lunch one day...then dinner one night...and
told me about Christian television. She gave me a book to read.
What surprised me is that I watched the programs she
suggested and I read the book!
One day she asked me if I wanted to make Jesus the Lord of
my life. I was so shook up, but before I could stop myself I said,
"Yes." After she prayed with me, I realized what had been
missing for so long. I no longer felt incomplete. I no longer felt
alone and that I had to run my life all by myself. It was such a
relief.
I had never been to church before, so I started going to my
friend's church. I was amazed at all I didn't know that had been
available all my life. I'm so grateful for all the people who
witnessed to me and prayed for me. Not one word or prayer was
ever a waste.
I was so hard-hearted... but no heart is ever too hard for
78
Jesus' love to penetrate.

Today, I'm still in television, still free of alcohol and filled
with Jesus. I'm hopeful every day...eager to tell others what God
has done for me.
Tracy
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Chapter 6
6
How to Be an Effective
Witness
commissioned us to reach the lost, he told us to be

Jesus
"witnesses." Acts 1:8 records His instructions: "But you
shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Witnessing is the second step of His plan to reach the lost. It
is important to Jesus that we be witnesses and, like everything
He's called us to do, He wants us to do it with excellence. He
wants each one of us to be an effective witness, one which draws
people to Him and to His great gift of salvation.
First 1 John 1:1-3 expresses the role of a witness well:
"That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we
have looked upon, and our hands have handled,
concerning the Word of lifethe life was manifested,
and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you
that eternal life which was with the Father and was
manifested to usthat which we have seen and heard
we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship
with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and
with His Son Jesus Christ."
Mistakenly, most Christians have substituted church work
for harvest work. They have substituted doing good things for
the urgent thing which is being a witness, and harvesting the lost
Crowns for the Wise
into the kingdom of God.

This is not the case when it is harvest time on a farm. You
won't find anyone doing spring cleaning, sewing, clearing the
back 40 acres or painting the barn. While all these chores may
be necessary, they are not the urgent need. When harvest time
comes, everything else is set aside to tend to the harvest so it
does not over-ripen or spoil in the field. Harvesting is so urgent
that the whole family pitches in. How much more should we as
God's family be tending His harvest!
Witnessing is a powerful tool to harvesting. Just as you
cannot have a harvest without sowing seed into the ground,
neither can you harvest a soul into the kingdom of God without
witnessing. Witnessing is telling others about your personal
experience with Jesus Christ.
Your personal experience with Jesus is that He has changed
your life. Because of Him you no longer have the desire to do
the things you used to do. Jesus has changed your heart, your
desires, your dreams, your goals, your family, your health, your
marriage. Exactly how He has changed your life is your personal
testimony. Telling unbelievers your personal testimony is
witnessing.
When you witness you are speaking to a lost person about
your personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. If these
elements are not part of your conversation, you are not
witnessing.
Witnessing has nothing to do with church work, nor does it
relate to doing good things, like giving financially to supporting
mission work.
Rather, witnessing requires personal, active involvement of
a Christian in the life of a sinner. This means you have to
associate with people who might live a different lifestyle than
you do, people who may not be pleasant to be around. It is one
thing to say, "Isn't it terrible how that man mistreats his wife and
children?" It is another thing entirely to take time to befriend
him, to have compassion for his pain, and to gently and meekly
82
show him a better way. This is how you become actively

involved in the life of a sinner. Witnessing requires compassion,
understanding and kindness. It takes stepping out of your
comfort zone.
Witnessing also requires practicing the presence of Christ. A
Christian who offers lip service but lives an ungodly lifestyle
will have no power to influence others. Christ-likeness
magnifies the power of God in your life while sin dilutes it. How
can you effectively convince someone that Jesus can change his
or her life if you have not allowed Jesus to change yours? When
Missionary E. Stanley Jones asked Mahatma Gandhi how
Christianity could be more acceptable in India, Gandhi said, "I
would suggest, first, that all of you Christians...begin to live
more like Jesus Christ."
Witnessing is a powerful tool to

harvesting. Just as you cannot
have a harvest without sowing
seed into the ground, neither
can you harvest a soul without
witnessing.
Jesus never condoned

anyone's sin, but He did show
compassion,
understanding
and kindness. To practice the
presence of Christ is to live in
close communion with Him. It
is to live a lifestyle of prayer
and repentance from sin. To
practice the presence of Christ
is to abide in Him and let His
Word abide in you (John 15:1-8).

Witnessing also calls for the power of the Holy Spirit. It
takes supernatural power to exemplify Christlike compassion
and to express Him to the world. We cannot represent Christ
under our own power. We do not have that kind of power. We
might be able to be likable, personable, polite and professional
in our manner and communication, but these are human, not
divine, qualities. Jesus said that our power to be witnesses
would come from the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).
To be an effective witness also means we must face our
fears. Fear of witnessing does not come from not knowing how.
It comes from a life that is not fully yielded to the Holy Spirit.
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Crowns for the Wise
According to the words of Jesus, proof of being filled with the

Holy Spirit is an overflow of witness: "But when the Helper
comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of
truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And
you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from
the beginning" (John 15:26-27).
The Apostle Paul made himself a slave to the gospel so that
he could win many to Christ. He wrote, "For though I am free
from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might
win the more" (1 Corinthians 9:19).
Jesus instructed us in Matthew 4:19, "Follow Me, and I will
make you fishers of men." The
idea of being a follower of
Jesus is to follow Him closely,
Fear of witnessing does not
to follow His lead, to imitate come from not knowing how. It
His lifestyle and to obey His comes from a life that is not fully
commandments. Jesus was a
yielded to the Holy Spirit.
fisher of men. The more
closely you follow Him and
the more intimately you develop your relationship with Him, the
more you will become a fisher of men.
Three keys to being an effective witness:

1. A consistent prayer life
2. Consistent Bible reading
3. Obedience to the Word of God.
If witnessing is a weak area for you, then you need to
practice more of the presence of Christ. Develop a more intimate
relationship with Him. Intimate human relationships are
developed by doing things which nurture and foster the health
and closeness of those relationships. To develop a more intimate
relationship with Christ, we must do those things which will
foster intimacy. Those activities are: maintaining a consistent
prayer life, consistent Bible reading and obeying the Word of
God. Let us examine these in more detail.
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1. Consider prayer. There is nothing more valuable as a

Christian than to experience God's presence and hear His voice.
Getting answers when you need them, getting ideas for reaching
the lost, receiving the wisdom you need to face life's challenges
these blessings and more come through prayer and through
intimacy with Christ.
Spend time with the Lord every day. Begin your prayer time
by praising Him and worshiping God. Speak to Him what the
Word says about Him. "Father, I worship You. You are the great
I AM. You are the Holy One of Israel. You are the Most High
God. I honor You. I love You. You are so Holy." Continue,
lifting Him up in worship and adoration. As you do, His
presence will come. You will be able to sense His presence and
it will be very precious.
The Bible says when we praise God, He is in our midst. He
inhabits the praise of His people (Psalm 22:3).
During this time of enjoying His presence make your
petitions to Him, whether they are about you and your family, or
about people you are reaching out to. This is also the time when
answers will come. You will hear His voice in your spirit...and
the answers will then come to your mind. It may be something
you asked Him about yesterday, or last week. But the point is,
prayer needs to be more than making petitions to God. Prayer is
intimacy with Christ. He wants to speak to you as much as you
want to speak to Him.
Prayer is critical to our lives. "Prayer bathes the soul in an
atmosphere of the divine presence" (Charles Finney, Prevailing
Prayer, Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 1965, p. 45.). Prayer waters
the clay of our hearts, keeping us pliable in God's hands and
keeping us teachable. Prayer keeps us humble. Prayer keeps us
dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit and helps us give God
the control of our lives.
Billy Graham's wife, Ruth Bell Graham has said, "Pray
when you feel like it, for it is a sin to neglect such an
opportunity. Pray when you don't feel like it, for it is dangerous
to remain in such a condition."
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Prayer is a mighty instrument for getting God's will done on

earth. The devil would rather have us wear ourselves out in
church work than wear our knees out in prayer. A prayerless
Christian is an ineffective Christian, and therefore an ineffective
witness.
2. Bible reading refreshes our memory as to who we are in
Christ and enables us to overcome negative self images, negative
self esteem, fear and lack of motivation. The Bible straightens
up our attitudes and judges and corrects our motives. Someone
once said that it is more important to let the Bible read you than
to merely read the Bible. God's Word is the one thing that goes
down to the inner recesses of our hearts and digs out the truth
about ourselves so that we can correct what is unhealthy and
destructive both to ourselves and to others.
The Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone
who isn't. It is impossible to practice the presence of Christ
without a consistent spiritual diet of the Word of God. In his
book, How to Study the Bible for Yourself Tim LaHaye lists
seven things memorizing and studying the Bible can do for you.
It will:
give you victory over sin
help you overcome worry
give you a confidence in sharing your faith
speed up the transforming process
assist you in discovering God's will for your life
help in your other Bible studies outfit you for unlimited

service to God.
(Tim LaHaye, How to Study the Bible for Yourself Irvine,

CA: Harvest House Publishers, 1976.)
3. Being a doer of the Word is critical to walking in His
presence. The book of James warns us that a person who is not a
doer of the Word deceives himself (James 1:23). James also
says, "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and
continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the
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work, this one will be blessed in what he does" (verse 25). You
cannot live a lie and succeed in God. Even Jesus said, "Why do
you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?"
(Luke 6:46).
Evangelist Oswald Chambers has said, "The best measure of
the spiritual life is not its ecstasies, but its obedience."
The presence of God cannot be practiced in an atmosphere
of disobedience. The presence of Christ is maintained through
acknowledging His omniscience and acting, speaking, and
thinking as if He were right there with you every minute of the
day. Once we recognize that Jesus knows what we are thinking,
sees how we are acting and hears what we are saying, our
behavior will change.
When you take the presence of God and His anointing with
you to work, into the marketplaces of life, your coworkers will
see it and sense something special about you. Matthew 5:14-16
says, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill
cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a
basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in
the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. "
Do not be a dimly lit Christian. Your light has the power to
transform others: "Steer clear of the activities of darkness; let
your lives show by contrast how dreary and futile these things
are...For light is capable of 'showing up' everything for what it
really is. It is even possible (after all, it happened with you!) for
light to turn the thing it shines upon into light also" (Ephesians
5:11-13, The New Testament in Modern English). Shine in the
marketplace so your co-workers will see the light in you, glorify
God, and be transformed.
Faithfulness and Preparedness
An effective witness must be faithful, not necessarily
successful. Many times Christians do not witness because they
do not see immediate results. But God never commissioned us to
be responsible for the results. He only commissioned us to be
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faithful to witness.
Our job is simply to tell. It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict
the person of his sin.
Remember, a witness who takes the witness stand in a trial
is not responsible for the outcome of the trial. He is only
responsible for giving testimony to what he personally
experienced. Spiritual pride cannot enter the picture if the results
are left in God's hands. Then, when a soul is won into the
kingdom, God gets the glory, not the Christian! Train yourself to
think like a soul winner ... always think about how you can win
souls.
This brings us to the final point of what it means to be an
effective witness. An effective witness must be prepared. The
ability to share the testimony of how Jesus has changed your life
in an accurate, brief, but concise, manner is a very effective seed
planting tool. It is best to write it out in 175 words or less. In his
book Witness, Take the Stand!, Ralph W. Neighbour, Jr., writes
that in 175 words you can briefly:
Explain what your life and attitudes were before you

accepted Christ.
Explain how you realized your problem.
Tell how you became a Christian
Tell what being a Christian means to you.
(Ralph W. Neighbour, Jr., Witness, Take the Stand! Baptist

General Convention of Texas, Dallas, Texas.)
Neighbour also gave the following seven facts to consider
when preparing your witness:
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God honors preparation! Begin by writing it out.
Keep it short. How long does it take to sow a seed? If

your testimony is longer than 175 words, you will not use
it and the [unbeliever] will not listen. It is amazing what
one can say in one minute if proper preparation has been
made.
Keep to the point. You are not explaining how to be come

a Christian, you are reporting something which has
happened to you. The testimony should be free from
exhorting; that is, you should avoid expressions like,
"You ought to have an experience like this too!"
Include the factual details, but remember you must

primarily communicate an invisible experience which can
not be observed. A person can make a public profession
of faith, but still may not comprehend why he did. A blind
person would not know rainbows existed unless someone
who could see described them!
Avoid negative remarks, derogatory comments about

other religions. Such comments seldom help and often do
great damage.
Ask yourself, "If I were not a Christian, what would this

mean to me?" Put yourself in his/her place.
Do not "brag" about your pre-conversion sins.
Neighbour also cautions "carefully consider the words you

use." Avoid Christian jargon because unfamiliar terms lose their
impact. Use language with which the listener will be familiar.
Some examples are listed on the following page:
Christian Jargon
Replace With Phrases Such As:
I was lost.
I realized that I was living a sinful

life and would go to hell when I died.
I was saved.
I realized that when I died I would go

to heaven instead of hell.
I was convicted.
I felt guilty and remorseful for of my

sin. what I had done. I was ready to
make it right with God.
I was washed.
I realized the blood Jesus in the

blood. shed on the cross was His
way of taking the punishment I
deserved.
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These are just a few examples. You can think of more. It

may be helpful to listen to yourself talk for a few days and make
note of Christian terms you use in your daily conversation. Make
a list of those terms and think of alternative ways of saying the
same thing in a way unbelievers will identify with and
comprehend. It is just one more way of training yourself to be an
effective witness.
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Lisa's Story
I started working for Randy Gunnip in January, 2000.
Shortly after joining his team, he told me he had written a book
titled The Mystery of Eternity, and that a national magazine had
printed the story of his conversion to Christ. He asked if I
wanted to read them and I said yes, which I did.
A week later, Randy asked me if I had any questions. At that
time I didn't. About two or three months later he asked again
and I said, "No, I don't have any questions, " but I remember
that what struck me about his testimony was that he had said he
had had the best of everything most of his life, but a time came
when he realized something was missing.
I identified with that because I had been missing a father
figure ever since I was a little girl. At the same time, I felt
something else was missing. I didn't know my purpose in life. I
worked hard, but I was like a robot. I would wake up...go to
work...come home...the next day I would do the same thing, day
after day.
A feeling that something was missing kept nagging me.
Finally, on September 13, 2000, Randy called me from his cell
phone to ask me to make a phone call for him. He wanted me to
notify someone that he had a testimony tape to give her.
I said, "May I listen to it before I give it to her? I'd like to
hear that testimony."
He said, "I'll just give you a copy."
I thought, "Wow, this is great!"
Then, obviously recognizing my interest, he said, "Lisa,
have you ever made Jesus the Lord of your life? "
"No, I haven't."
"Would you like to now?"
"Well, yes, I would."
Randy said, "Get Kathy," who is his executive secretary and
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a dynamic Christian, "and go into my office where it is private.

Close the door, and we'll pray right now."
In a few seconds Kathy and I were in Randy's office on the
speaker phone and he prayed with me to accept Christ. I got so
excited. Suddenly I realized that I now had a heavenly Father,
and that even though I've always worked hard, now I do my best
so that my Father in heaven will be proud of me.
I learned later that Randy and Kathy and some other
Christians on his staff had been praying for me all those
months. I'm so glad they did. Receiving Christ is the best thing
that ever happened to me, but reading Randy's testimony and
reading The Mystery of Eternity became the catalyst. They got
me thinking.
Before, I had no sense of purpose. Now, my purpose in life
is to tell everyone I know that Christ can change their lives
just like Randy told me.
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Chapter 7
7
The Heart of Soul Winning

Learning to Pray for the
Lost
he way Lisa was saved is how most people get saved. First
someone has to pray. I had been praying for her, and so
had several people in our office. In time, it yielded a harvest.
Just like Lisa's, a person's path to salvation is usually not short
term. First, you plant a seed, cultivate the relationship, continue
to pray and pursue them, and then you harvest their soul when
the time is right.
It is a principle from the Word of God that God does nothing
in the earth unless someone first prays it into existence. This
raises prayer to a level of importance not many recognize.
Because of this truth, unless we pray, the lost will go to an
eternal hell. Unless we pray, God's will cannot be done on earth
as it is in heaven. Unless we pray, our destinies will not be
fulfilled. Unless we pray, our lives will lack the power to do
what God has commanded us to do. God needs our cooperation.
No wonder the Word of God commands us repeatedly to pray:
"Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
"With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the
Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all
perseverance and petition for all the saints" (Ephesians
6:18, New American Standard).
Crowns for the Wise
"Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter

into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak" (Matthew 26:41, New American Standard).
The one thing that will reduce the odds of the lost dying in
an unredeemed state and going to eternal damnation is prayer.
Prayer, like no other activity, will affect your soul winning
efforts, whether you are planting the seed, watering the seed or
harvesting the seed (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Prayer oils the wheel
of your soul winning efforts. Prayer is the labor pain that brings
new babes in Christ into God's family.
In other words, prayer is supernatural, spiritual firepower!
"We are assured that when we are praying for the salvation
of others, God will hear those prayers and is pleased by them"
(George Barna, Evangelism That Works, p. 145).
"Prayers for the felt needs of the lost have a higher priority
than the prayers for the needs of the saved. The reason is simple:
The needs of believers are cosmetic needs. This is not to say that
the needs of believers are not important to God. They are. But
unbelievers have a more vital, essential need. Their eternal
destiny hangs in the balance. To believers, a crisis is a temporary
problem affecting their comfort level this side of heaven. To
unbelievers, it is either heaven or hell" (Ed Silvoso, That None
Should Perish, Regal, A Division of Gospel Light, Ventura, CA,
p. 84).
The number one reason why people go to hell is not because
of the severity of their sin. It is not because of the hardness of
their hearts. It is not because of their rebellion against God. The
number one reason why
people go to hell is because no Prayer is supernatural, spiritual
one was praying for them.
firepower!
There is no greater negligence
than "prayerlessness." If we
are too busy to pray, then we are too busy for God. If we do not
pray, we will not see the need for gathering His lost children
into His family.
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The Heart of Soul WinningLearning to Pray for the Lost
Prayer Changes Things

Prayer changes more than you can see or realize. First of all,
it changes you. When you spend time in prayer, you give the
Holy Spirit the opportunity to influence your heart. The more
you pray, the more your heart will begin to be compassionate
and sensitive to the lost around you. The more you pray, the
more you will catch God's heartbeat for the lost.
If you are not agonizing over the lost souls of the people you
deal with every day, then you have not spent enough time
praying for them, because prayer cultivates compassion.
As a mother who agonizes over a child gone astray,
desperately wanting him to get his life back on track, God has
shown His pining for the lost by sending His Son to die for the
sins of mankind. When we find out God's deep passion for
peopleto save them and bless themthen we can adopt His
attitude, receive His compassion in our hearts, and be passionate
about winning the lost.
God demonstrated His love for us in that He died to save us
while we were yet sinners, rejecting, spurning, and despising
Him. This is the hope that we
have to give to othersto
God demonstrated His love for those who have not yet
us in that He died to save us received the message of the
while we were yet sinners,
gospel. God clearly shows us
rejecting and despising Him. that He has fastened His love
This is the hope that we have to upon us. Now we need to
give to those who have not yet fasten our love on the
unsaved. We need to tap into
received the gospel.
the compassionate heart of
God that won't let go. Prayer
is the only thing that will change our hearts to line up with God's
heart for the unsaved.
Prayer Changes Circumstances
The person we are praying for may be in dire straits, seeking
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answers for his dilemma. But when we pray, circumstances

begin to change. Prayer opens the door for God to move in his
behalf and deliver him. When we pray, God dispatches angels to
work in behalf of those for whom we pray. "The angels!what
are they all but servants, spirits who render service to God, who
are hour by hour being dispatched on errands of ministration
for the help of us who are destined to have salvation as our
heritage?" (Hebrews 1:14, The Arthur S. Way Translation).
Nothing brings a lost sinner to God like the demonstration of His
power to deliver his life from destruction.
Prayer Changes People
Prayer softens the hearts
of hardened unbelievers to
receive the love of God. It is
been said, "Don't talk to your
neighbor about Christ until
you talk to God about your
neighbor."
Where there is no vision to

evangelize our neighborhoods
and cities, the people perish.
Jesus spent so much time in prayer because He knew the

time He spent talking to God about people did more for them
than the time He spent talking to them about God. We see this is
true when we study His personal habits. Prayer took priority
over physical rest (Luke 6:12), over His social activity (Matthew
14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16, 6:12) and over His physical
appetite (He fasted for long periods of time to access and release
spiritual power, Luke 4:2; Matthew 6:18, 25, 31). Prayer was not
an obligation for Jesus; prayer was His connection to His
heavenly Father. Prayer empowered Him with the Holy Spirit.
Prayer was His key to obedience to God (John 5:30).
Prayer for another person is his only hope to awakening his
spiritual hunger. In his fallen state, man is spiritually bankrupt.
The problem, however, is that unless he is aware of his spiritual
bankruptcy, he has no demand for salvation. Prayer awakens his
spiritual hunger, and it provides the spiritual answers he needs.
Because man is an eternal, spiritual being, he has spiritual needs;
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however, for the most part, unless he is in some type of crisis

where he needs someone larger than himself, he remains
oblivious to his spiritual needs. In other words, his spiritual
needs lie dormant until something or someone creates in him a
demand. First Corinthians 2:12-14 says:
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,
but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the
things that have been freely given to us by God. These
things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom
teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does
not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are
foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned."
Spiritual things are foolishness to the person who is focusing
on natural things (family, finances, career, etc.). Prayer awakens
the awareness of his deepest need; it creates the spiritual
demand. Prayer gives the Holy Spirit access to illuminate his
mind so that he can see his need for salvation.
Also, man is inherently in enmity against Godhe wants to
be his own god. Prayer breaks down this spiritual antagonism
and opens his heart to accept and believe the gospel. Prayer
produces the spiritual environment through which the unsaved
can understand the gospel. Prayer softens the ground of his heart
so that the seed of God's Word can take root, grow, and bear
fruit. Evangelism without prayer is as effective as preaching to a
brick wall.
I have a friend, Ron Knott, a retired Delta Airlines pilot and
businessman, who is a prolific soul winner. He uses a method
called "The Five Most Wanted Souls." With this method, you
take a 3" x 5" sheet of paper and list the five people you would
most want to see come to Christ. Keep the sheet of paper in a
handy place, a place where you will come across it several times
a day. Each time you see that piece of paper, call those names
out to the Lord and thank Him for bringing them into His
Kingdom.
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Ron says that the first year he used this method he named
four family members and one co-worker. After one year of
consistent and continuous prayer, four out of the five were
saved. The second year, all five had come to the Lord. How long
would it have taken if he had never started praying? No one
knows. But we do know that nothing will happen unless
someone prays.
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Following is a sample of The Five Most Wanted Souls list.

