Hi Friends,

I am writing about sharing the gospel.  I received three visions just recently, and wanted to share what God is revealing about evangelism.  God wants us to witness to others and tell them how God has impacted our lives.  We are to be ready to share the gospel whenever there is an opportunity.

The Lord considers this one of our biggest responsibilities so we must be about his business.

The Visions

• First I saw three number tens on a white ground.  The black tens were each surrounded by a rectangular red line.  The tens were on the same plane and were each facing upright, however they were independent of each other.  No two were on the same line or in the same column.

• Then I saw a man standing behind a table speaking with another man.  The man behind the table offered the second man a Bible.  That man received the Bible, held it in both hands, and then immediately returned it.

• Next, I saw a man seated on the ground, Indian style.  Just in front of him, on the ground, were two Chi Rhos, about 10” in height and 6” in width.  They were made of metal, like a finial for a staff.  A Chi Rho is a symbol used to represent Christ.  It is made by taking two Greek letters, chi - X and rho - P, which are the first letters in the word Christ and superimposed one upon the other. The seated man appeared to be speaking to a man that stood in front of him. 

What I believe the visions mean

The Three Tens

The Biblical meaning of the number 10 according to Bible Study. Org is as follows:

“Ten is also viewed as a complete and perfect number, as is 3, 7 and 12. It is made up of 4, the number of the physical creation, and 6, the number of man.   As such, 10 signifies testimony, law, responsibility and the completeness of order.”

“In Genesis 1 we find the phrase “God said” 10 times, which is a testimony of His creative power. God gave the 10 Commandments to man. Ten therefore represents man's responsibility to keep the commandments.  A tithe is a 10th of our earnings and is a testimony of our faith in the Lord.”

“The Passover lamb was selected on day 10 of the 1st month (Exodus 12:3), as was Jesus, the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world (John 12:28 - 29; 1 Corinthians 5:7). Day 10 of the 7th month is also the Holy Day known as the Day of Atonement.”

As I was praying regarding the vision of the three tens, I asked the Lord to show me which of these meanings is closest to his message to me:  Law, Testimony, Responsibility, Completeness of Order.  Then I opened my Bible to the page with a subheading:  “The New Testament Believer’s Responsibility to the Poor and Needy.”  

So I believe that the Lord is having me focus on the idea of Christian Responsibility, and as it relates to Evangelism, for the last two visions concern that topic.

The tens appear in the vision as a group of three.  I looked at Crosswalk.Com to understand the significance of the three tens.  This is what I found:

God says something 3 times: We see God repeating a phrase three times in several places in Scripture. Jesus goes back to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane three times (Matthew 26:4). God calls the prophet Samuel thrice (1 Samuel 3:8). Jesus repeats the phrase “feed my sheep” to Peter three times (John 21:15-17).

Three of the same words: We see several instances of three of the same words in a row. Woe (three of them) are called out by an eagle in revelation, foreshadowing terrible judgment (Revelation 8:13), Jeremiah repeats the word “land” thrice (Jeremiah 22:29), and we hear the triplet of holy in Isaiah (Isaiah 6:3).

I believe that God chose to display the number ten three times as a means of giving emphasis to the importance or significance of the vision.

The three number 10’s were also surrounded by a red line forming a rectangle.   The Biblical meaning of the color red is sin, blood or bloodshed.  It was Jesus’ blood that was shed on the cross for our sins.  

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”  John 19:30

The idea of being “finished,” can also be described as completeness.  Both the 10 and the 3 have completeness as part of their meaning.  

We also see that ten means Law.  God’s law most often refers to the Ten Commandments which the Lord had given to Moses in the wilderness. Regarding the law, Jesus said, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”  Matthew 5:18

So it is our responsibility to know and to keep those commandments. Jesus summarized the law with the following statement: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.   And the second is like it:  Love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:37-40

   Throughout the Bible, God gives us additional commands which we are to take seriously. The commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself,” is very broad in its application, and it encompasses other commandments that appear in the Lord’s teachings.  One important example is found in the gospel of Matthew:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you, a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’  Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”  Matthew 25:31-46

This may seem like a harsh teaching, but to love God is to obey him.  And the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  It is important to understand the Lord’s heart, and to understand his ways.  We get understanding of these things through prayer and through the word of God.  The Lord said, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.”  Hosea 4:6

Another equally important commandment is the command to forgive, for it comes with a warning:  “But if you do not forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:15

There are other very important commandments and teachings, so we need to read and study the word of God and reflect on its meaning for our lives.  As we spend time with him in his presence and read his word, we will grow and  mature as his disciples.  “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.”  Luke 6:40

It should be our goal to become like Christ.  Which is what the label we are given as Christ followers:  Christians.

