Much of what I am going to say is in hindsight. Acts 17:2-4-27 states that the God who made the world and everything in it, who gives life, breath, and everything to mankind, determined before the foundation of the world, having set the alloted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God and perhaps find him, though he is actually not far from each one of us.
Before the foundation of the world, God determined that he would knit a baby girl in the womb of her mother, and that the mother would place the baby girl for adoption. All the while, he prepared adoptive parents and a loving home for this baby girl. He saw fit for the adoptive parents, I'm sure, prompted by the Holy Spirit, to take their young daughter of ~11 years old to a revival church service, where the gospel or good news of Jesus Christ was spoken. God gave this young girl a new heart, and revealed himself to her, who she was, a sinner, as compared to a Holy God. He changed her heart. As the song sang today, Come Thy Fount of Every Blessing, states, "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love," this young girl/young/adult woman, did wander from the God she loved. God in his abundant love and mercy, had already ~11 years old, "Here is my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above." Ephesians 1:13-1 states, "In him (Jesus) you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." Through much wandering and brokeness, he drew this woman back to himself. I left him, but he never left me.
Fast foward to the late 90's, interim pastor came exposing me to expository biblical teaching, Bible Study Fellowship classes, and conviction of complacency on my part. He sent these LDS missionaries, and as I remembered, "What will you do with Christmas and "Count the cost" came weighing heavily on my mind. There I was, "What is the cost?" The cost at the time was, I'll miss the Thanksgiving meal with my children at school, and they will be disappointment in their mother. OTOH, someone's eternal desinty is at stake and it will take time, not only today, but ongoing time and effort. What the Lord had done for me had won out. That day he set in motion his love poured out for others, and somehow chose to use this woman who said, "I don't want to learn about Mormonism," to be able to see his love for others, and as a result to see that if he loves others this way, he must love me in the same way.
Here we are some 22+ years later, and the same God, who before the foundation of the world, having set the boundaries of our habitation that we might seek and find him, though he is not far from us. Before the foundation of the world, he has set in motion his plan to draw you to himself. In the paragraphs above, he did this not only for me, but also for you. The gospel of your salvation, is that we are sinners and rebel in our hearts toward him. God stepped down off of his throne, and came to turn our hearts toward him. To give us new hearts. The law had a fault, in that God had not enabled us to keep the law (1st covenant Heb. 8:7). Through Jesus Christ, the promised seed, he gives us a new heart, writing his laws on our hearts. He changes our hearts of stone (think stone tablets), putting his laws into our minds and hearts, that he will be our God and we will be his people (Heb. 10:16). It is appointed once for man to die, then judgement. Today is the day of salvation. When we feel the heavy burden of our sin, it is an act of God's mercy to draw us to him. The law makes us conscious of sin. It times past, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets, in these latter days, he has spoken to us through the son.
How do I witness to people? I share with others what Christ has done for me. I pray for opportunities, I pray for others. I seek to be all things to all people. I can assure you that this absolutely comes from something beyond me. You spend anniversaries, birthdays with missionaries, you lay on your sunroom floor while your friend's girlfriend breaks news of her faith crisis to her parents, you drop everything when someone needs you, you set your desires and wants aside, you get severe discipline from the Lord. You get mad at God when you don't think he is working fast enough or not at all. You contend with God. You set yourself out there and dialog with others who are much more educated than yourself, endure much at times, yet hold this infathomable gift out to others, longing for them to reach out and take it. You look for opportunities. You speak and write scripture because it does what it says it does. You change up your signature line in hopes that it will be read and the HS will pierce someone's heart. You give your life to others. You let people see you struggle with your own sin, contend with your God (He always wins).
It has been an emotional and tiring day. We never know when we will draw our last breath. I pray that today someone may read this and surrender themselves to Christ. He is indeed a pearl of great, great price. I am so very tired, so hopefully this makes sense.
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How it is done. May this be the time the good news is heard and believed. If not, let's do it again.
Yes, we can all tell from your comment.