You may want to make a copy, cut it out, and pass it along to
your fellow Christian soul winners. The idea is to place it where
you will come across it often, preferably two to three times a
day.
Whenever one of the five people you are praying for comes
to the Lord, replace his or her name with the name of another
person you want to accept Christ. This way you will always have
at least five people you are expecting to be saved. Of course, you
could always have more than five, but this method helps keep
soul winning at the forefront of your thinking and praying.
"Prayer walking" is a helpful key to winning your neighbors
to Christ. (Prayer walking is a term that has been coined for
walking your neighborhood or some other geographic region and
praying over that area.) How often do we really tell our
neighbors about Christ?
Prayer is the key that makes soul winning effective. Pray for
your neighbors during your private exercise time. It is effective,
as well as enjoyable. Here is a recommended plan:
1. Start with your street and expand to other streets as time
permits.
2. Learn the names of the families at each address.
3. Walk the street and pray a general prayer over the
salvation of the households and that their overall needs
and welfare be met. Command a blessing on the
households individually and the street and neighborhood
in general.
4. Ask the Lord to open the door for you to develop
relationships with your neighbors.
5. Get to know your neighbors. Develop friendships and
perform acts of kindness as opportunities arise. As
relationships develop, so will the opportunities to
witness for Christ, pray for them and minister to their
needs.
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By prayer walking, you can become a prayer lighthouse in

your neighborhood. Your non-Christian neighbors consequently
become prospective Christians and you are putting the power of
prayer to work to change their lives.
Prayer Is Doing Spiritual Warfare for Men's Souls
So, not only does prayer change things, circumstances, and
people, but prayer changes the spiritual atmosphere around those
for whom we pray. Second Corinthians 4:4 says that the reason
people do not believe the gospel is because the god of this
world, Satan, has blinded their minds. Prayer removes the
blinders. Intercessory prayer stops the influence of the devil and
frees them to believe and receive the gospel. It is spiritual
warfare on their behalf.
Praying is making war on your knees against the spiritual
enemy of men's soulsSatan. The kingdom of Satan must be
torn down so that the kingdom of God might prevail. As new
testament believers, we should be assaulting the gates of hell.
Jesus said that hell's gates would not prevail against us, so there
is no reason not to be on the attack.
Sometimes it is a battle just to get into prayer, and the
soldier often surrenders or deserts before he gets there. If you
lack a desire to pray, then the best way to develop that desire is
to pray!
Several years ago I heard an excellent message on the power
of prayer. In this message, the pastor said that prayer had to
begin with discipline. You do it simply out of obedience. It may
be awkward, and seem dry and ineffective, but do it anyway.
Then he said that discipline will turn to desire, because whatever
you give your attention to becomes your desire. If you discipline
yourself to pray, if you attend to prayer, prayer will become your
desire.
Finally, that desire turns to delight. Once you have
established a habit of prayer, it becomes your lifeblood. You
realize that you cannot be happy unless you have prayed.
Talking to God and letting God talk to you becomes your
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delight.
Effective praying must begin with the will of God. First
Timothy 2:1-4 clearly and concisely states that the will of God is
for all men to be saved. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit saying: "Therefore I
exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are
in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all
godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the
sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to
come to the knowledge of the truth."
God desires all men to be saved. This makes praying for the
salvation of another person easy, because the will of God is
already established. First John 5:14-15 says, "Now this is the
confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He
hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions
that we have asked of Him." Praying in accordance with the will
of God gives us the assurance that God will grant our requests.
God's Word is His will. When we pray the Word of God we
are praying exactly what He
Prayer is making war on your wants. I have written out two
prayers based on the scripture
knees against the enemy of
which I use for praying for the
men's soulsSatan. The
lost. They have been the most
kingdom of Satan must be torn effective. To make sure that I
down so that the kingdom of am praying the perfect will of
God for another person, I take
God might prevail.
the scripture, insert the
person's name, and use it as a
confession of faith.
You can use this prayer from Psalm 1:1-3. (Male and female
pronouns may be used interchangeably):
is blessed of God because (he)
walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in
(Name)
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the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

but (his) delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law
(he) meditates day and night.
(name)
shall be like
a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its
fruit in its season whose leaf also shall not wither; and
whatever (he) does shall prosper.
Another prayer is from Ephesians 1:17-20 from The
Amplified Bible:
I always pray the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of Glory, that He may grant
(name)
the
spirit of wisdom and revelationof insight into the
mysteries and secretsin the deep and intimate
knowledge of Him, by having the eyes of (his) heart
flooded with light, so that (he) can know and understand
the hope to which He has called (him) and how rich is
His glorious inheritance in the saints. And so that
(name)
can know and understand what is the
immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of
His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in
the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated
Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.
These are such powerful prayers. There is no greater power
on earth than the power God exerted in Christ when He raised
Him from the dead. Can you imagine the difference that kind of
power would make in the lives of people for whom you pray?
Jesus commanded us to take up our crosses daily and to
follow Him. A cross signifies sacrifice. What better sacrifice is
there than to lay down your own daily agenda for a short period
of time to pray for the lost?
My friend, Ted Robertson, a very successful businessman in
Tulsa, Oklahoma, demonstrates a lifestyle of prayer and prayer
evangelism. He takes up his cross daily beginning at 5:30 a.m.
He begins by reading the Word of God, which renews his mind
to the thoughts of God. Then he prays: "God, today, send
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someone across my path to whom I can witness, minister, and/or

harvest into Your kingdom." This manner of prayer has been
effective. Ted has won many people to the Lord consistently,
year after year.
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Because Someone Prayed

Last year, in the Spring of 2000, I was in a car accident and
experienced serious whiplash. For months, I went through
physical therapy, getting my neck and back well. At one of my
appointments, as I lay on the table having my neck and back
worked over, I started small talk by asking a question, "Young
lady, do you have a family?"
I was just being friendly, but I'm always looking for that
open door to share the gospel.
"Well, I have a fiance. And he wants to be with me all the
time. He loves me so much. "
"Do you go to church?"
"Funny you should ask that. No, I don't normally go to
church. But my boyfriend has been taking me to a Christian
Center every week. I like it, but I don't understand it. I was
raised in church, but it was not like this one."
"Would you like me to explain it?" I asked. "Yes, please do!"
"Well, you keep working on my neck and back and I'll
explain everything."
After I presented the gospel, I asked her if she was ready to
be saved.
She was thrilled, and said yes.
After we prayed, I gave her a copy of The Mystery of
Eternity, to further explain the decision she had just made.
Before I left, I boldly told her, "If you feel the same way
about your boyfriend as he does you, I wouldn't let him get
away!"
Obviously, her boyfriend had planted seed...and prayed. I
got to do the harvesting.
Randy
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Chapter 8
8
The 3-Step Process of Soul

Winning
he Scripture clearly points out that soul winning is a

process consisting of three parts: planting, watering and
harvesting. Paul instructed the Church in 1 Corinthians 3:6, "My
work was to plant seed in your heart, and Apollos' work was to
water it, but it was God, not we, who made the garden grow in
your heart" (The Living Bible).
This three-step process unfolds over time the same as
harvesting a crop does in the natural realm. A farmer does not
reap a harvest on the same day that he plants the seedand
neither do we. The seed must germinate, take root and have time
to grow. Then, when the crop is fully grown, it is harvested.
We also see that it is God's responsibility, not ours, to make
the garden grow. Too often, Christians become frustrated
because they do not understand this process. Perhaps the
misunderstanding has come from the term soul winning. Maybe
we feel that if we do not win a person to Christ the first time we
talk to them that we have not been effective. Nothing could be
further from the truth.
To overcome this misunderstanding and frustration we need
to understand the three-step process Paul explained.
Consider the condition of a person's heart who has not heard
the good news. Sin has hardened him, just like heat and a lack of
rain dry up the ground. Sin has caused it to become compacted
and impenetrable. Just like the earth, his heart needs to be tilled,
Crowns for the Wise
softened and made ready for seed. Hosea 10:12 refers to this as
breaking up the fallow ground of the heart. This is a process that
must be completed before a person is ready to receive the seed
of the Word. Consider the following graphic illustration of this
concept.
1 = Hardened heart (Does not believe in God)

2 = Wonders if there is a God
3 = Believes in God, but does not serve Him
4 = Wonders if God is interested in him
5 = Wonders what Jesus has to do with God
6 = Discovers that Christianity says that Jesus is God
7 = Recognizes his lifestyle opposes Christian lifestyle
8 = Becomes convicted of his sin
9 = Sees no way he can change
10 = Recognizes his need for a Savior to change him
11 = Ready to give up control of his life
12 = Prays and accepts Christ
As you can see from the graphic illustration, at one, the
person is hardened and he does not believe in the existence of
God. At 11, he admits his need for a Savior and is ready to
accept Christ. Each interval in between represents a different
stage of receptivenessa link in a chain. Twelve represents his
acting on his faith in Jesus Christ. No one except God knows at
what stage of receptiveness a person is.
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Every time a seed is plantedevery time the fallow ground

of a person's heart is tilledanother link in the chain is added
which moves him closer to accepting Christ as his Savior. Once
we recognize that people do not move from 1 to 12 with one
seed, or one cultivating activity, it makes it easier to witness. It
is important to realize that witnessing is our only responsibility,
the results are God's responsibility.
Planting Your Seed
Of the estimated 2 percent of Christians who have made soul
winning their lifestyle, the number of seed planting/ witnessing
activities averaged is only once a month, or 12 times a year.
Only 5 percent of Christians have ever witnessed to another
person about Christ. That means only 5 out of 100 Christians
have experienced the greatest joy available to them as believers.
A mere 2 out of 100 Christians in the United States actively
plant seeds and witness; and the average number of people they
witness to is only 24 per year (2 Christians x 1 witness per
month x 12 months = 24). This is just the seed sowing. The
actual harvest is even lower. This is not going to get the job
done. Ninety-eight percent of the Body of Christ is not obeying
the Great Commission. Ninety-eight percent of the Body of
Christ is not being faithful in one of the most important areas of
Christian obedience.
Yet, obeying is so easy. The first step in the three-step
process is sowing the seeds. Second Corinthians 9:6 instructs us:
"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."
John 4:36-37 says: "And he who reaps receives wages, and
gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who
reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: 'One
sows and another reaps."' Anyone can easily plant seeds with
little or no training.
All you do is witness to someone. Witnessing can be as
simple as sharing printed gospel informationsuch as a book,
testimony article, leaflet, or tract that details the gospel message
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just like Sam Martin did that day we were in Houston

together.
I have learned from my own experience, and from some of
the most widely respected professors of Christian theology and
evangelism in our country, that Christians who witness without
leaving written material to reinforce the impact of their witness
are only 50 percent effective. In other words, a tract or book
makes your witnessing twice as convincing.
That's why it is so critical that you stock up with gospel
literature...books, tracts, leaflets and testimony articles, that you
can freely give at a moment's notice. You have to be ready at all
times. This is essential to being a true soul winner.
Being prepared to witness is a life decision as serious as the
decisions we make concerning
our vocation, our education, or
whom we marry. These
Those who witness without
decisions
take
prayer,
leaving written material to
planning and preparation. The
reinforce the impact of their
Christian who makes a life
witness are only 50 percent
decision to be a soul winner
effective. In other words, a tract
will not be depending on
"chance." He will have or book makes your witnessing
twice as convincing.
prayed, plannedby having
gospel literature on hand
and prepared. Everywhere he goes he will be looking for
opportunities to sow seeds into the lives of others.
Recently I was returning home a few hours early from a
business trip in Atlanta, Georgia. When I checked on flights to
the Dallas-Fort Worth area, there were three, but one flight,
#1083 just seemed to stick out to me, so I decided to go standby
since it was three hours earlier than my regularly scheduled
flight. Also, a business associate happened to be on this flight.
He said, "That's the flight I'm on! I have many free upgrades I
will never use, so I'll give you an upgrade and we can sit
together in first class." I said, "Okay, that would be nice."
Unfortunately, there were not two seats together. We had
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hoped to ask the person seated next to him to change seats with
me. When we asked him, he said he wanted to stay in the
window seat. The passenger next to my upgraded seat
assignment was well settled, so we sat apart.
Next to me was a young lady in her early twenties, but we
did not speak much after the initial polite greetings until we
were well into the flight. Not knowing where she stood with the
Lord, I struck up a conversation, looking for an opening to find
out. Learning her name was Laurie, I said, "Laurie, what is it
that you do?"
"I'm a law school student, but I haven't decided what area of
law I'm going to specialize in yet."
I said, "It's kind of sad, but one of the most profitable forms
of law practice in the United States today is family law, because
of the high divorce rate." She concurred.
Seeing this as my opening to find out where she stood with
the Lord, I said, "The reason for such a high divorce rate is the
lack of a spiritual foundation that holds a couple together
through the tough times."
"That's exactly what my parents tell me! You see, I'm Jewish
and my boyfriend is a Christian. My parents tell me it could
never work between us because of the difference in our religious
beliefs."
"Laurie, do you mind if I ask you whether you are a devout
Jew? I mean, are you set in your spiritual beliefs?"
"No, I'm not."
The open door was so obvious I could have started laughing
with joy, but I maintained composure and continued to plant
seed in her life. Her boyfriend must surely be praying for her, I
thought.
Knowing there is a portion of The Mystery of Eternity
written specifically to reach Jews, here was my chance to give it
to her, but I had already given away all the copies I had with me.
Her next statement made it clear to me why!
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She said, "I'm going to see my parents now. We are giving

