I’m upstairs, sitting at the computer, wondering what my next sentence will be, when my concentration is interrupted by a sound. “Ding dong! Ding Dong!”
I trot downstairs and open the door. There standing on the front porch are two clean-cut men, wearing white shirts, ties and black slacks, with black name cards over their hearts. They smile, showing their white teeth.
Before they are able to speak, I say, “Where have you been, I’ve been waiting for you, come on in.”
Both of them blink their eyes and look at each other, but they do not budge an inch. “What?” they exclaim in unison.
I smile and nod. “Aren’t you missionaries?” I say, pointing at their name cards. “So, I assume you want to talk about Jesus and pray for me, right? I sure could use some good prayers. Who knows? Maybe, you’re the answer to my prayers.”
“You need prayer?” one of them finally says.
“Yes, come in, and sit down,” I say, pointing toward the sofa. They finally decide to come in and sit next to each other on the sofa. I sit across from them on the loveseat.
Introductions are made all around. One of them, Elder John, gives a quick sales pitch on the Church of the Latter Day Saints. The other, Elder James, nods in agreement as the first speaks.
As soon as there is a break in the conversation, I interrupt. “Hey, tell me your testimonies, okay? I love hearing about the how, when, where and why people decide to give their lives to Jesus and serve their churches.”
This is the Super Bowl and World Series wrapped into one perfect package for them. They eagerly relate their stories. I listen and ask questions because I truly care about them.
Both were born and raised in the Mormon church. Each was a freshman in college and decided to take a two year missionary tour before continuing on with their college education.
When they finish, I ask, “Do you want to hear my testimony?”
And of course, they politely say, “Yes.”
I tell them my testimony. They, too, listen and ask questions.
As our time together nears an end, I say, “Okay, I need your prayers. So, pray for me.”
We hold hands and each offers a general prayer for me. Afterward, I add, “Why don’t I pray for you?” They nod their heads.
Then, I open my mouth, believing the Holy Spirit will fill it with His words. Sometimes, I have powerful words of knowledge for each of them. Sometimes, I have prophecies for them. But no matter what the Holy Spirit gives me, it always encourages them.
And every time, a missionary twosome – whether they are Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses – leaves my home, they invite me to attend their churches. Usually, they say something like this: “You’d fit into our church; everyone will be happy to meet you.”
…I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. (1 Corinthians 9:22)
Larry Who 
Well, you bring the battle to the Holy Spirit to fight and that is good. When Jehovah witnesses come to my door (which is often) I smile and greet them nicely. Before they can start their speech I ask them, “Do you believe that Jesus is God?” They always answer “no”. I then tell them that I am sorry for them because I know he is. If you ask them if Jesus is the Savior, they will say yes. If you ask if Jesus is the only Son of God, they will say yes. What they won’t say yes to is that Jesus is God! Nice people, but they are deceived.
marianne,
I do not disagree that people can be deceived.
But I look at Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons and whosoever as people who need to hear and see the good news of Jesus Christ. I especially use testimonies because of Revelation 12: 11..”and they overcame him (Satan) because of the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony…”
We Christians have made Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons feel like they are martyrs for their faiths because they have been treated so poorly by us Christians. Without thinking, we have forced them to embrace their theologies rather than having their hearts opened up to the love of the Truth.
Usually, it is the “goodness of God which causes them to repent” not our exposing their bad theologies to them.
I especially try to demonstrate the gifts of the Holy Spirit to them because this brings the Kingdom of God to where they are at that moment. And if a person is touched by the Holy Spirit, that is an experience which may change his or her life…if not today, then at sometime in the future.
awesome! good on you larry. i have had a group of lovely JW come and share with me and i share with them. but they have dropped off the last 6 months. yesterday though a new couple, 2 men, dropped by while i was sleeping in. my husband accepted the magazines and said they should come back another time. i smiled and said, yay, an opportunity!
i love how you put it – well how God puts it – that is is the goodness of God that causes them to repent” – it is his goodness and his loving truth – not his rammed down your throats truth – that will draw them near to him.
i had a blessed experience – my first witnessing attempt was a learning curve and i left feeling some doubts and wanting to know the real God, and was prepared to know the truth. we worship Jesus as God, was that right? i was at church and we sung a song about worshipping Jesus, our God, and i prayed and asked God to reveal himself and his truth to me – thinking it would be as i studied more and reseached – right then John 8:58 jumped into my mind and heart – “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” I AM! Jesus is the I AM! sigh. i was happy. satisfied. no doubts. Jesus IS GOD!
JW are lovely people, who sincerely want to know God. pray for the JW that come to your door and share in love.
and larry, keep up the good work!
1 John 3:8b Amplified Version: …The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].
I sincerely believe that when we are sharing the gospel, we need to make Jesus visible to the people. Sometimes we may use scripture. Sometimes the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes prayers for the person’s needs. Sometimes a testimony. Sometimes just being there and not saying anything.
But no matter what we do, we have to bring Jesus into the “now moment” for the person.
I always seek the Lord for the spiritual gifts. Sometimes, they do come; sometimes they don’t. That’s up to the Holy Spirit.
One time, a theology student who was an atheist (think about that one!) said to me, “If you can prove Jesus is alive, I’ll believe.”
We were standing in the middle of a laundromat on a Friday night, both of us were washing our dirty laundry.
I said, “Yes, I can. Right here, right now!”
He laughed. “Then do it!”
I walked over and put my hand on his shoulder and prayed, “Jesus, prove to this young man that you are really alive, right now.”
He became woozy and almost fell down. He looked at me and said, “How’d you do that?”
“I didn’t do anything, except put Jesus on the spot. He either had to prove He was the real deal or not.”
He left, but he said, “I’d like to talk with you some more about this.”
And of course, we never did. But on that day and at that time, Jesus manifested Himself to this person and gave him an experience which he was forced to deal with.