Sharing Our Faith — Edgar Reich

Good morning Saints. It's a joy and an honor to be with you and to share with you that wonderful Lord Jesus Christ Who is our Lord? Hallelujah, and I praise God that I had the chance to see you because your faith and Your love for the Lord has gone before you.

I heard so much through brother Brian about your great faith about your great joy about your great commitment. And so it's such a wonderful privilege for me to be here with you, and I want to thank the elders Brother Sam brother JP brother Daniel brother Levy and all of you Saints.

I thank you so much for giving me the chance to be with you. Before I speak I would just like to ask Brother Sam. I'm staying at his home. And so I am under his headship, and I would just like to ask him to come and pray for me.

Father God we humble ourselves father God on your mighty hand this morning Lord. Cry that is in my heart and on our hearts this morning is feed me Lord. Lord we want this living bread that comes from heaven Lord.

Nothing else will suffice nothing from men, but all from you Lord. So I pray for your servant here for brother Edgar father God. I'm so honored to have met him father God and to be with him and have fellowship with him father God.

So I just want to bring him before the throne of mercy and grace father God and pray That you'll fill him with your Holy Spirit Lord. Yes touch his lips father those burning coals father God. Touch his lips father God sanctify his lips father God inspire his mind and heart father God.

Father God Let this message that he preaches this morning Lord be anointed Lord. And so it can sing deep in their hearts father God. Oh father Can I pray for for the church here father God for every single one even from the youngest to the oldest here father God?

I pray father God that our hearts will be prepared father God will invite your word in father God and we pray that this world word will become a reality. And will bear fruit father God for your own glory in the name of Jesus.

I want to pray and I give you thanks. Amen. Amen.

Following Jesus as Fishers of Men

Thank you so much brother. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for your kindness. The message today is a revival in sharing our faith and the scripture comes from Matthew chapter 4 verse 19 and we talked about that great light that came in the darkness and Then that light went away and left other lights and the other lights went and changed this world.

They turned the world upside down. These are other lights and we want to be like these other lights that turn the world Upside down. And so in Matthew chapter 4 verse 19. Then he said to them that is Jesus.

Then he said to them follow me. Follow me and I will make you fishers of men and All of you are following Jesus, aren't you? All of you are following Jesus. But there's something missing. There's something missing for many of you.

Because you're following him and you're not fishing for men. So the question is what has happened in our lives, why is it that so many 95 of Christians will never bring another Christian another person to the Lord Jesus Christ.

They will die without having a single fruit of another person. Coming to the Lord. Why is that what has happened? And so when I discovered in my own life that I wasn't witnessing and sharing The way I should I went on a journey to find out.

What is it? That's stopping me. What is it that's holding me back? And of course, there's pride. There's there's fear of man. There's so many reasons why this happens. And so I asked myself. What is the true?

True Mark of a revival. It is the awakening of the church. It is to do what Christ has called us to do and so when I follow Jesus I ought to be a Fisher of men and so I looked at the church in Iran and in the church in Iran many people become martyrs and there is a Very evil prison called the Evian prison and I heard a story from that prison they were many Christians in prison there and the guard the leader of the guards came to the Christians and said to them now I Want to let you go and I will let you go.

But you must promise that you will never share Christ again. And in those prisons there was torture. There was rape. There were broken bones. And so the Christians got together and they prayed and they discussed this offer.

Yes, we can go free. But we will never share Christ again. And so they got together and they prayed and then they cried out and they said how can we do that? We have life. We have eternity in our hands and our heart in our minds we can share that great salvation.

How can we not share that because those that were not here they must go into Eternity of hell and so they decided and the leader of those Christians went back to the guard and he said to him Thank you very much for offering us Freedom.

But our freedom is in a person called Jesus Christ the Son of God. And so we cannot promise what you ask us to do. Because we have life eternal in us and we will give it to others. Where do these Iranians get their strength from.

The Holy Spirit's Empowerment and the Need for Faith

And I know you always pray and you pray for the Holy Spirit and you quote Luke chapter 11 verse 13. How much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask? Praise God and see you're asking.

