One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven

Mark Cahill is straight and to the point about what we as Christians are slacking on. Every page has blessed me.

A youth pastor gave me this witnessing manual 5 years ago, along with a box of tracts from Livingwaters.com I had absolutely zero experience in street witnessing and it seemed like a terrifying, yet exciting thing to do. I read the book, and decided to try it out. I went to the flea market with a friend. We brought the tracts along, and just tried out the teachings outlined in this book. I was amazed at how interested by the conversations people were. I experienced no rejection that day (it helps if you have an engaging smile and cheerful voice), and found my life calling. Now 5 years later, and over a 1000 people later (yes, you can share the Gospel with over 1000 people without being Billy Graham: just explain the gospel in detail to about 5 people a week, and after a few years you'll have shared the Gospel with over 1000 souls). My friend Josh shares with that many people in a year (see his witnessing encounters at http://witnessingwithjsb2.blogspot.com). As trite as it sound, this book changed my life because I put it in practice. The first few times I went out street witnessing, I was nervous, and had to rely on my notes to find questions to ask people, and present the gospel using specific illustrations and analogies. But now with practice, I'm comfortable with it. The most devoted evangelists seem to be shy, introverted people who decide to obey God in sharing the gospel in spite of their fear of rejection. My favorite evangelists, Mark Cahill and Ray Comfort, are both very shy people in person. If you ever have the chance to meet them at conferences, or evangelism boot camps and talk to them one on one, you will notice how shy they are and not all that comfortable talking to a stranger. They will both admit that they are shy, yet they have shared the Gospel one on one with several 1000 complete strangers by now. How can they do it, if they are shy? Simple: Love for the Lord, concern for the lost, and a humility that make them willing to risk rejection for the sake of the Gospel. And the belief that people will be mad at you and reject you if you share the Gospel is a lie from the devil anyway. Out of the 1000 plus people I shared with, only 3, maybe 4 people were mad at me and rejected me. Of course the way you interact with the person, and present the Gospel affect their reaction to you. Basically I use the same approach as Mark Cahill: I use an ice breaker, and I smile and chat in a very conversational, friendly way, and it shows that I find it fun, which make the other person smile. I build a rapport within a couple of minutes or less (it's all in the book: it will teach you how to make people enjoy talking with you), and swing the conversation toward spiritual things. I listen to what they believe, ask polite `socratic' questions that challenge their beliefs. And then I share my belief with them by asking socratic questions (basically I make them say the Gospel to me: if they do not answer right, I gently correct their answ

Every page oozes with Mark's passion to reach people for Christ. He rightfully points out that if you are a beliver in Christ, then this is the one thing you ought to do. He clearly shows that evangelism is not a burden but a privilege. When you share your faith in Christ with others, that is always a winning proposition. It doesn't matter if you get rejected. You have sown seeds that can be harvested later.

Mark Cahill has written what I think is an excellent challenge to Christians to tell others about Jesus Christ while they still have time. While there are several exhortations to accept the challenge, Cahill also writes of practical ways to share the gospel with others. The most often method is using the 10 Commandments to show how futile it is to try to earn our way into heaven and instead rely on Jesus Christ's death on the cross for our sins to provide the way for the free gift of salvation. Among the important points covered in the book include: 1. People are hungrier for the gospel than we realize - Indeed, we seem to hear from the people who don't like Christians sharing the gospel while we miss the many who desparately want someone to talk to them about eternity. 2. Reasons why we don't witness to others - Many reasons have to do with fear of what others think and our own spiritual complacency. 3. Ask God for creative ways to share the gospel - I have done this myself and it works! 4. Don't worry about pleasing others - Jesus Christ was perfect and yet He was still nailed to the cross! How can we expect to escape persecution and hard times when we witness to others? 5. 4 thought provoking questions to ask when witnessing to others - What do you mean by that? How do you know that to be true? Where do you get your information? What if you are wrong? 6. Common questions and objections and how to overcome them - Some questions are honest while others are meant to distract us. 7. Be bold while we still have time - Compared to eternity in heaven, the temporary pain we may feel when rejected pales in comparison! All in all, an excellent challenge and encouragement to keep witnessing until we either pass from this earth or until Jesus Christ comes back for His children! Read and enjoy. Highly recommended.

I know Mark personally and can tell you that not only is this book the best I've read on evangelism, but it also comes from a man who walks the talk. Bill Bright thought so, too. He did the forward for the book! If you want to be motivated to evangelize, and enjoy doing it at the same time, this is the book for you. He teaches you how to have a conversation with anybody, and how to look for more opportunities around you. A must read!

This book has changed my life. I have given away several copies to a friends and more than once they have come back different. Sometimes they don't let me get the book back until they have a family member or friend read it. It just that good. This book has been circulating around campus and it has helped start a group of us who actively share our faith on a regular basis. One of the cool things about One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven is that it is easy and fun to read. It is not written in fancy church language and many things are backed up with interesting real life examples. In other words, this book is a fast and fun read. When I talk with someone who is afraid to share their faith I tell them to read the first 3 chapters of this book. After that the are almost always on fire and ready to go. You wont have any reasons not to share your faith after chapter 4. Chapter 10 has answers to frequently asked questions/objections that pre-belivers may have. Do you want to learn how to prove there is a God in 30 seconds or know how to quickly prove the Bible really is the inspired word of God? Read chapter 10. Do be warned, this book will powerfully challenge you to get out of your comfort zone. One Thing You Cant Do In Heaven is by no means comprehensive guide to evangelism. It covers in a couple of chapters things people have devoted entire lives to. If you are a seasoned evangelist there may not be much here for you, but if not, this book is a great jump-start into an exiting adventure. If you are afraid to share your faith, don't know how to share your faith, or don't know what to say, then this book is for you. I have read a lot of books in my last 18 years and few other than the Bible have effected my life as much as One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven.