What does it take to be evangelistic? From where does the drive come to share the good news of Jesus Christ with our family, friends or neighbors? It seems to me that this is a most challenging struggle for Christians all over the world. This challenge comes to us from many different directions. For some it is simply the fear factor. For others it is not knowing what to teach or how to begin. For others still it is not knowing where to go or who to teach. These complications are the same regardless of where you live. Christians the world over have struggled with sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. In the past two weeks, I have spent evenings in the villages of Sanda Te and Po Wayi teaching seminars on evangelism. While the individual struggles are unique in each place, the basic struggle is the same. Having the courage and strength to go. Isn't it amazing that one of the clearest commands in scripture is also one of the hardest for us to obey. That's right, obey. There is only one correct response to the command that Jesus gives during his last moment here on earth and that is to obey. In Acts 1:8 he tells his disciples to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and to all parts of the world and that they will receive power from the Holy Spirit to accomplish this great task. For the Christians in Sanda Te and Po Wayi this was a needed reminder. The one and only place that they will find courage and strength to do the command of God is through the Spirit of God that lives in each one of them. In Luke 24:45-49 Jesus again tells his disciple to be witnesses to the world about all the wonders they had seen him perform and the sacrifice that he gave for all who believe. He tells them that they will receive power from on high when they receive the promise of the Father. What is that promise? The promise is the Holy Spirit. In John 7:37-39 Jesus stood up and said that if we are thirsty we should come to Him and drink. If we do drink, we will have rivers of living water flow from within us. Then we are informed that the abundance of life he is refering to is actually his Spirit welling up within us and pouring out of us. I believe, and I shared this with the Christians in Sanda Te and Po Wayi, that we are slow to obey the command of Jesus because we view the work as our own and see that we must have what it takes to get it done. What a lie that is from our enemy! Jesus himself tells us in Matthew 28:20 that he is going with us! We are not alone and he is pouring himself into us in the form of his Spirit so that we are filled to overflowing and can therefore pour ourselves into the lives of those we come in contact with. When we obey and go the power of God goes before us and it works through us to share the Word of God and touch lives. We do not do this work! God does it through us and he will not fail. Will we alway see the results? No. However, God promises us in Isaiah that when we put ourselves out there in service to him there will always be results somewhere along the way. The work we do never returns empty. We must have faith! We must have courage! And we must obey! Please pray for the Christians in Sanda Te and Po Wayi that they will put their faith in God and have courage to obey the call of God to share His word with the people around them. And may we have that faith and courage as well.