And let me tell you something. You are filled. But you don't believe it. You're filled. You've asked God he cannot lie. God cannot lie. Okay, that's what scripture says first Titus 2 God cannot lie. He said I'll give you the Holy Spirit if you ask.

So if God cannot lie, then you have it, right? So this is what happened to me. I was walking. I was walking through through a garden and The leaves were rustling and the sun was shining and I was angry at God.

Okay I was walking and I was saying now Lord I've asked you to cleanse me and I believe you have cleansed me. You see we got to be clean to be filled. We cannot be filled if there is anger unforgiveness and all kinds of stuff in us.

We cannot be filled completely. So in order to be filled I Must be clean first. So I always quote first John 119 if we confess our sins He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness and he will do it because he cannot lie.

But then the second step and I did the second step and I said now Lord, please fill me. Please fill me. You promised you promised Please fill me. And so I was walking in the garden and I said now Lord I've done this.

But I'm not witnessing. I'm not opening up my mouth, and I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't know what's wrong. I don't know what's wrong Lord and I kept on walking and there was nothing for about 10 minutes or so and Then a still small voice came and the still small voice said the two problems.

You don't believe that I have filled you. And you don't open your mouth. Two things. If we want to experience God We got to believe by faith. Brother Brian told you that beautiful story last night about that Eagle sitting on the cliff.

And he stretched out his wings. And then he got lifted by faith. You're filled if you pray this way you're filled you're filled and then you can open up your mouth with his help and Speak words of life to others speak to others and give them that wonderful truth.

That is with you because you see the church dies the Western Church dies. It's dying right now in America. Our sister who gave us the beautiful Candle example she talked during the week about this increase of apostasy in America to many hundred percent degrees now.

Atheism is the number one area in America. They still say they have 70 or 80 percent Christians, but only 20 percent go to church only 20 percent of Let's say 400 million American. That's 80 million. There's 320 million going to hell.

I understand in Australia eight percent. Go to church. Something like that 1 .8 million or so and you have about 23 24 million. The others are on their way to hell. They have no hope without you they have no future without the gospel and It's up to you and to me to do what we cannot do ourselves.

Because to be lifted with with wings of eagles, we've got to have faith. Trust in God and then do open up your mouth and see what happens. Praise God and so we know that God can do mighty and wonderful things.

Testimonies of Witnessing and Divine Appointments

Just let me give you an example of that from the Chinese Church and They still have 25 ,000 new believers every day. Not every week not every month every day 25 ,000 new believers and what they do is they they the new believers.

Get a three-day training in some of the basic Doctrines of the church and then after that they're told now you go out you go out to your family. You go to neighbors you go from door to door you knock on the door.

When the door opens you say I'm a Christian and I'd like to pray for any need in your house. Is there anyone sick? Can I pray for the sick and as they do that about 80 of a hundred million Chinese have experienced miracles and The miracles have brought the people to come to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and so they follow the Lord as Jesus said if you follow me I Will make you fishers of man so beloved.

We cannot stop following Jesus because there's a task that appears difficult we cannot stop following Jesus if there's something that appears to be hard to Do and so a Chinese Christian if you meet a Chinese Christian that is totally committed.

Then number one that person only wants to talk about Jesus. This Chinese Christian will embarrass you. Sharing Jesus with other people around you if you don't want to listen, okay. Now this Chinese Christian accepts that not everyone will love him.

This Chinese Christian is ready to die for Jesus. This Chinese Christian is willing to run when the police comes. Because he says I'm gonna shake off my dust here and I'm gonna go on. I'm gonna find a place where to give Christ.

Praise God and then in the book of Acts, we know of course that they were people that turned the world upside down and So I had walked through this garden. I Had walked through this garden and as I walked through the garden The spirit said the problem is you don't believe and you don't open up your mouth so another day I walked through the same garden and I had tracks in my pocket and Tracks here and There was a man a well-dressed 45 year old man sitting on a bench.

