After reading the article I re-downloaded the app and began to read the posts. What I found was an online world filled with depression, suicide, sexual sin and all sorts of debauchery (don't I sound old using that word).
After reading post after post about students going home and cutting themselves or planning on getting drunk I felt compelled to post something. I posted a whisper that I was a follower of Jesus Christ and was praying for people and would love to pray for them. I posted the whisper to the app and attempted to start something else. Within minutes my phone was blowing up with people asking for prayer: I kept receiving notifications on the app. I would try to start something else but every few seconds my phone would vibrate with another individual asking for prayer.
There are a lot of hurting people in the world.
People kept asking me for prayer. People asked for prayer for sick family members, for the world, help with thoughts of suicide, with addiction to drugs, alcohol and porn, one lady asked if I would buy her a car (she got me confused with the other Pastor who makes lots of money). I would tell people I was praying for them and than I would ask if they had any questions about Christianity. This led to lots of questions: was Moses high when the burning bush talked to him, who wrote the first 5 books of the OT, how do you know there is a God, why do Christians hate homosexuals, lots of questions on sex and how Christians view sex, are there multiple ways to heaven, why evil in the world, how know the Bible is true, do you think there are unicorns and aliens, etc.
One individual seemed genuinely interested in Christianity and we talked for about an hour in the app. After an hour I realized that it was better if we met in person. He asked if he could bring his girlfriend and we agreed to meet at Starbucks. It's always best to meet in a public place when you talk with someone online so that if they are crazy you have witnesses and if they kill you at least you die with a triple Venti peppermint white chocolate mocha.
We met at Starbucks and for about two hours and three re-fills of coffee we talked and examined the claims of Christ. They were fascinated by Jesus, who He was and what He has done. We walked through the Book of John together and talked about Jesus. By the end of the conversation I was feeling a prompting from the Holy Spirit to "draw the net" and ask them if they wanted to receive Jesus Christ as there Lord and Savior. They both replied yes they wanted to become Christian and thought I would never ask. The Holy Spirit had regenerated there heart all I had to do was offer them Jesus and they saw Him as the irresistible treasure that He is.
Right in a comfy chair in the middle of Starbucks they prayed to receive Jesus Christ as there Lord and Savior. What a glorious blessing!
Three Takeaways:
- I am amazed that God used an encounter on Whisper and Starbucks coffee to lead two people to saving faith in Jesus Christ. As Christians we need to be where the people are and shine the light of the Gospel into the darkness. If hurting people are on Whisper we need to be on Whisper, if hurting people are in the hospital we need to be in the hospital, if hurting people are in the bars, strip clubs, casinos, churches, Wal-mart, etc than we as Christians need to be in these places shining the light of the Gospel. I found a dark corner of the internet to shine the light of Christ and two people were saved. Where is there a dark part of the world which needs the light of Christ? Will you take the light of the Gospel to that place?
- When we share our faith with others we can't be afraid to ask people to trust in Jesus Christ. If an evangelism conversation is going well don't hesitate to ask people to trust in Jesus. Give people an opportunity to bow there knee to Christ.
- People are fascinated by Jesus Christ. When I met with the couple in Starbucks they wanted to talk about Jesus. They were fascinated by Jesus. We make evangelism so complicated and try to get people to memorize a "set" formula when in reality all we need to do is sit down with someone open our Bible to Jesus and let Him do all the work. This holiday season if you have family members and loved ones who are not believers... don't fight with them just take a few minutes to talk with them about Jesus. You will be amazed at how receptive they are to hearing and learning about Jesus.
And the master said to the servant, "Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled."-Luke 14:23
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