Evangelism is exciting. Always a new adventure to encounter. This week I got cussed out—I mean really cussed out—for trying to witness to a guy.

And do you know what I did that stirred up this kind of reaction? I asked, “What’s your name?" I know, how rude of me.

He replied, "Why do you want to know my name?”

“I like to tell people about Jesus.” Seven words. And he cussed me out like I stole his fillings.

A little later he was yelling at this woman and giving the word "crude" a whole new meaning. I wanted to ask him, "If you had just 24 hours to live, what would you do?" So I said, "May I ask you just one question?"

"No, you may not!" he sneered and marched off after another avalanche of verbal creativity.

Just this week a marine officer was sent home from Fallujah for giving a coin to a Muslim. The coin had the words of John 3:16 written on one side and the question, "Where will you spend eternity?" on the other. Local officials are pushing for maximum punishment for the unbelievable crime of handing a fellow human a John 3:16 coin. When your own government seeks your punishment for exercising your constituational rights while fighting for the freedom of another country, something is wacked.

Persecution rises like the tide, so don't wait around to share Jesus until it only gets harder. Jesus willingly got lacerated for you. What are you willing to endure for Him? Did you know that getting persecuted for following Jesus is a means of fellowship with Christ (Phi 3:10)? How can we ever identify with the sufferings of Jesus if we never suffer for Him (2 Cor 1:5)?