He was smiling a little bit and I said well that man seems to be well. He's okay. I don't need to go and talk to him so I walked by and the spirit said in a still small voice turn around and Offer him a tract.

Okay, and so I turned around and I went to this man. And I said sir, I don't want to disturb you. But I just wanted to let you know that God loves you. It's a beautiful day and God loves you. Incredibly.

There is a future in the hope and Through the Lord Jesus Christ. We can be right with God. We can have a new and wonderful life. This man is looking at me. His eyes are opening up white tears are bursting into his eyes running down his face.

And he says to me who sent you. Who sent you. And I said, I think God sent me to you. He said how we how is that possible? How is that possible? I'm sitting here I'm trying the best way to commit suicide.

I Have no future and I have no hope. When God is on our side He will help us to witness. Okay, he will show us the way He will guide us to what we need to do. So I was sitting on the plane traveling and next to me said a Catholic woman and she was praying through her rosary and I was praying next to her Lord cleanse me.

Because sometimes thoughts come that are not from God sometimes I don't love the way I should. So I said Lord cleanse me Lord fill me anew Lord give me the words Lord help me to open up my mouth and so she was praying and I was praying that I might be able to reach out to her and so She ended her rosary and she looked up and I looked at her and it's always good to start a conversation With a compliment okay, and so I Said to her it's an honor to sit next to a woman of faith and She smiled at me and then I said to her and that was right from the Holy Spirit.

Because I I didn't know what I was saying, you know I said to her may I ask what you were praying for and she said oh, yeah, I was praying that Excuse me. I was praying that God would send Thank you so much.

Thank you so much, brother. Thank you that God would put an angel next to me and she said are you an angel? And I said no. No, I'm not an angel. I'm just a sinner saved by grace, you know. And then the next question came and I said to her may I ask you in accordance to your faith?

How could I make it to heaven and she said I'm so glad you asked I want to tell you and she said to me if you do some really good things. If you do good things, you will make it to heaven. And so I said to her and I looked at her and I said is that what the Bible says?

And she said I don't know what the Bible says. I Said to her would it be alright if I shared with you what the Bible said and She said it's okay share with me. And so I shared with her Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 and there it 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 any man should boast. Now Beloved the Lord did this and so I shared with her that through good works I couldn't make it to heaven. I would do good works afterwards.

But in order to make it to heaven, I needed the Lord Jesus Christ. And so she leaned forward to her purse Which was in front of her legs and she pulled out a tract From her purse, okay, and she pointed it to me and she said now someone gave me this tract and This tract says the same thing you do Praise God.

So, do you think that was a divine appointment from the Lord. Amen, and so as we shared and by the time she got off that plane She said to me From now on I will believe that Jesus is the way and no longer my works Praise God and the Lord did that I simply did what I was Supposed to do now you say to me.

Ordinary Christians Are Called to Proclaim Christ

Well, God has called you for ministry. You can do more things than I can. Is that true? That's a lie from the devil, okay. Whom did Jesus choose to change the world? Did he go to? Universities to pick the best minds.

Did he go to seminary to pick the brightest people? I think he picked up some people some were Along a lake. Okay, they were fishing. Okay, they hadn't gone to school because in Acts 4 13 their Educated people said about Peter and John now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men they marveled.

And they realized that they had been with Jesus. So beloved each one of you you you you you you you you you me. We can With his help, but we need higher help. Okay, we can't do it without lifting up our wings and being ready and Having the faith that God Through his power through his mighty power will do through us that which we cannot do because Jesus came into the world to seek and save that which is lost and Yes, it's great to have faith.

Yes. It's great to glorify God. Yes, an act of worship is wonderful. But the act of worship God includes includes reaching men and women for Christ. Amen, and so did ordinary Christians actually share Christ because We wonder about that is that in Scripture and we find that in Acts chapter 8 verses 1 to 4.

And I'll only read the fourth verse but in the first verse it tells you that great persecution started and as that great persecution started people were scattered but the Apostles stayed in town. They didn't leave Jerusalem but those that were scattered they were scattered into Judea and neighboring Samaria and Then in Acts chapter 8 verse 4, it says therefore those who were scattered that's the ordinary Christians you and I went everywhere and There's a word used that Again, we ascribe only to preachers, but there it says and they went everywhere.