my dad a surprise birthday party." If she had read it before she
saw them, it might have come up at the family functions and that
may have been upsetting.
I said, "Laurie, I'm a Christian author and I wrote a short
book called The Mystery of Eternity which explains the
Christian faith. Would you be interested in reading it?"
"I certainly would! Thank you!"
I asked her to write down her name and address and then I
promised to send her one. When I got back to my office, I wrote
my name and phone number in the front of a copy of the book
and told her if she had any questions she could feel free to call
me. Then I had an inward impression to include a copy with my
name and phone number for her boyfriend so he can see the seed
that is being planted in her life. I asked my secretary to send the
two books to her.
Do you see how easy it is to find an opening to plant seeds
of the gospel in a person's life? Once you make it a life decision
to be a soul winner, opportunities will be all around to touch
people for Christ. That is why it is so important to stock up with
gospel literature so you can reinforce the impact of your seed
sowing. Laurie may not remember much of what I said to her,
but she can refer to a book over and over again. The information
is right there in her hands.
Being an effective soul winner means you make a life
decision to do it. This means you have your radar on all the time,
looking for open doors to impact people for Christ.
Once you make the decision, you need to learn how to use
gospel literature effectively.
For example, tracts are designed mostly for people you do
not know personally. Tracts are great for giving to someone you
have never met, like Sam Martin did. They are more direct,
which is why they are not the best choice for witnessing to
someone you know.
If you do use a tract, write your name and phone number on
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it along with a note for them to feel free to call you. Sam writes
such a note on every tract he hands out.
If you want to reach an acquaintance or a co-worker, give
them a book. A book is received as a gift and is far more
personal. You are passing on
Once you make it a life decision something that has touched
your life. When you give a
to be a soul winner,
book, write a note in the front,
opportunities will be all around sign it and include your phone
to touch people for Christ. That number. When you write your
is why it is so important to stock note, tell them how the book
up with gospel literature so you changed your life or affected
can reinforce the impact of your you. Share a part of yourself.
Then follow up a week later.
seed sowing.
Call them, or stop by, and ask
if they have any questions. It
is so easy and comfortable to witness this way to someone you
know.
If you know someone who is not close enough for you to
hand a copy of a book, then mail it. Practice what is called
"Postal Evangelism." Simply write a note in the front like you
would if handing it personally, drop it in the mail, and a week
after you expect them to have received it, call and ask if they
have read it and have any questions.
I often give people a copy of The Mystery of Eternity. This
36 page book was designed to be used specifically as a seed.
After I give it to someone, I usually give them a week to read it,
and then follow up by asking them if they have any questions. It
gives me an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus, and it
increases the probability that my witness will take root.
Following up is a cultivating process. Cultivating protects the
seed.
People know you care when you give them such a gift, and
they respond to that.
You can also plant seeds by giving your testimony, which is
testifying of how Jesus has affected and changed, your life.
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The overall principle of seed sowing is simple: You cannot

have a harvest unless you sow seed.
Watering Your Seed
The second stage of soul winning is watering your seed, or
cultivating it. Jesus understood this principle. He was sinner
friendly. In fact, that is one of the things for which the Pharisees
criticized Him the most.
Nonetheless, many Christians limit their close associations
and friendships to other Christians. Perhaps this is because of
the scripture which says that to be friends with the world is to be
an enemy of God (James 4:4). However, this scripture is not
saying that we cannot have friends in the world. It says not to be
friends with the world. There is a difference. If we limit our
associations to Christians who are already living in the light,
how can we be a light to the world? Light shows up best in the
darkness.
Years ago, someone coined the phrase "friendship
evangelism. " Friendship evangelism is an effective cultivating
tool that takes thought, planning and effortand it works great
with friends who are in the world. Don't think of yourself as
being "out to get the unbeliever to church," or "to get him to
Christ." This mindset compares to a flash flood on ground which
has not received rain for months. The sun and lack of watering
have hardened the ground until it is like cement. A flash flood
will only run off the surface and wash away any seeds that have
been sown. The seeds will not take root.
Remember, the first step in the process: You have to break
up the fallow ground first. Just like the parched earth, in order to
effectively become softened, the ground needs a slow, steady
rain so that it be tilled and receive seed. This process takes time
and prayer.
Friendships take time.
They must be nurtured. So,
talk regularly to your unsaved
friend. You initiate the
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You cannot have a harvest

unless you sow seed.
friendship; do not wait for him or her to take the first step.
Discover common interests and plan activities together. As you
do, be genuine and show sincere interest. Truly listen when he
speaks. Your sincerity will demonstrate God's unconditional
love, which will show him that God accepts him right where he
is. Always treat him with dignity and respect, as you would
someone you deeply admired. Open your home to him. Let your
friend observe your godly lifestyle and experience God's love
through you. Love him into the kingdom rather than trying to
preach him into the kingdom. This does not mean you condone
the sin. It simply means you do not have a condescending,
critical or judgmental attitude because of his lifestyle.
There are many ways to cultivate the hearts of people we
meet. If we will look at the fields of our lives, we will identify
some group of people with whom we share a common
denominator. From that we can determine a cultivating approach
that is appropriate.
For example, the most common fields are: relatives and
family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow members of civic,
professional, or social organizations, political associations,
fellow travelers, new acquaintances, customers, doctors,
lawyers, dentists and so on. Each of these groups represent fields
where you can cast seeds through witnessing.
Just think about your workplace. Not all of us are called to
go to China, but most of us are called to go to work. The
workplace is a natural habitat to find the lost. For most people it
is their biggest mission field. It is a captive mission field.
At work you can get acquainted with many people, all the
while identifying those who need salvation. They are special
because they are the ones whom God has entrusted to you to
reach. Regardless of whether your co-workers are Christian or
not, however, your witness in the workplace is important.
Remember to be a good example to everyone, but pay
particular attention to those who have not yet trusted Christ. You
may not be able to preach the gospel at work, but you can
always live the gospel. You can exemplify a work ethic that
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glorifies God and draws people to you. Like I wrote about Air
Force Pilot Howard Pierson, your excellence of work creates a
platform that draws people to you. In fact, your witness can even
be tested by the excellence of your work.
Also, take your breaks and lunch hours with the people you
are trying to reach. Get to know them. Ask about their family
members. Be genuinely interested in their concerns. Recognize
special occasions in their lives such as birthdays, anniversaries
or graduations. Be a friend to the degree that it is appropriate
and opens the door for you to witness. We literally spend 2/3 of
our lives in the workplace, so what could be a better harvest
field?
Then, there's your neighborhood. Being a good neighbor is
an excellent door opener to establishing friendships with nonChristians. One person I know makes it a habit to put his
neighbors' newspapers on their front porches. He also picks up
cans and trash from the street while he makes his morning walk
every day. People notice and appreciate it. Through these simple
acts, over time, he has met every neighbor in his 100-home
development. His neighbors like him and this gives him favor
when sharing his concern for their eternal souls. His wife also
finds ways of creating a greater sense of community. Together,
their shining light gives them tremendous favor and their
neighbors are receptive.
Families are another tremendous harvest field. If there is
anything the Bible teaches about family, it is that God wants to
save them all (Acts 16:31). Too often family events are limited
to weddings, funerals, and occasional, but far-between visits.
Change your strategy. Identify those relatives who are outside
the family of God and make a sincere attempt to socialize with
them, and establish a more common bond. Invest your money in
meals, sports events or group activities that can facilitate getting
together. By sharing your generosity, you are demonstrating
your genuine interest. Opportunities will surely arise to share
Christ.
Whether in your workplace, neighborhood or family,
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cultivating sincere relationships with non-Christians is linking

life with life. Ralph W. Neighbour, Jr. has written in his book
Witness, Take the Stand! that "such friendships give the nonChristian the concrete opportunity to see Christ's presence
within the Christian. Cultivation may take days, months or years
before we see the fruitfulness of it. Cultivation takes prayerful
patience, but is absolutely essential for the harvest."
In order to reach all of the fields in our lives, we must have a
cultivating mind-set. This comes about by being excited about
our own relationship with Christ. By being grateful for Who
Christ is to us personally, our very demeanor will exude the joy
of being saved.
We are God's messenger. There is no one else. Ask yourself,
"If not me, then who?" It is a sobering question that makes us
realize the value of your witness. Ezekiel 3:16-18 graphically
states just how important our witness really is:
"Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that
the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Son of man,
I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel;
therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them
warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, "You shall
surely die," and you give him no warning, nor speak to
warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life,
that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his
blood I will require at your hand."'
With a heartfelt attitude toward the sinner, we must enter the
fields with the compassion of Christ ready to rescue unbelievers
from the fires of hell. If not us, then who?
Harvesting
All three components of soul winningplanting, cultivating
and harvestingare equally important. As we saw in the graphic
at the beginning of this chapter, each step moves a person closer
to accepting Christ. So each component is essential.
First, the seed is planted. Then, it is watered. Then comes
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Crowns for the Wise
the harvest. Although it is certainly possible to go from seed

planting directly into harvesting, the usual process is one, two,
three. Therefore, harvesting is the culmination that completes
the miracle of the salvation event.
Recently, however, I did take someone from the seed
planting stage right into harvest. I was at a restaurant with my
friend Bill Wilkinson, who is president of an international
Christian organization and, as we finished our meal, I saw a
waitress who was obviously upset. I had never seen her before
and did not know where she was spiritually, I just knew I had an
opportunity to bring God into the picture when I saw what
happened.
I observed that she answered her cell phone, talked a few
minutes, became very upset,
hung up and then went to a
With a heartfelt attitude toward
corner table and sat alone
crying. I sensed compassion the sinner, we must enter the
for her and told Bill, who had fields with the compassion of
Christ ready to rescue
his back to her, that we needed
unbelievers
from the fires of hell.
to minister to her. As I
approached her respectfully, I
If not us, then who?
said, "Miss, I couldn't help but
notice you were crying. I'm a
Christian. Is there anything I can pray with you about?"
She said, "Oh, yes, you can. That was my boyfriend. He and
I have a baby together and he just broke up with me. He's
moving out today."
I said, "Miss, God loves you and has a plan for your life to
bless you, not to harm you."
Bill and I witnessed to her for several minutes about the love
and forgiveness of God. She allowed Bill and me to pray with
her right then and there to receive Christ as her Lord and Savior.
Then I gave her some names and phone numbers of seasoned
Christian women who could disciple her and pray with her when
she was in need. That was one of those situations where I was
able to win her soul at first try.
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While that was a joyful and rewarding experience, most of

