MAN’S GREATEST OPPORTUNITY
BY CAPTAIN RON KNOTT

Euless, Texas
Renown Bible Teacher and Soul Winner

The New York lottery paid $25,00O,OOO to the lucky winner. Millions have been made by investors in the stock market. A gold mine owner made more than one billion dollars last year. These are great returns on an investment. However, God has a plan that pays a greater return on a much smaller investment. That is the investment of your time and effort in the joy of winning a soul for His Kingdom. Yes friend, you can accumulate more wealth than you can calculate by investing in souls. Win one soul and your eternal financial statement will be greater than the value of the whole world.

God wants to give us many of these high appraise items! You can have as many as you want; there is no limit. Souls are not an endangered species, they are all-round us. We only have to make the effort to go after them. A degree or title is not required to enter into this worthy calling. Bishops, Pastors, Evangelist and Laymen all have equal opportunity in this venture. In fact, no one of the Christian persuasion is exempt, or excused from this divine order. All, both small and great, are commanded to obey this directive found in God’s Word.

Jesus reported that, “….there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” I do not know of another passage in the Bible where mankind can get the angels in Heaven
dancing around except that of leading one sinner to repentance. No sermon, no amount of giving, nor any other act can get as much notice in heaven!

We also read in Luke of others who yearn for us to witness. Remember the story of the rich man going to hell. He said, “I am tormented in this flame.” He asked for a drop of water to cool his tongue. His request for water was denied. What was his next request? He said, ” . . .1 beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.” Daily we read of such men dying. I am sure that their plea is similar to the rich man’s. We must reach them before it’s too late. Not only does God and His angels want us to witness to the lost, but the residents of hell are crying out for someone to witness to their lost families and friends before it’s too
late. What an awesome responsibility we have.

God could have used powers and principalities to witness, but He gave man this great opportunity and responsibility. Have you ever noticed, Jesus never gave the full plan of salvation to anyone during His earthly ministry? He confused poor Nicodemus about the water and Spirit birth. An angel could have told the Ethiopian Eunuch how to be saved, but Phillip was directed to attend to this need, and carry the
message to the desert. Phillip will get credit for the many nations the Ethiopian spread this soul saving message to! Man telling man how to be saved is the greatest deal around. Paul (Saul), on the road to Damascus was knocked down by bright lights from Heaven. God got his attention! Yet, he was directed to talk to a man about God’s plan for his salvation.

Brother Ananias was given the privilege of telling the plan of salvation to Paul. Think about his down line credit for this Network sponsorship of the greatest soul winner ever. Cornelius was given several visual signs and Peter was given a type of video presentation just to get these two men together. God again allowed man to tell man the saving plan for souls. God loved the disciples of John so much that He sent Brother Paul their way with just two simple questions. “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? . . . what then were ye baptized?” These two uncomplicated questions, by man, were all that was required to complete their salvation. We encounter men daily who have not been asked the two simple questions that Paul inquired about. Please notice; Paul did not take anything away from their Christian experience, he just added to what they had.

The essential ingredient in any type of witnessing situation is the simple prayer for God to lead you to a “hungry soul.” Ask Him for a “hungry soul” who is wanting to learn more about Him. Although this
might be only a small whisper of a prayer in your thoughts, it will be heard loud and clear in Heaven! This prayer will be amplified throughout Heaven louder than any selfish prayer we might pray. This simple prayer gets God’s attention. I know, because I have prayed it often, under my breath, not expecting an answer. Nevertheless, within a short time someone would cross my conversation with something about God, or the church, or the current world predicament. This would give me an opportunity to throw out the bait for a Bible study. I can almost hear God saying, “You asked for a hungry soul and I sent you one, now what are you going to do?” This uncomplicated, simple prayer is the way that I have started most of my Bible studies. Your eternal financial statement will increase more than can be computed for just one of these Hungry Souls!

After God directs you to that hungry soul use your most powerful tool to get his attention. That is your testimony. Revelation 12:11 “. . . they over came him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Your testimony is unique and cannot be denied.

The seed of the Word will conceive and germinate in the “good ground.” That is the reason I ask God to lead me to a “hungry soul.” I don’t want to win an argument. I want to win a soul. There is an abundance of “hungry souls” all-round. We do not have to search very to discover one. We are shocked when we hear about thousands starving to death and dying in foreign lands because of the lack of food for nourishment. Yet, daily we are in the midst of a famine of starving souls for the bread of life. Are we willing to attend to that need around us? Jesus said, “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.”

Recently, I asked a young college student the two simple questions. He was quick to obey the scriptures. In just a few weeks he brought more than 20 of his college friends to be baptized. A lady from Russia was visiting our city a few months ago. She was an English Professor in Russia. We talked about many things. One of the questions she asked was, “Ron what sign were you born under?” My quick response to her was, “Tanya I was born under the sign of the cross.” That one simple statement made her ask more questions. She went back to Russia filled with the Holy Ghost and baptized. Always be available, alert,
attentive, eager, prepared, primed and willing to give a Bible Study. GOD’S WORD WILL NOT FAIL!

THIS IS OUR FINEST HOUR! Great revival is on the way. I read in the “Dallas Morning News” a few weeks ago that almost 50% of all Russian Newborn Babies are being baptized! I heard the Pastor of the
largest Church in Dallas say, “We have quenched the spirit; the Pentecostals have the proper way to worship God! We are wrong and have been wrong all these years!”

By witnessing, we have more of a feeling of belonging; we are fulfilling God’s command. We feel needed, and our eternal financial statement is increased. We are limited partners with God. As we learn more of His Word and His way, we are not as apt to backslide, or to walk off and loose our eternal investment. We have peace of mind, that God will be our defense in times of trouble. We are expressing how much
we love God. We are also expressing how much we love our neighbor. We get the angels attention! We are doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving our ownselves (James 1-22).

Jesus was displeased with fisherman not catching fish, empty banquet tables, fruitless fig tree, lost sheep, and with a ready harvest, but no laborers. Thus, negotiating for a soul is the greatest business deal around for now and eternity.

Author of: Trophies of Heaven, Inform to Transform, and Battered Believers.

THE ABOVE MAATERIAL WAS PUBLISHED BY CLARION, MAY 1998, PAGES 7,8.

THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY BE USED FOR STUDY & RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.