Preaching preaching the Word of God ordinary Christians like you and me. With higher help we can do it beloved with believing with being clean even if you fall. You got to repent you fall down repent.

Because God will forgive you if you truly repent and then ask him to fill you anew and then do what you're called to do. Do it just do it so There are other examples that we can of course give you and in 1st Corinthians chapter 1 verses 26 and 27 It even talks about a calling there.

You mean God is saying you're called. Are you called? First Corinthians 1 26 to 27 for you see you're calling brethren and sisters that Not many noble are called but God has chosen the foolish things in the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty and So God wants to empower you.

He wants you to act in faith. You can't do it on your own and So I had to give up on that old flesh. Because that old flesh is in the way then another thing happened a fellow brother of mine brother Silas Called me from New York and he said we're going to have an outreach in New York for two months and will you come and Street witness and street preach and I said I'm called for revival.

Let me pray about it and to my surprise. God said absolutely you must go and so I Thought maybe maybe this reaching people is just a ministry that has a branch. Beloved that's a lie from the devil. Yes.

There is a matter of evangelism. And some have even a greater gift than you or I okay. They have a specific calling for that area, but to share our faith. To share our faith is a responsibility of every Christian.

The Spirit Empowers Witnesses to the Ends of the Earth

There's no exception and then in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 It says but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem in Brisbane in Melbourne and in Judea Queensland and in Samaria your neighboring states and to the end of the earth.

So when I was called for New York, I really Initially didn't want to go but then I went and the streets of New York are very very hard we were near ground zero where the buildings have been destroyed and we were giving out tracks and the Traffic there is just a continuous stream of people.

So I went out there and the first day when I was on the street People were cursing me. Just just handing out tracks to them. You know, just just handing out tracks and they were cursing me and then The police came and the police didn't treat me kindly.

They treated me like a terrorist. Move there you're in the way here. Go over there. Go over there. Don't stand here you're you're you're Obstructing people don't do that. And So, you know, I hadn't been used to this kind of treatment.

From where I came from and I used to be driven in limousines. I used to live in castles. And you see their God was killing my pride. Okay Their God Started to break me to understand what it means to be a Christian.

Their God started to break me to understand what humility is and So anyhow after that day, I prayed and I said Lord, I can't go back out there. The people don't want me. They don't want you. They don't want me so God started to work on my heart that weekend and and said you got to go back out there and I said Lord I don't think I really love people.

You know, I I can't deal with it. So I'm not sure if I made for this Lord. Okay, and But the Lord convicted me to go out there and I said now Lord if you want me to go back out there. Then I would ask you to break my heart so that I can love people a little bit better that I can love and so I Went out and I was giving out tracks and all of a sudden all sound disappeared.

I couldn't hear any more sound and then I saw the people walking towards me in slow motion. There were 45 ,000 people rushing to the train station there and crowds of people were coming towards me but without sound and Walking very slowly and I could read their minds and one was thinking about money what to do with this bang.

How to take care of that. Another was looking forward to be with his family and his children. Another was looking forward to playing golf. Another was looking forward to a TV program. Another had other things in mind besides God no one had anything in their mind for God and Then I realized I was looking at the walking dead.

The walking dead and as that thought came to my mind all of them have to go to an eternity of hell. Who's gonna tell them? Who will have mercy on their souls who will reach out to them who will touch their lives?

And As I looked at these walking deads as they thought not of God God whispered into my ear Yes. And my heart started to break on the inside and Tears were coming from my heart going into my body and then tears started in my eyes Running down my face and here was an old man standing in the middle of a crowd and no one noticed with tears streaming down my face.

For people that are lost and then God whispered into my ear and he said their blood Will I require from your hand if you don't tell them? Their blood will I require from your hand if you don't tell them.

Sharing the Gospel Across Religious and Cultural Barriers

So beloved we have so many things that that affect our life the fears the opposition that we have and so we Often give up to do what we ought to do, but we can do impossible things with higher help. And so I had three young Muslim guys tall guys big strong guys from the Middle East and I had a chance to share my testimony with them and As I shared my testimony, they were moved by the Holy Spirit but then they came to me and they said we're going to university here and We want to hear more from you.

Can we spend a day with you? And I was a little hesitant. But I said yes, but then I had to pray and I prayed and I prayed and I was a little worried. You know what might happen were they angry or were they not angry?

What might happen. And Even as I prayed The Lord said in prayer, this is the help he gave you concentrate only on what is truth and You concentrate only on were there witnesses and so that's what I did.

I met the next day with him. Only two came. Only one stayed for a long period of time and I shared all day. What what is truth and were there witnesses and perhaps just to give you an example of that I shared from the life of Christ and Christ had given examples of himself and I said now truth is that God opened up heaven and spoke by a voice from heaven and He said that the man that was in the river Jordan was his son and that is truth.

And there were witnesses and these Muslims would not argue with me and I couldn't understand why they didn't argue with me. You know, I had expected to get all kinds of arguments and at the end of the day I asked the one remaining one.

What happened? You didn't say a word all day long. You let me share and share and share and he said to me, you know. You only stayed with truth and witnesses and the three of us prayed to Allah this morning and Allah Told us to listen to you and only listen to what our truth and witnesses.

So God had intervened. God will help you. God will do mighty and wonderful things. And Brother JP, could we please pass out the the card and I want to thank Thank sister Serena sister Serena. Put these cards together for you into plastic so you can have them because they will Contain the four steps that I talked about.

The first step is pray for cleansing first John 1 9 then pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit and The third step is to believe that God will help you and I've given you a passage there from Matthew chapter 10 verses 19 to 20 Matthew chapter 10 19 to 20 Matthew chapter 10 19 to 20 and in Matthew chapter 19 and 20 It says but when they deliver you up do not worry about how or what you should speak.

For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak. It will be given to you in that hour. So I I was in Brooklyn and I was witnessing on the streets and I looked at the side street. And there was a gang there and the way, you know.

It's a gang all the young men are lined up against the wall. The leader has a special place and you know, it's a gang they have guns. They have knives and the Holy Spirit said go on over and talk to them.

So I knew I had higher help and I went over to this gang leader and I said to him would it be? All right. Would it be? All right, if if if I spoke to you. However, I am a Christian. He said no, it's okay.

You can talk to me. So I shared the whole gospel with him. I shared about Christ. I shared about eternal life that Christ died that he would forgive anything that we have ever done if we would follow him and I got through what I was saying and then the gang leader said to me.

I haven't got a clue what you're talking about. I haven't got a clue and Right there my prayers my prayer before I went there was Lord cleanse me Lord fill me anew Lord give me the words help me to open up my mouth and So in the third part my cry went up to the Lord Lord.

What do I do? What do I do and the Lord said court? Just the one word court. And I said to this man to this gang leader. Have you been to court? And he said yeah, I've been to court and I said well, is there a judge there?

Yeah, there's a judge. Is there a crown attorney that accuses you? Yeah, there is and then I said is there someone that defends you and he said yeah there is but they're no good. They never do anything for me.

And I said, can I tell you my story. I said I'm I'm a bad man, too I've done many many things wrong, you know one day. I'm gonna stand before this court in heaven before God and the crown attorney is going to be Satan because he accuses the brethren and Satan is gonna say this man has sinned and all who have sinned must die.

That's what you said God. So you declare the death penalty on him and The man said yeah, that's what I understand. Yeah, and I said, but I have a defender. I Have a defender. I have a lawyer and the lawyer is so good That he will not only defend me but he will pay my price.

He has taken the death penalty for me and his name is Jesus and Jesus says to the crown attorney you stopped short in what you said. Because that verse goes on and says but the gift of God is eternal life.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord and this gang leader said now I understand. Now I understand. Give me the tracks. I will think about it. I will I will think about it and he wanted tracks for his man and that was a miracle.