the time when I witness it is in the sequential flow of seed
planting, cultivating and harvesting.
The Law of the Harvest
Once we harvest a soul for the kingdom of God, we must
never underestimate the value of that soul. God's law of harvest
is an amazing phenomenon.
Genesis 8:22 tells us that as long as the earth exists the law
of seedtime and harvest will function and produce the miracle of
multiplication. It says, "While the earth remains, Seedtime and
harvest...shall not cease." This exciting principle is God's
method of increase. The harvest is always greater than the seed
which is sown.
Again, think about a farmer. We know that while he may
sow a few sacks of wheat seeds, he will harvest fields and fields
of grain. And one sack of harvested wheat used to make wheat
flour might provide enough for a family for a few weeks or
months.
However, if the sack of harvested wheat were used as seed
instead of being made into flour, it could provide enough for
hundreds or maybe thousands of families.
It is the law of harvest: The harvest is always greater than
the seed sown.
An excellent example of how this applies to souls is the life
of Reverend Billy Graham, the great Protestant evangelist who is
said to have won millions to Christ through more than 60 years
of ministry. In his autobiography, Just As I Am, Reverend
Graham writes that he was born on November 7, 1918, near
Charlotte, North Carolina to William Franklin and Morrow
Coffey Graham. The eldest of four children, he was raised in a
Christian home and regularly attended the Associate Reformed
Presbyterian Church. In 1934, an evangelist preached a series of
revival meetings in Charlotte, which Billy's mother attended.
Mrs. Graham had invited Billy, but he was not interested,
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although news of some controversy surrounding the meetings

piqued his curiosity. A family friend named Albert McMakin
had also invited Billy, without immediate results, but he
persisted.
Finally, Albert offered to let Billy drive his vegetable truck
into town for the meeting, loaded with as many people as could
fit. Billy agreed just so he could drive the truck.
The first night of the revival, Billy became aware of his own
sin and his need for a Savior, so he accepted Christ and
committed his life to Jesus.
The seeds of the gospel sown The Law of the harvest is: The
in to Billy Graham, as the harvest is always greater than
result of one friend's one-onthe seed which is sown.
one persistence, reaped far
more than the soul of one 16year-old boy. Because of seeds sown, untold millions have been
saved through the ministry of the Reverend Billy Graham. It may
have never happened if Albert McMakin had not planted seed in
his life. That is the law of the harvest: The harvest is always
greater than the seed sown.
Here's another example. The sister of a dear friend of mine
ran around with a group of kids from the north side of Fort
Worth back in the 1940s when they were all teenagers. One of
those young people was Sam Martin, whom I introduced to you
in Chapter 1. At that time, Sam was an ordinary guy, but even
then he had a soul winner's heart.
One night before the group went out, Sam said, "I want to
stop by the New Isis Theater. There's a popcorn boy who is not
part of the crowd, and I want to tell him that Jesus loves him."
They went by the theater and waited while Sam witnessed to the
boy. The young man became convicted of his sin, recognized his
need for a Savior and soon after that night, he accepted Jesus as
his Lord and Savior. Years went by and people forgot about the
popcorn boy.
In February, 1999, my friend flew in from Mexico, where
he'd been on a mission trip, to attend the memorial service of the
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Reverend John Osteen, who had served as pastor of Lakewood

Church in Houston, Texas, and who had gone home to be with
the Lord. Lakewood Church has thousands of members and is
known for its worldwide support of missionaries. Many of the
world's most well known preachers were in attendance including
Pastor John Hagee from San Antonio, Pastor John Bisagno of
the First Baptist Church of Houston, Kenneth Copeland,
Kenneth Hagin, Jr., R. W. Shambach, Richard Roberts, T. L.
Osborne and many more. Dignitaries, including the Mayor of
Houston, some Senators and Congressmen, were also there.
According to the final count, there were 9,000 people inside the
8200 seat auditorium, with thousands more standing outside.
Several hundred flags flew proudly on the premises hailing the
nations where Lakewood Church had labored to bring the
gospel.
At the service, my friend leaned over to his wife, and
referring to Daniel 12:3, he said, "Think of all the stars Brother
Osteen is going to have in his crown! Think of the millions and
millions of people he has won to Jesus directly, through personal
witnessing, and indirectly through his ministry. Think of the
ripple effect of his ministry. Look at all the people whose lives
he has affected for the kingdom of God. Think of all the stars he
will have on his crown of rejoicing!"
His wife said, "Honey, lean over just a little," motioning for
him to look across the aisle. As my friend did, his wife said,
"See that little white-headed man? He is sitting there quietly,
humbly. No one will even mention his name today." Although,
that is what my friend's wife said, later, Dodie Osteen did
recognize him.
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My friend's wife continued, "That's your friend Sam Martin.

For every star that John Osteen has, Sam will have that many,
plus one, because he won John."
John Osteen was the skinny, unknown popcorn boy at the
New Isis Theater.
Not only is the harvest always greater than the seed sown,
the reward is also greater.
Harvesting a Soul vs. Witnessing to a Soul
There is a difference between witnessing and soul winning.
Witnessing is limited to seed planting and cultivating activities.
When we witness, we usually do not lead the person to Christ.
Soul winning, or harvesting, takes place when the person
actually gets saved. This means he is convinced of his sin, he
recognizes his need for a Savior, he knows he cannot save
himself and he understands the gospel to the point that he
accepts the price Jesus paid for his sin.
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Jesus spoke extensively about being harvesters of souls. In

Luke 10:2 He said: "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers
are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into His harvest."
In John 4:38 He refers to seed planting, watering and
harvesting: "I sent you to reap that for which you have not
labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their
labors."
In Mark 4:28-29 He also refers to the three-step process :
"For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the
head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain
ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest
has come."
Yes, Jesus wants us to witness to the lost...and He wants us
to harvest those souls.
There are many who need to be harvested, but there are few
laborers who will actually do it. We have read that some people
will sow and cultivate, but others will actually do the reaping.
Then we read that the seeds that are sown will bear fruit, and
that it is the harvester's job to put in the sickle when he sees the
fruit is ripe for harvest. Part of the job of harvesting is
discerning whether or not the person is receptive, or ripe for
harvest. The Holy Spirit must have completed the job of
convicting the person of his sin before he can be led to Christ.
Neighbour also says in his book that, "The Holy Spirit is
responsible for this admission, for He is sent to reveal rebellion,
and 'convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment.' This presalvation work of the Spirit is called the 'period of conviction.' It
happens to every person. A sincere Christian friend will observe
it as the quickening of interest, a willingness to discuss spiritual
matters, restlessness, even unusual rebellion."
After I have witnessed to someone, befriended him and
shown genuine interest in him, I usually give him a copy of The
Mystery of Eternity. A week later I will contact him again and
ask him questions that will get him talking about what he read. I
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will find out how much he understands about the gospel and
what Jesus did for him on the cross. Then I turn to page 35 of
the book, which lays out the biblical method of salvation and
say, "Can we read this together?" By this point I have
established enough of a relationship that he readily says yes.
After reading the steps of salvation, I ask him, "Would you like
to go through these steps for real?" No one has ever told me no.
This has been effective in winning people to Christ. Here are the
biblical steps to being saved. You can use these in leading
someone to Christ.
1. Acknowledge: "For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "God, be merciful to me a
sinner!" (Luke 18:13).
2. Repent: "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish "
(Luke 13:3). "Repent therefore and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19).
3. Confess: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). "That if you confess with
your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart
that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved" (Romans 10:9).
4. Forsake: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the
LORD, and He will have mercy on him...for He will
abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7).
5. Believe: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved;
but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark
16:16).
6. Receive: "He came to His own, and His own did not
receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He
gave the right to become children of God, to those who
believe in His name" (John 1:11-12).
If you discern that your friend or loved one is ready, ask
him, "Would you like to go through these steps for real?" Let his
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responses be your guide. Always respect his boundaries and give

him the freedom of choice. Respect his time. Don't try to harvest
him if he is not ready. Not only must his heart be receptive, but
the timing must be conducive to discussing making a lifechanging decision.
Remember, this is the most important decision your friend
or loved one will ever make. Avoid arguments about doctrine.
Keep the conversation on the personhood of Jesus and the
person's need for a Savior. Keep it simple. If you get too deep
into theology or into the Bible, you will lose him. Finally, if he
does not seem interested, stop. Say something like, "Let's stop
now, but would you just think about the things we've talked
about? Maybe we can talk about it again some other time."
Always be respectful.
Get Them Into Church
After you have witnessed to someone, your next job is to get
him into a church. You might begin by inviting him to your
home group. Sometimes people feel uncomfortable in unusual
surroundings and a home group is more personal and private
than a large church gathering. Many churches have established
home group meetings especially for this purpose. If your church
does not have one, you may talk to your pastor to see if he is
willing to introduce and implement this concept in your church.
Remember to remain available to your new friend. Pray for
him regularly. Prayer builds concern in your heart for him.
Prayer also builds the relationship. Your love, concern and sense
of responsibility to that person will grow through prayer.
Contact him often. Introduce him to new friends who will also
love and nurture his faith. Continue to provide a Christian
example.
Finally, remember that you are always witnessing, if not by
your words, then by your actions. People are always watching
how you live. Ralph Neighbour says it this way: "Witnessing is
life and lips!"
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The Couple at the Party

My wife and I were recently at a party and noticed a couple
sitting off to themselves talking to no one. So we sat with them
and began talking. We really hit it off.
During the next two hours we talked about
everything...from traveling to food to all kinds of interesting
topics. We truly enjoyed each other's time. But because I'm
always on alert if someone isn't a Christian, I also asked
questions that could give me a clue as to their spiritual
condition, questions like, "Do you go to a local church?"
I'm always very kind, never pushy or intrusive. But I don't
want to miss an opportunity to find out if someone needs the
Lord.
Through our conversation I learned that his wife was a
Christian, but from his answers, I gathered that he probably
wasn't. I also found out that he was one of the wealthiest men in
the country.
Before the evening was over he knew that I was a
businessman and a Christian author. I asked them if I could
mail him a copy of The Mystery of Eternity, and if I did would
he read it.
They said yes, and gave me his address and private phone
number.
I planted a seed with conversation.
I watered the seed by mailing my book.
I will continue watering that seed as the Holy Spirit directs.
I will continue praying for that man. And, I will look for the
opportunity to harvest his soul. That's how it works...you look
for opportunities everywhere you go.
Randy
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Chapter 9
9
Living A Life of True

Significance
never abandons His plan for our lives. He does not

Godchange
His mind, give up on us or run out of provision.
God never tells us we are too young or too old. He perseveres to
the end, enabling, empowering, providing for and motivating us
to press toward the mark of the high calling in Christ. The
mystery of Christianity is that Christ is in us, working with, in
and through us to carry out His plan.
Hebrews 13:20-22 confirms this: "Now may the God of
peace... Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you
ought to be, and equip you with everything good that you may
carry out His will; [while He Himself] works in you and
accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus
Christ, the Messiah " (The Amplified Bible).
For everything He's called us to do, including soul winning,
He has already equipped us to succeed. Colossians 1:27 says,
"To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the
glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory."
Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who works in you both
to will and to do for His good pleasure."
Everything God does, He does through us. Everything we do
that is of eternal significance, we do through Him working in us.
On the contrary, everything we do on our own is of little or
no eternal value. The saddest people are those who seek their
Crowns for the Wise
entire sense of significance and purpose from worldly sources

such as personal success, status, beauty, wealth and the approval
of others. They are sad because the fulfillment received from
these sources is fleeting. Where does one go when he has
achieved his goal?
The truth is, these things can be addictive. When they
become our source of happiness, enough is never enough. We
will always want more. The following story is a great
illustration.
In May, 1996, a journalist named Jon Krakauer participated
in an expedition to the top of Mount Everest. Twelve of his coadventurers died in the highly publicized descent, a story that
Krakauer relates in his book Into Thin Air. He begins his
account by describing his feelings on May 10, 1996, as he
reached the highest point on earth.
"Straddling the top of the world, one foot in China
and the other in Nepal, I cleared the ice from my oxygen
mask, hunched a shoulder against the wind and stared
absently down at the vastness of Tibet. I understood on
some dim, detached level that the sweep of earth
beneath my feet was a spectacular sight. I'd been
fantasizing about this moment, and the release of
emotion that would accompany it, for many months. But
now that I was finally here, actually standing on the
summit of Everest, I just couldn't summon the energy to
care...I snapped four quick photos...then turned and
headed down. My watch read 1:17 P.M. All told, I'd
spent less than five minutes on the roof of the world"
(Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air, New York:
Doubleday/Anchor Books, 1997, pp. 3-4).
Once Krakauer reached not only the pinnacle of the world,
but what he thought was going to be the pinnacle of exhilaration
and success, there was nothing to do but descend the mountain
and return to ordinary life.
What a sad commentary, but an excellent revelation. This
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story speaks volumes. It speaks of the momentary satisfaction