The Rejected Bible

The second vision reminds us of an important commandment that the Lord gave us just before he ascended into heaven.

The Great Commission

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28: 18-20

So we are commanded to share the gospel with everyone and to make disciples.  The faith that means so much to us, we hope to see created in the hearts of others.

But in the gospel of Luke, the Lord adds a very important command to his last words, and for a very important reason.  “This is what is written: ‘The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’  You are witnesses of these  things.  I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”  Luke 24:46-49

Jesus said that they were to wait in the city until they received what the Father had promised. He knew that to have power to witness, perform miracles and to endure persecution, they needed the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were praying in an upper room in Jerusalem, when suddenly, the sound of a wind came and tongues of fire came to rest on each on every of them, and they began to speak in tongues.  This is what John the Baptist prophesied about the Messiah. “I baptize you with water for repentance.  But after me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  Mark 1:7-8

 With the power and the fire of the Holy Spirit, they were emboldened to speak out and declare that Jesus, the one they had crucified, was indeed Lord and God! Three thousand people became believers that day—and the church was born!

And now that we are in the last days, it is imperative that the church hears the Lord’s voice and walks in the full power of God.  The Church needs the Baptism in the Holy Spirit to fulfill the commands of God.. By seeking the Lord for this greater anointing of his Holy Spirit, we are empowered to witness and preach the good news of the gospel, and to see his kingdom increase.  We must keep in mind two very important words that the Lord shared with us:

“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” Luke 11:23

Also:  “When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth?”  Luke 18:8

Let us be those who will gather souls for the Lord’s kingdom, for when he returns we want the Lord to find us faithful.

Two Men and a Bible

In this vision, one man is offering a Bible to the other.  The man who receives it, holds it for only a second, then returns it to the first man.

This vision demonstrates the rejection of the Bible and all it represents.  Anyone who rejects the Bible, rejects the Lord, and his gift of salvation.  Unfortunately, this happens for a variety of reasons. 

Some do not believe in any god or in an afterlife, so they can not be bothered with the gospel.  I know a woman who says, “I believe in science,” and that is the end of the subject.

However, there are many people who have been raised in the church and are familiar with the teachings of the Lord, but because of an offense, they leave.  Some leave to look for another church and others walk away from church altogether.  Those who have become bitter through offense or hurt, believe that all Christians are hypocrites. They want nothing to do with church.

There are others who do not deliberately choose to walk away from God, but because they refuse to forgive, they become estranged from him.

“If you do not forgive men their sins when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will not forgive your sins.”  Matthew 6:15  

Some people are afraid to surrender their lives to God, and so, they do their best to avoid him.  Some are afraid that God may call them to do something they do not want to do, and others are not ready to give up the pleasures of sin.

Some are not willing to make a commitment to God just as they are not willing to make a commitment to marriage and raise a legitimate family.  They enjoy their freedom to do as they please and fail to recognize the Lord’s sovereignty.

There are also people who were raised in other faiths: Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism among others. Very often these people may lose their families, or have to leave everything behind and flee for safety, if they were to deny their faith and believe in the Lord. For them, this is a great obstacle to overcome.

I have given several Bibles to Jewish friends and clients, and no sooner is it delivered, I find it back in my possession. There are only three Jewish people that have not returned their Bible to me.  I can only hope and pray that they will read its treasures, and be changed forever.

Yet, in spite of fear and resistance to the gospel, we must pray that God will open their eyes to the truth and draw them. “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6

As we remember: “No one who denies the Son has the Father.” 1 John 2:23

It is the Lord’s desire that none would be lost.  He wants all to know him intimately:  “Draw close to God and he will draw close to you.”  James 4:8

And—“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and wonderful things that you do not know.”  Jeremiah 33:3

The Forbidden Chapter 

I would like to share with you a video and a passage of scripture from the book of Isaiah, It is called The Forbidden Chapter because it is a prophecy about the Messiah and clearly reveals that Jesus is the anointed one. The Rabbi’s do their best to hide this from their congregations, for if they were to read it, they would discover that their ancestors were very wrong, and that Jesus (Yeshua) is their Messiah.

I have included the link to this video as well as the passage below. The video is filmed in Jerusalem in Hebrew, with English subtitles.  You will see the faces of these people as they discover that their Messiah is Jesus. It is only ten minutes in length.   “The Forbidden Chapter of the Tanakh”  

Isaiah 53 New International Version

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces; he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away.  Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53

I also have Muslim friends, with whom I have shared the gospel.  Unfortunately they have also rejected the Lord, even though I have spent hours in discussions.  They believe that their scriptures prove that Jesus is not God.  They have believed a lie, for so long, that they do not want to believe that Mohammed was speaking  under the influence of an “angel of light.”