Being Ready With a Personal Testimony

Okay, and so God will help you. God will help you to follow him and so have your testimonies ready. There's another verse on there. It says first Peter 3 15 and in first Peter 3 15 it says be ye ready.

Be ye ready. Most Christians feel that everything is going to fall into your lap. That's not true as a Christian and Second Timothy 2 says you got to work like a soldier. You got to work like a farmer.

You got to do your stuff. Okay. Don't blame God if you don't witness but you got to write out your own testimony on a sheet of paper. Not more than three minutes. Okay, you share your testimony and what I say is, you know God saved me.

I did many evil things in my life. I left my wife. I left my children. I should be in hell today. But then there was that day when Jesus saved me. And he came into my life and he showed me that through my believing in him I could have eternal life and when I did that my life changed and now there's proof and and these.

Or there was another man there was a professor and someone of Sharia law and a Muslim cleric and He wanted to know from me. How can I know that you have changed? Because you're all liars. You see you Christians and you don't live the life and.

So, how can I know you're telling me the truth? And so I shared with him how I asked for forgiveness from my wife how I asked for forgiveness from my girls how I Gave forgiveness for the people that had sexually misused me.

And he looked at me and he said I understand and that that cleric said to me I'm afraid I'm afraid what will happen to me. I cannot follow your faith, but he said. But he said to me I Want you to go to such-and-such a city and there are three of my families there.

Will you go and share Christ? With my three families and I did this that was a miracle. Okay, that was an absolute miracle and God did that God does all of these wonderful and incredible things so beloved what can I tell you have your testimony ready and then There was another testimony at an airport and a man was sitting just over here to the right of me and He looked at me I looked at him and we smiled and he came over and he said to me.

What are you doing in this country? I was in Kenya Africa and I shared with him that I was working with a hundred and eighty-one children and so he said to me so you're something like Like a Christian and I said, yes, I'm something like a Christian, you know, and I said, what do you believe?

He said I'm Buddhist and I said so you believe in nirvana you believe to be good and he said yeah. That's what I believe, you know, and then he said to me. What do you believe in your Christian faith?

Look how God leads, okay. Look how God leads and so I was able to share with him the whole chapter of John chapter 3. But then at the end he got angry at me and he started shouting and he said but you cannot prove that your God is real.

You've got a big problem. And so I said to him actually I don't. Because you see also in science There are people that truly believe that there is a God and I shared with him about dr. Francis Collins dr. Francis Collins had Combined DNA the sequencing of DNA with all Laboratories all over the world and they came up with three point one 1 ,000 ,000 ,000 DNA cells four-letter DNA cells that had to be in sequence For you to for you and I to live if some are missing then there is sickness if too many are missing.

We cannot live and so I shared this with him and I said I do believe That God is calling you to become a Christian and he looked at me and he smiled and he said well Maybe that is my destiny. Because you see I am a Chinese Scientist and I spliced genes I spliced DNA and I know all about Dr. Francis Collins.

I had read that book beloved. Okay, so God may use with you. Which everything that that comes into your? Life now, there's also another step where we can go Further and our time is coming to an end rapidly.

A Daily Commitment to Reach the Lost

You've been here a long time and very patient but Just let me share that that I have the passion that I must speak with someone every day either getting a tract getting a tract or Or Hearing from the Lord about me and if I don't do that Then I feel that I have not lived the life that I should be living every day and so the other day we were coming back at night from one of the prayer meetings and we ended up in traffic with a lot of traffic on the road and there were some people with their hats with their.

They were guiding the traffic and they were all wearing safety helmets and safety jackets and things like that. And so I asked two young sisters in my car. What do I do? What do I call them and they said well when you talk to them you call the mate, okay?

So we open up the window and I took a tract and I handed over The tract and I said now mate. I want you to go to heaven. The problem was the mate had long hair and was a woman, okay. So beloved I've given you the way to overcome the hurdles of unbelief.

Because God is on your side. What is stopping you is the old self and unbelief and So you must repent from that. You must turn from that and you must turn to God because he will help you to do that. But you cannot do yourself.