which comes from temporal success. Saint Augustine said, "O
God, our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee."
Nothing will satisfy us until we look to God for our satisfaction.
That satisfaction comes from yielding to His plan, both His
universal plan and His individual plan.
While mankind seeks to make a plan for success and work
the plan, God already has a plan for each and every individual
life... a plan that already guarantees more success and
satisfaction.
His plan for winning the lostHis desire to have every soul
savedis the key to a life of fulfilled destiny and true blessing.
It yields honor and rewards in this lifetime and a crown of
rejoicing in heaven.
Over and over again the Scripture is clear: The main priority
in the mind and heart of Godthe central theme of His overall
planis to win the lost. Saving His family is God's central and
primary task. When we, as His children, witness to the lost, "We
are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making
his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be
reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20, New International
Version).
When we accept our personal responsibility to be soul
winners, we place our destiny in Christ's hands. His power, His
glory and His blessings will then follow us not only to
accomplish His plan to take the gospel to every person, but to
accomplish His personal, unique and individual plan for our
lives. When we become soul winners, we step into the realm of
divine destiny both individually as Christians and corporately as
the Body of Christ. Ephesians 2:10 reveals the only true life of
significance, fulfillment and success: "For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. " Jesus
said that He came so that we might have an abundant life (John
10:10). God's plan for our individual lives is one of contentment,
fulfillment and significanceit is an abundant life.
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Crowns for the Wise
When you make what is important to God important to you

and you walk in God's plan for your life, it generates excellence
in everything you do. When you make His plan your number one
priority, then you will truly lead the most significant life
possible.
First and foremost, we are called to be a witness 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. We are called to model Christlikeness
to the world; and we are called to plant seed, cultivate and
harvest as we go about all the affairs of life.
Earthly Rewards for the Soul Winner
Jesus said, "If anyone
serves Me, him My Father
The main priority in the mind
will honor" (John 12:26). To
and
heart of Godthe central
honor someone means to
highly value or esteem that theme of His overall planis to
win the lost.
person. It also means to give
support to the endeavors of
another. When we honor God's business, He honors ours.
In my own life, I am aware that God has opened many doors
in my career that I could never have opened. I attribute this
blessing directly to my commitment to serving Christ and to
being a soul winner. But His blessings are not limited to
financial success or material things.
The presence of the power of God in your life is another
major benefit of soul winning. All the power and glory of God
are present during Holy Spirit-directed witnessing and soul
winning activities. God shows up when you talk about Him.
Romans 1:16 talks of this power: "For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for
everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."
When we are not ashamed to share the Good News of
Christ, His power and glory will rub off onto every other area of
our lives. Hundreds of books have been written about how to be
successful, many of which have received worldwide acclaim and
have achieved record sales. However, none of them has
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promoted soul winning as a key to success. Yet, the Word of

God states in Proverbs 11:30 that he who wins souls is wise.
Soul winning "is the wisest end to which wisdom can be put"
(N. A. Woychuk, A.M., Th.D., Building Gold, Silver and
Precious Stones, p. 121). Who would have thought that a key to
having wisdom and to operating successfully in this world
would be to tell people about Jesus Christ. It sounds foolish, but
God takes the foolish things of this world to confound the wise
(1 Corinthians 1:27).
God's wisdom is a greater treasure than silver and gold.
Silver and goldGod meeting your needs according to His
riches in glory in Christ Jesusis basic. Extra blessings come as
we become more committed
messengers and stewards of
When we accept our personal our time and resources.
responsibility to be soul winners, Blessings of health, enjoyable
we place our destiny in Christ's long life, a happy, satisfying
marriage, children who serve
hands.
and love God, a vocation that
we love and enjoy, an extra
measure of financial success these can become the byproducts of a life devoted to obedience and soul winning. The
truth is plain: When we go about doing God's business, He gets
directly involved in our business.
But the greatest earthly reward is that we become more
Christlike in this life. Jesus came as a servant to all. He was
meek and humble of heart. In becoming Christlike, we must
remember that it can only happen through God's grace, and that
we receive nothing, except it be from God. God is looking for
those who will allow themselves to decrease so that He might
increase, and show Himself strong in and through them.
Genuine humility, authentic Christlikeness, is unconscious.
It is an attitude of servanthood, of obedience to God, and of
meekness that says, "If I receive a reward for anything good I
have done, I will give it back to my Lord, because I can do
nothing without Him. He deserves all the honor and all the
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Crowns for the Wise
glory."
According to Romans 8:29, we were predestined to become
like Christ: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be
conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the
firstborn among many brethren." As likenesses of Christ, we are
His vessels through which He
accomplishes His mission on
earth. "For we are His The greatest earthly reward is
workmanship, created in that we become more Christlike
in this life.
Christ Jesus for good works,
which
God
prepared
beforehand that we should
walk in them " (Ephesians 2:10). Our yielding to these good
works pleases God more than anything next to our becoming His
children. Our one goal in life should be to please God, to make
Him happy, and to glorify Him through our good works.
"Be of Good Cheer"
I would be remiss if I did not mention the other side of this
coin. Although God does want to bless us exceedingly,
becoming a soul winner is not the golden ticket to a life without
trouble. Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in
Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation;
but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world"(John 16:33).
The Amplified Bible says, "I have deprived it (the world) of
power to harm you." The Apostle Paul said that all who live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).
In Acts 14:21-22, the Scripture tells us that Paul encouraged the
believers in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, urging them to
continue in the faith because they "must through much
tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."
When we link arms with
God to accomplish His
mission, we become a threat
to the kingdom of darkness.
We will get resistance from
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Christians are not in this world

to survive, but to conquer.
the devil, from the world and even from our own fleshly, carnal
natures (our three spiritual enemies). The beauty of the plan is
that Jesus equips us with the ability to overcome. In Luke 10.19,
He said, "Behold! I have given you authority and power to
trample upon serpents and scorpions, and (physical and mental
strength and ability) over all the power that the enemy
[possesses], and nothing shall in any way harm you" (The
Amplified Bible).
We have nothing to fear. With the resistance will come the
power, grace and ability to prevail over it. Christians are not in
this world to survive, but to conquer. In the meantime, we can
enjoy and glorify God with the rewards He bestows on us.
Looking to the Future
When we please God, we invest in our future. Hebrews 9:27
tells us that each one of us is appointed once to die, and then we
will face eternal judgment.
In other words, life is for keeps. This is no dress rehearsal.
There are no time-outs or instant replays. Every second brings us
closer to the judgment seat of Christ. In comparison to eternity,
our life is but a puff of smoke. James says, "For what is your
life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then
vanishes away" (James 4:14). We only have one life to offer to
God to be used for His purposes. Our only opportunity to
maximize our rewards on the most important day of eternity is
now.
Remember
that
the
purpose of judgment for the
Our reward will be for our
Christian is to motivate him to
faithfulness to utilize our talents, make the most of his present
abilities and opportunities to
opportunities. At the judgment
promote the kingdom of God on seat of Christ, according to 2
earth and to increase God's
Corinthians 5:9-10, every
Christian will stand before
family in heaven.
Him and be evaluated.
"Therefore we make it our
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Crowns for the Wise
aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For

we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each
one may receive the things done in the body, according to what
he has done, whether good or bad." We will be judged for what
we have done since our conversion to Christ (not for what was
done before.)
Christ Himself will be the Judge. This tells us that we will
be judged both fairly and with mercy, because the One Who died
for our sins will be the One Who judges us. We will be judged
by One Who loves us with an everlasting love, and by One Who
sought us out with compassion to save us, not to condemn us
(John 12:47). "The Christ of the throne is the Christ of the
Cross"(Erwin W. Lutzer, Your Eternal Reward, Moody Press,
Chicago, p. 26.).
Even though He will deal with us in love, so will He hold us
accountable. There will be no hiding, no excuses, no blaming of
others and no twisting of the truth to make ourselves look better.
The One Who knows everything is the One Who will evaluate
us.
How will we be evaluated? Jesus illustrated how in the
parable of the talents. He taught us that every person is born
with a portion of talents, abilities and opportunities to be used
for the purpose of his Master. In the parable, the servants who
invested and multiplied their talents, abilities, and opportunities
for the Master's sake were rewarded. The servant who buried his
talent was reprimanded. He displeased the Master.
Christians will face their Master, Jesus, at the judgment seat
of Christ. Here they will each receive rewards according to their
labor (1 Corinthians 3:8). Hebrews 6:10 says: "For God is not
unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have
shown toward His name." Our reward will be for our
faithfulness to utilize our talents, abilities and opportunities to
promote the kingdom of God on earth and to increase God's
family in heaven.
On the other hand, Christ warned the church at Philadelphia,
"Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no
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one may take your crown" (Revelation 3:11). Although the

judgment will not be punitive, it will be possible for us to forfeit
our rewards, either by neglect, unfaithfulness, or by failing to
use our God-given opportunities and talents. Woodrow Kroll
said, "We are not stripped of rewards as an erring soldier is
stripped of his stripes" (Woodrow Kroll, Tested by Fire,
Neptune, NJ.,: Loizeaux, 1977, p. 108). This would be degrading
and, since we will not receive any heavenly rewards on earth, it
would be impossible to be stripped of them. The lack of rewards
will be our judgment. God wants us to work diligently toward
earning the rewards He has reserved for the faithful.
What will we be judged for? We will be judged for the
quality of our life, for our stewardship and for our motives.
"For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's
field, you are God's building. According to the grace of
God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I
have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But
let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other
foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this
foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day
will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and
the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is" (1
The criteria by which Christ will evaluate us is motive.
Wood, hay and straw represent perishable materials, motives
which are not pleasing to Christ. These works will burn up.
There will be no eternal reward for them. Gold, silver and
precious stones represent imperishable materials, motives which
are refined by fire, not destroyed by it. These works will stand
the test and earn eternal rewards.
Only that which is godly will withstand the test of fire.
Think of the disappointment that will be experienced by those
whose entire life's works disintegrate to ashes in front of their
Lord and Savior because of wrong motives or well-intentioned,
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Crowns for the Wise
but misdirected, labor. Again, remember that the purpose of the

judgment seat of Christ is to motivate us to do the best we can
with what we have TODAY! It is not to frighten or intimidate
us.
We will also be judged for how we impacted the lives of
others for Christ. This is a qualitative, not a quantitative
evaluation. Some may have the potential to reach more than
others, and they will be judged based on their potential, not on
the numbers of people reached. It is what we do with what we
have been given that God will examine.
Knowing this, how can you maximize your rewards on that
day? By making God's number one priority your number one
priority. Being a witness and a
soul winner is your greatest
mission and ensures your The purpose of the judgment
greatest reward. Jesus said, seat of Christ is to motivate us
"Freely you have received, to do the best we can with what
freely give " (Matthew 10:8).
we have TODAY!
You will not experience life
fully on earth until you
express it freely to those who do not know Christ. The most
significant, fulfilled life is one which is lived for others and not
for self.
God always reserves special rewards for those who are
faithful. In Matthew 6:20, Jesus promised that our reward will
be great. He also mentioned our reward in Luke 6:23, 35, and
Hebrews 10:35.
Second Peter 1:10-11 talks about an abundant entrance into
heaven: "Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to
make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you
will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ." An abundant entrance is not an ordinary entrance.
The Greek word for our entrance alludes to when Roman
generals were given triumphal parades as a reward for some
victory or conquest. God promises a triumphal entry into heaven
134
for the believer who is diligent in the way he lives for Christ. If
that were the only reward, then it would be enough to make soul
winning a priority. Perhaps the triumph is over our flesh, which
is too lazy to pray for the unsaved, or too comfortable to go out
of its way to reach them for Christ. Perhaps the triumph is over
the devil who wants to take them to hell with him.
In Luke 14:14, Christ promised that sacrificial works would
be repaid. I have read the
following statement more than
Jesus said, "Freely you have once and unfortunately do not
received, freely give" (Matthew know who originated the
10:8). You will not experience thought, or I would recognize
him or her. But the thought
life fully on earth until you
express it freely to those who do bears repeating. "The greatest
tragedy next to dying without
not know Christ.
Christ is to stand before the
judgment seat of Christ
empty-handed, having never won a single person to the Lord."
Where is the triumph in this?
Receiving True Rewards
On judgment day, the reward will far outweigh the sacrifice.
"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while
we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen. For the things which are seen are
temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come
after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for My sake will find it'" (Matthew 16:2425). Losing your life for Christ's sake is the way to find life,
purpose and reward in heaven.
Mankind has a way of rewarding others for exemplary
achievements. Perhaps one of the most outstanding reward days
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Crowns for the Wise
was the day Sergeant Alvin C. York was lauded for his
achievements as a World War I hero. Drafted into the United
States Army in 1917, York served valiantly, in spite of being a
conscientious objector. At the battle of the Argonne Forest in the
fall of 1918, as a member of the 82nd Division, he killed 25
Germans, knocked out 35 machine guns and captured 132
prisoners almost single-handedly. As a result of his valor, York
received the French Medaille Militaire and Croix de Guerre. He
was awarded the Italian Groce de Guerra and the American
Medal of Honor. Marshall Ferdinand Foch, Commander of the
French Northern Army on the Western Front, told him, "What
you did was the greatest thing accomplished by any private
soldier of all the armies of Europe."
When the war was over, York came home to the adulation of
the American people. Paraded through the streets of New York
City to the cheers of hundreds of thousands of admirers, York's
reward day unprecedentedly closed the New York Stock
Exchange. Eight years later, speaking before the First
Presbyterian Men's Club in Nashville, Tennessee, Sergeant York
said, "I do not care to be remembered as a warrior, but as one
who helped others to Christ." He obviously knew that the
rewards he will receive in heaven for being a soul winner will
eclipse many times over the honor of earthly rewards.
Make no mistake about it, the judgment seat of Christ will
be a day of great celebration and accolades. On that day, when
each one receives his rewards, we will present them back to the
King as our worship, as our token of love, stating, "Here, Jesus,
this is what I did for You because I love You. I didn't live for
myself, I lived for You, for promoting Your purposes and
plans."
"Whenever the living creatures give glory and
honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who
lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down
before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him
who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before
the throne, saying: 'You are worthy, O Lord, to receive
136
glory and honor and power; for You created all things,
and by Your will they exist and were created'"
(Revelation 4:9-11).
Since making the commitment to be a soul winner, my
priorities have changed. My heart has changed. Every thought,
every action, every decision I make is directed toward one event
the judgment seat of Christ. Above any earthly wealth,
beyond all human recognition, more than any earthly or eternal
reward, I want to hear Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful
servant" (Matthew 25:23). Jesus' central and primary command
has become my most pressing imperative because I want to
please Him on that day.
Making the Commitment to Be a Soul Winner
Without the same compassion for lost souls that God has, it
is impossible to be an effective, anointed soul winner. We need
to fasten our prayers and soul winning efforts on those who are
outside of Christ for whom God has a burden. We have heard of
paying the price, but we need to pray the price. We need to ask
God to impart an extra measure of His compassion so that our
prayers are not self-serving, but others-serving. By doing so we
will share His burden for His lost children.
Here are some practical steps toward receiving God's
compassion:
Present yourself to God to be a witness and a soul

winner.
Romans 12:1-2 says: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by

the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable
service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove
what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Since Jesus has made the only restitution which God can
accept for sin, there is no other sacrifice we can offer, except the
sacrifice of our bodies and lives to serve God's purposes.
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Crowns for the Wise
However, Romans 12:1-2 is very clear: We must purposely offer

ourselves to serve God's purposes.
"Moses challenged Joshua to 'present himself to the Lord for
service.' To present oneself carries enormous implications: Total
allegiance; making oneself utterly expendable on behalf of God"
(W. Phillip Keller, Joshua, p. 56-57).
Make a commitment to be a soul winner.
To optimize your life, you have got to commit to being a

soul winner.
Commitment is the key to accomplishing any goal, whether
it is an educational goal, a career goal or a personal goal. Unless
we are committed, many obstacles and distractions can keep us
from accomplishing our goal. A person will not win souls unless
he or she commits to it. Other desires and other activities such as
family, social, personal, career or educational commitments will
take precedence. We must be committed.
Ask God to help you develop a soul winner's heart and

special soul winning skills.
The heart of a person who dedicates himself to winning

souls is made up of different "stuff" than the person who does
not. He has compassion for the lost. He is not self-centered. He
is not condemning or judgmental. His heart is set on the things
of God, not on the things of this earth. He looks for ways of
blessing others, not for ways of being blessed. The person who
dedicates himself to winning souls educates himself and
develops better, more effective ways of accomplishing the task.
Ask God to give you the energy and the passiona

burning desireto reach the lost.
It takes effort to step out

of our comfort zones. We
need energy to go beyond
what we are presently doing,
and the passionmotivation
to do it. God is the source
of these forces. If we ask, He
138
To optimize your life, you have

got to commit to being a soul
winner.
will gladly impart them to us.

But our motiveto obey the great commissionhas to be
out of our love of God and out of His love flowing through us to
the world. Our motives must be pure, from the heart of
compassion for the lost, with Christ on the throne of our life, not
self. I want the kiss of God on my cheek, like a proud Father's
kiss, stating His approval and His gratitude for my contribution
to His agenda and the pure heart from which that contribution
flows.
Think about the following statements from Revelation 3:1416. Jesus said, "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans
write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True
Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your
works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were
cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither
cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."'
What is so distasteful about being lukewarm that would
make Jesus spit it back up? It is the fact that a person had the
chance to be hot and he chose to be lukewarm. Apathy is the
result of either being hot and cooling off, or of turning away
because the heat was too much to bear. Either case is distasteful
to Jesus, because in both cases, the person had the chance to be
passionate.
Christ is calling us to occupy ourselves with building
treasure which will not burn up, but will stand the test of the fire
(1 Corinthians 3:11-15). Do not run from the heat of conviction.
It is the heat of the presence of God which burns away all that is
not pleasing to Him (Hebrews 12:29).
God is only impressed with our commitment to love Him
and honor His Word....and He has told us to win the lost. Every
Christian has a divine calling to be a witness. Making a
commitment to fulfill this special service enlists us as a soldier
of Christ. We are commissioned into the Army of God, not to be
on the sidelines, but on the front lines of the battle for the souls
of men. Christ's central command to all believers throughout the
entire world, throughout all the ages, imperialistically leaves no
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Crowns for the Wise
room for civilian ranks. We are all called to be soldiers of Christ

in the combat corps of God! God's church is meant to be
militant, engaged in warfare, assaulting the very gates of hell to
advance the kingdom of God on earth. The power of Satan will
never be able to withstand the assault of God's church offensive.
However, at the time of this writing, more than 95 percent of
Christians are still in the civilian ranks. With less than 5 percent
of Christians as active soul winners, the Great Commission has
become the great omission in the church today.
Earlier we mentioned that those 2 percent who are active
soul winners only witness on the average of once a month, or 12
times a year. It would take each one of them 30 years to reach
the number of people one person could reach if he or she
witnessed every day, 365 days for one year. The harvest is truly
plentiful but the laborers are few (Luke 10:2). This was not the
case in the early church. "For four hundred years the Christian
church had no great preacher by rhetorical standards. The first
great preacher was Chrysostom. Yet during those centuries,
Christianity conquered the Mediterranean world by the faithful
witness of the common believer" (Warren W. Wiersbe and
Lloyd M. Perry, The Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and
Preachers, Chicago: Moody Press, p. 5).
If Jesus said that the harvest was plentiful and the laborers
were few, where are you? Are you willing to use the remainder
of your life committed to carrying out God's central and primary
command? Are you a person to whom God's will is paramount?
Are you utterly determined to serve God? It has been asked
before. If you do not have the heart of a soul winner, what kind
of heart do you have?
140
Chapter 10
10
Get Started Now
ow is the time to win souls. Each of us needs a starting

place where we can be faithful. Making both a daily and
weekly commitment is a good starting place.
If you are a beginner, make a daily commitment to
participate in soul winning activities for at least 15 minutes.
Depending on your schedule, you may want to commit to a half
hour, an hour or more daily. Obviously, the more time you
spend, the more souls you will touch for the cause of Christ.
Wherever you start, however, you can increase your soul
winning ministry by increasing the time you spend in soul
winning activities. Obviously, since interceding for the lost is
the heart of soul winning, part of our daily time should be spent
in prayer. In fact, interceding for the lost should be the number
one priority. Do this first every day.
In addition to your daily commitment, make a weekly
commitment to share the gospel, including gospel literature,
with at least one person per week. Do not limit yourself to one.
The methods and tools from this book may allow you to do
more, but one is a good starting place. If you are already a
veteran soul winner, you can use the information in this book to
reach more people than you ever have.
The point is, now is the time to embark on the most exciting
and significant life available to you as a Christian. You have
read all the reasons why God wants you to win souls. Everything
is fresh on your mind. Don't put it off.
To help you, I have designed an action plan for
Crowns for the Wise
implementing a soul winning ministry. It is easy to do and will

be invaluable in helping you focus on objectives, and then meet
those goals.
But before I explain this powerful tool, I must stress that an
effective soul winning ministry will not only take a commitment
on your part to pray for the unsaved, to witness to them and to
be willing to lead them to Christ, but it will take a financial
commitment.
Gospel literature is not free, but the cost is small compared
to the value of a lost person's soul. You have read the
testimonies of several people who have come to the Lord as a
result of someone giving them a book or other piece of literature
that touched their hearts. Where would they be if someone had
not invested money as well as time in their lives?
I have determined, much like King David did in the Bible,
that I will not do anything for God that does not cost me
something. In 2 Samuel 24:21-24, David displayed this unselfish
attitude that we are to emulate.
"'Why have you come, my lord?' Araunah asked And
David replied, 'I have come to buy your threshing floor
and to build an altar to the LORD there, so that the
LORD will stop the plague.' 'Take it, my lord, and use it
as you wish,' Araunah said to David 'Here are oxen for
the burnt offering, and
you can use the threshing
tools and ox yokes for
The real measure of a man's
wood to build a fire on the wealth is what he has invested
altar. I will give it all to
in eternity.
you, and may the LORD
your God accept your
sacrifice.' But the king replied to Araunah, 'NO, I
INSIST ON BUYING IT, FOR I CANNOT PRESENT
BURNT OFFERINGS TO THE LORD MY GOD THAT
HAVE COST ME NOTHING.' So David paid him fifty
pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.
David built an altar there to the LORD and offered
142
Get Started Now
burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the LORD

answered his prayer, and the plague was stopped "
(New Living Translation).
I cannot emphasize enough that you must stock up on gospel
literature. Always keep gospel books, leaflets, tracts and
testimony articles on hand. Always give gospel information that
includes explaining the steps to accepting Christ, such as The
Mystery of Eternity, so that they understand clearly how to
become a Christian In order to be an effective witness, you have
to be ready all the time...to follow up with written material, to
give something personally or to drop it in the mail.
All of these activities will be recorded in a notebook.
I cannot present burnt offerings

to the LORD my God that have
cost me nothing.
To get started, purchase a

notebook. Make it a size that's
comfortable to you, one you
can keep accessible in your
briefcase, or with your Bible
so you can review it daily.
Label it "My Soul Winning Ministry." It will become your