The devil appears as an angel of light.  “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”  2 Corinthians 11:14

My friends value my prayers, but not my faith.  Someday, I believe that the Lord will change  their hearts.  “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  And I will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:44

Through prayer, we can ask the Lord to draw these people to Jesus. 

I know that there are many testimonies of the Lord appearing to Muslims in dreams and in visions.  I had at one time a great collection of testimonies on a DVD, of men who came to know the Lord as a result of a divine visitation.  

I would like to share one of these testimonies with you as I remember the story.  

There was a young scholar of Islamic Studies who was asked by a leader in the mosque to research the Bible, and find any evidence that would prove that Jesus was only a man and that Islam was the true faith.  The leaders wanted to hire him to write a convincing argument against the Christian faith.  

The young man, who was a strong Muslim believer, did not want to accept the project at first, because he felt that it was wrong to study something that he considered blasphemy.  But with pressure and monetary reward, he agreed.  This young man spent time reading, studying and contemplating the Word of God.  Several times the man came to his house to ask about his progress, but the young man would tell him that he had not found anything so far, but needed to study further. 

Over time he began to doubt his own beliefs.  He began to wrestle with the thought--- Is Jesus the Jewish Messiah?  Both dread and doubt came upon him, for was uncertain what he was to believe.  His mind and emotions were in great turmoil when the man who had hired him came to visit.  He began to share with the man that the things he was hoping to find to disprove the deity of the Lord, he simply could not find.  And that there is much more evidence that the Bible was true.  

The man who had hired him became enraged and began to beat the young man with his cane.  The young man yelled at the old man while being beaten that it was not his fault, it was the older man that gave him the Bible and insisted that he read and study it.  

After the older man left the young man sat on the floor with his back to the wall.  Suddenly, Jesus appeared to him and spoke to him.  All doubt vanished—-Jesus was God!  

The Chi Rho

In this vision two Chi Rho symbols made as metal finials (a capital to a staff) are lying on the ground in front of the seated man.  The Chi Rho was the symbol that Constantine saw in a vision when heard these words: “Conquer with this.”  The Chi Rho represents Christ, for the Chi (X) and Rho (P) are the first letters in the Greek word for messiah “Christ.”

If you want to see more on the topic of Constantine and the Chi Rho this is a great site: Early Church History 

The man seated on the ground is speaking with a man who is standing.  I believe he is answering the question, “What do these symbols mean?”  

I believe that the man sitting on the ground represents the idea of humility, for he does not stand up in the other’s presence but remains seated.  There are two Chi Rhos on the ground suggesting  that one is to give away and one is to keep.  This is what evangelism is all about.  Sharing our faith with others.  

Referring to the first vision of tens, we remember that one of the definitions of ten is testimony.  In this vision, the seated man is sharing the meaning of the Chi Rho, and sharing his own testimony of what the Lord has done for him and how his life has been impacted by the Lord.  

“But in your heart revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect.”  1 Peter 3:15

The one thing that I have seen regarding evangelism is that in the two visions, there is a difference in sharing techniques:  

In the first vision, a man is standing behind a table, (a barrier), and “selling” his idea to a man who comes to the table.  The man holds the book and then gives it back.

In the second vision, the man is seated on the ground, (a posture of humility) he is not selling anything, but he is simply sitting making himself available.  The two symbols catch someone’s attention, and he gives a response to the question asked.

We are told in the Bible to preach the word of God to all.  But if there is no interest, we merely go on.  These are the Lord’s instructions:

“Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.  These were his instructions: ‘Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.  Wear sandals but not a second tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.  And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”  Mark 6:7-11

We know even by the testimony of the disciples, that there was spiritual power that came as they shared the gospel.  Signs, miracles, healing and manifestations of the Holy Spirit come readily with the preaching of the Gospel.  

The disciples came back excited after being sent out to preach the gospel.  “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’”

He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’”   Luke 10:17-20

It has been God’s design that the gospel’s message is confirmed by these signs.  Even Paul explained why God’s power manifested with the preaching of the gospel is so important.

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power.”  1 Corinthians 2:4-5

Summary

• The Lord wants us to know what are our Christian responsibilities: to forgive those who offend us, to take care of the poor and needy, to visit the sick and those in prison, to keep the Ten Commandments, to share the gospel with everyone, to not allow things in our live to become more important than God.  And to love him with all our heart, our soul, and our mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

• The Lord would have us share the Gospel with friends, family co-workers, and those of other faiths—basically, everyone.  He wants us to be empowered with the Holy Spirit through the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, so that we can do the things that God has prepared in advance for us to do.  “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.  Freely you have received; freely give.”  Matthew 10:8

• Share the gospel in humility.  “Honor Christ as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”  1 Peter 3:15

God bless you all.  And please share this with those who you know will be blessed!