action plan and your diary of soul winning. Next, divide the
notebook into sections:
I. Prospects/Personal Contact
A. Family Members
B. Personal Friends: a list of those whom you have an
established relationship with and know very well.
C. Casual Friends: a list of the people to whom you want to
witness through direct, personal relationship. These are
the people with whom you will cultivate a relationship
and friendship. They could include new co-workers, a
parent on your son's baseball team or other members of a
club or organization you attend.
D. Strangers: a list of people you have only met once. They
may be someone you met on a plane, on vacation or at the
doctor's office.
143
Crowns for the Wise
E. Neighbors: a list of the people who live in your

neighborhood or subdivision that you've had the
opportunity to meet.
II. Prospects/Postal Evangelism: a list of the people to whom
you want to witness by mailing gospel literature, such as a
book.
A. Long Distance Family Members
B. Personal Friends: These are your close friends that you
know well, but live further away. You may not see them
as often as those who live in your city.
C. Strangers: These could be some of the same people on
your personal contact list you've met only once.
D. Acquaintances: These include people you know through
your work but do not live near. They could be people you
don't see very often, such as those you see at regional
business meetings or annual conventions.
E. Old Friends: These are people you maybe went to high
school or college with, once worked with, or once lived
near.
Next, make your lists. Your notebook would look something
like the following:
Section 1: PROSPECTS/PERSONAL CONTACT/ Casual
Friends
Name: John Doe
Address: 1XXX Street
City: Fort Worth, 76XXX
Phone: 817-XXX-XXXX
Met at/Date: Marketing Divisional Meeting 3/23/01
144
Get Started Now
How to
Pray
Going
through
divorce.
1st
Contact
3-23-01
Talked at
M.D. mtg.
2nd Follow Up
Action
3-30-01 Lunch
mtg. Talked.
Gave him copy
of "The
Mystery of
Eternity."
3rd Follow Up
Date Saved
Action
4-07-01 Called.
4-15-01
Asked if he had
Prayed at
questions. Wants lunch.
to meet for lunch
again.
Section 2: PROSPECTS/POSTAL EVANGELISM

Name: Jane Doe
Address: XX 7th Avenue, #XXX
City: Chicago 60XXX
Phone: 123-XXX-XXXX
Met at/Date: Chicago Flight 4/26/01
How to
Pray
1st
Contact
Mother
lives in
Dallas &
has
cancer.
Jane is a
CPA in
Chicago.
4-26-01
Talked on
flight
Gave her
"Mystery
of
Eternity."
2nd Follow 3rd Follow

Up Action Up Action
4-27-01
Spent extra
time praying
for her
mother.
5-3-01
Called to
see if she
had
questions
about book.
Said no.
Mother is
worse.
4th Follow
Up Action
Date
Saved
5-5-01
Mailed card.
Encouraged
her about
her mom.
5-30-01
She called!
Talked
about book
& we
prayed.
As your list of "pre-Christian" prospects grows, focus on

five a week. Pray earnestly for those five and listen to the Holy
Spirit as to what your next step should be ... mailing a book,
making a phone call, setting up a lunch meeting.
Obviously, you can modify the format, but the idea is to
145
Crowns for the Wise
have a written plan, a record of activity, a place to jot down

what and how you are praying for them and then a place to
celebrate the victory ... a soul won for the glory of God!
The most important principle to remember is that you cannot
harvest if you do not sow, and if you really want to be a soul
winner then you have to plant seed, plant seed, water, water and
plant some more seed.
As your soul winning ministry matures you will be planting
seeds all of the time everywhere you go. Also, your list will be
growing daily. As you go about your everyday life, you will be
planting seeds with strangers, with business contacts, with your
neighbors, with fellow parents at school meetings and so on.
When you are planting seeds, you must not forget to follow
up. Call them and ask if they have any questions. Check to see if
they are ready to accept Christ.
Also, while you are cultivating, you have to be
simultaneously planting seed into new prospects. So, as you are
following up, cultivating and praying for your five each week,
remember to continue to sow seeds into new people that you will
add to your notebook.
Never stop this cycle just because you haven't harvested
someone you've been witnessing to. Someday you will... or
someone else will. Stay focused on abundantly planting seed and
continue to cultivate...and the harvest will come.
Don't Go at It Alone
There is power in numbers. It was true when you were a
child on the school playground, and it is true in the realm of the
spirit. The power of teaming up with other Christians to
accomplish a goal is unbeatable. Jesus spoke of this power in
Matthew 18:19, "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on
earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them
by My Father in heaven."
So don't go at it alone. Team up with other Christians to
accomplish the Great Commission. If you are currently involved
146
Get Started Now
in a home cell group, then take part of your weekly meeting to

pray for the lost... specifically those on your lists. Ensure that
evangelism is part of your corporate mission... since it is God's
mission and a critical part of a healthy growing church.
Encourage one another and strategize together how to reach
those you are praying for.
Be creative. Perhaps, if you have one to three friends you
regularly meet with for lunch to fellowship and pray, make soul
winning a part of your purpose of gathering together. Or, you
and a friend can even pray over the phone together once a week,
review the progress of the people on your lists and encourage
one another in your soul winning efforts.
These types of corporate strategies encourage you in your
commitment to win souls. They keep you consistent and focused
on your commitment. When you are mutually accountable to
others, it helps you succeed at any objective.
If you are experienced at winning souls, start a prayer cell
group in your church to pray for lost people. Take your meeting
time to pray, but also to teach and train others in how to win
souls. Take people out witnessing with you, so you can literally
show them ideas of how to share their faith. Share your
experiences and impart the vision, the passion and the ability to
express your faith. You might even use this book as a training
tool. Week by week you could go through the chapters, much
like a Bible study, going deeper into the scriptures and
application of the principles.
When experienced soul winners take this initiative, they
spark a fire in their church. A pastor cannot train each and every
member of his congregation, anymore than he can do everything
else in the church himself. It takes church members serving,
teaching and training each other to ensure everyone matures in
their Christian walk and that everyone's needs in a local body are
met. When they do this, the multiplication of reaching more
souls is staggering.
Think about it. You and I as individuals may not be able to
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Crowns for the Wise
lead millions to Christ, but we can become a mentor to many

other believers. We can use the message of this book to train
thousands of believers and facilitate a greater harvest. That was
my motivation for writing this bookto win souls and to inspire
Christians everywhere to do the same. Your teaching others can
facilitate multitudes coming into the kingdom of God.
Couples can even take soul winning on as a mutual
objective. In other words, they can pray together over their lists
and witness together, as well as separately. As they pray, they
will be united spiritually in one accord. That unity will
strengthen their marriage and relationship. There is no better
way to enrich a marriage than to have mutual spiritual objectives
and to achieve them together. What a wonderful way to grow
closer in your relationship to each other and to God.
As you pray for people and then see them come to Christ,
you will be giving birth to heavenly offspring. What a heritage
to create.
And it never ends. When your life is over, and you step into
heaven, the impact and affect of the seeds you planted and the
souls you harvested keeps multiplying for generations to come.
Your influence in the earth keeps on growing and living. The
impact of living a life sowing seeds and witnessing is never
ending. It is as eternal as you are, and you will be rewarded for
all of the souls harvested, long after you are gone.
However you decide to begin, there is no greater honor you
can give God than to win souls. It is His passion and your
mission. As we discussed earlier, our Christian life does not
come fully into focus until we accept the call to be soul winners.
Jesus said, "Freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew
10:8). In order to experience the abundant life of Christ fully,
you must express His gift of eternal life freely to others, by
turning them to Christ. The greatest gift you have received, if
you are a Christian, is the gift of eternal life. Everyone has the
right to this same gift, but how will they know unless someone
tells them? (Romans 10:14-15).
Winning souls is not hard, nor is it an option. When you
148
Get Started Now
love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with your
entire mind, then it is easy to win souls. It is easy to please God.
When you truly understand what it means to love God, and
when you have committed yourself to His primary mission, the
life of Christ inside of you will naturally spill over onto others.
Winning souls will become natural. Just as offspring are the
natural result of a healthy marital relationship, so will new
believers born into the family of God be the natural result of
your love relationship with Him...you cannot help but win
souls...you cannot help but receive crowns for the wise.
149
Crowns for the Wise
Sources of Gospel Literature

New Life Publications
P. O. Box 593684
Orlando, FL 32859
Chick Publications
P. O. Box 662
Chino, CA 91708-0662
909-987-0771
American Tract Society
P. O. Box 482008
Garland, TX 75046-2008
l-800-54-TRACT (548-7228)
www.ATStracts.org
Jews for Jesus
60 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94102-5895
See ad on next page for The Mystery of Eternity.
NOTE: The author worked diligently to give credit for direct
quotes. If we have failed to give credit to someone for an
original thought, it was not our intention.
150
About the Author

Randy Gunnip, Senior Vice President of one of the world's
foremost financial and investment institutions, is a financial
advisor and principal of the Gunnip Group, Fort Worth, Texas.
He is one of a select group of Certified Investment Management
Analysts in the United States, having completed an advanced
training program at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton
College and was certified in 1995 by the Investment
Management Consulting Association. In 1997 and 1998, he
ranked number one in his firm out of over 10,000 financial
advisors in the opening of new large Investment Consulting
Services accounts.
He began his career after receiving his bachelor's degree in
accounting from Texas Christian University in 1969. After
college, he joined the U.S. Navy as an officer and aviator,
ranking first in his pilot training class.
Randy became a Christian in 1975, a decision that charted
the course of his life. In 1988, he began a personal soul-winning
ministry, and in recent years has served as chairman and board
member of an international missionary ministry, and vicechairman of the International Fellowship of Christian
Businessmen.
He has authored several Christian books and articles, as well
as written and published a newsletter for several years. He is a
sought after public speaker by Christian organizations as well as
the investment world.
He and his wife, Grace, have two married sons, Scott and
Matt, and live in Colleyville, Texas.
e-mail: r.gunnip@aol.com

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Crowns for the

"He who wins souls is wise."

Harvest Time Publications

Crowns for the Wise

o successful endeavor is accomplished alone. At every

30 years, his ministry is responsible for millions coming to

here is more to heaven than just getting there. Yet, studies

show that the majority of Christians live as though they

Crowns for the Wise

mission are not expendable. They are valuable. Their

There's More to Life Than

ot long ago I had the privilege of spending the day with

Crowns for the Wise

That's all he said, and he gave the man a tract.

There's More to Life Than Just Living It

Crowns for the Wise

life through us. In essence, the

By committing ourselves power of God is permeating our

There's More to Life Than Just Living It

When we live in such close communion with Jesus,

Crowns for the Wise

ministry, finances and health.

There's More to Life Than Just Living It

honor and glory to God? Could it be that God wants to expand

Crowns for the Wise

There's More to Life Than Just Living It

is telling the church. There is a full reward to be received and

Crowns for the Wise

Jesus' great and mighty gifts

Jesus brought peace, love

There's More to Life Than Just Living It

school...every day, every decision.

Going After Real Rewards

alvation is the greatest gift we will ever receive on this

Crowns for the Wise

saying, "These things I want you to affirm constantly, that those

Going After Real Rewards

My friend Howard Pierson received a tremendous revelation

Crowns for the Wise

Going After Real Rewards

motivational, not fearful. Its purpose is to give us incentive and

Crowns for the Wise

and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached

Our thoughts and motives will be judged (Hebrews

Our words will be judged. Jesus said, "But I tell you

Going After Real Rewards

12:36, New International Version). That which is spoken

Our faithfulness will be judged. God has given each of

Jesus used another allegory, the parable of the laborers in

Crowns for the Wise

gratitude for the costly salvation He gave us. What utter

Going After Real Rewards

not originate with God and will be burned up.

Crowns for the Wise

which result from our intimate relationship with God. Intimacy

We will be confident in our

That which was built

That which stands the

Going After Real Rewards

6:46-49). The foundation of everything we do as Christians must

Crowns for the Wise

Going After Real Rewards

What I learned about salvation came as a direct result of