Brothers and sisters in Christ, let me challenge you a little today. Let this challenge motivate you into action to step out in faith and begin to follow Jesus and do what he says without reservations. We live in such a safe, Americanized Christian box. We have all of our ducks in a row. We plan ahead and focus our attention and efforts on making sure our future is secure, through a number of different means. There is practical wisdom involved in these things, but all too often, especially in or culture, this kind of "prudent thinking" leads to thornbushes growing up in our garden.
What do I mean by that? Remember in the parable of the sower that it was the seed that fell on thorny ground that was choked out by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. What happens is that we get so caught up in trying to establish our own empire that we forget about building up the kingdom of God. Our time and effort is given over to temporal things, and we stop bearing fruit towards God.
Today let me challenge you to reverse that cycle in your life. Let me challenge you to obey the command of Jesus to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." We have a tendency to put the emphasis on that last half of that verse, and focus on all the wonderful things we will receive when we seek God first. But I would submit to you that anyone does so is not seeking God first, but is seeking the things that God can give to him. No, the emphasis is on the first half of the verse. We should be so in love with Jesus Christ that all the cares of life fade into the background, and the allure of wealth and material things is lost because our hearts are completely sold out and committed to building treasures in heaven. He is faithful who promised. It is impossible for him to lie. Seek him and his will for your life first, and let him take care of the rest.
I am going to include a quote from Francis Chan from his book, Crazy Love. In it, he says, "I wrote this book because much of our talk doesn't match our lives. We say things like, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,' and 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart.' Then we live and plan like we don't believe God even exists. We try to set up our lives so everything will be fine even if God doesn't come through. But true faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His promises.
Most of us use, 'I'm waiting for God to reveal His calling on my life' as a means of avoiding action. Did you hear God calling you to sit in front of the television yesterday? Or go on your last vacation? Or exercise this morning? Probably not, but you still did it. The point isn't that vacations or exercise are wrong, but that we are quick to rationalize our entertainment and priorities yet are slow to commit to serving God.
A friend of mine was speaking recently. Afterward a guy came up and told him, 'I would go serve God as a missionary overseas, but, honestly, if I went right now it would only be out of obedience.' My friend's response was, 'Yes, and...?'
Jesus said, 'If you love me, you will obey what I command' (John 14:15). Jesus did not say, 'If you love me you will obey me when you feel called or good about doing so...' If we love, then we obey. Period. That sort of matter of fact obedience is part of what it means to live a life of faith.
Imagine if you opened up a drawer in your kitchen and found twenty cheese graters but no other utensils. Not very helpful when you're looking for something to eat your soup with. Just as there are different utensils in the kitchen that serve diverse functions, God has created unique people to accomplish a variety of purposes throughout the world. That is why I cannot say in this book, 'Everyone is supposed to be a missionary' or 'You need to sell your car and start taking public transportation.' What I can say is that you must learn to listen to and obey God, especially in a society where it's easy and expected to do what is most comfortable.
Do you see what Francis is getting at? Why do we live our lives as though God were not even there? We all know God's word and His promises, but when the rubber meets the road, how often do we really step out and obey him or leave things in His hands? Why do we go ahead and make big vacation plans (which isn't wrong) but when it comes to an opportunity to do something for the kingdom, our response is, "I'll pray about it."
So let me challenge you today to think about your life. Are there any areas where you are not completely obeying? Are there areas where you are still planning things out just in case God doesn't come through? Are there commands of Jesus that you ignore because of comfort or convenience? Seriously, take an honest look in the mirror and evaluate your motives, hopes and aspirations. Are they pleasing in the eyes of God? Will they matter in eternity? You will never regret making necessary changes.
God is at work on the streets. Are you?
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Hand of God
We've all heard the stories of God's incredible hand of provision. People regularly share testimonies about how the Lord came through for them in some miraculous way in their time of need. I have a story of providence that I would like to share with you, for the glory of God.
As many of you know, I am approved as a solicitor at Walmart. This means that 14 days a year, I can stand at the front doors and hand out tracts to the customers. On the scheduled days, I usually build a team of about 6-10 people, and we hand out an average of 1,000-1,500 tracts in about a 3 hour time period.
I have been planning a Walmart tracting event with Matt Kessie and the Calvary Chapel youth group for a few months, and we finally found a date that works well, which was Friday the 20th of November. I usually never check my tract supply to make sure I have enough for big events because I almost always order more to replenish my stock right after we hand them out. But it occurred to me on Tuesday that I should double check to make sure, and to my surprise, I didnt have nearly as many tracts as I thought. In fact, I definitely did not have enough for this event. I was in serious trouble.
I called Living Waters on Wednesday morning to order more, but to my dismay, they were closed! There was no way I could order them on Thursday and get them by Friday at 3:00. I began praying for the Lord to do a miracle! I was also racking my brain trying to think of who I knew who would have a large amount of tracts I could borrow. One friend had a few hundred tracts, which was a great help. Friday morning, I was at the point where I was prepared to just show up with the kids and go for it with whatever we had.
About 10:30 my phone rang and on the other end was a man I didnt know, who immediately began raving about some new tracts he had been using. As he was excitedly going on and on about the tracts, I interrupted him and asked, "Who are you?" Somehow, he had gotten my phone number from the church and was calling me to tell me about these tracts that were so wonderful. Out of the blue, he says, "Tell you what, I just got 600 of them and I want to give them to you!" What? At first, I was a little hesitant, because I didnt want to take that many tracts, and then find out that they werent something I would personally use. And then the bell rung. DING! You dummy! Werent you just praying for a miracle?
I said, "I believe this is a divine appointment," and began explaining to him the situation I was in and how I had been praying for miraculous provision. He broke down and wept, so moved because this was obviously the hand of the Lord. We talked briefly and set up a meeting for me to get the tracts.
What an incredible confirmation to me that the blessing of God is upon this ministry! As I said last week, you can trust, every single time, that when you set out to fulfill the great comission, you are 100% in the will of God. You can see the hand of God do miracles for you when you obey the command to preach the gospel to every creature.
I dont know how many times I have stood up to preach, fully dependant upon the Lord, and watched him fill my mouth. There have been times when I have shown up with a message fully prepared, and have been told at the last second to speak about something else, and had the Lord do an awesome work by speaking to people's lives. You can experience the same thing when you determine to speak for the kingdom of God. He is faithful to deliver and to use you. You may not have eloquence or know all the answers to every question, but you will see the Holy Spirit work through you and fill your mouth. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26
The Lord is at work all around us. He is doing incredible miracles for those who obey him and walk by faith. Are you willing to step out and do things for Him? Will you obey his commands even when it looks uncertain? I am not talking about recklessness. Like I said, I usually order tracts right away after big events so I have enough for the next one. And when I get up to speak, I come prepared. But when the Lord says to "Go," are you ready to go even if you dont know the outcome? Just smile, trust him and say, "Okay, Lord, but you better come through here!" And he will. I know it because I have experienced it again and again. He has never left me alone. That's his promise.
Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spoke unto them saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen"
Take him at his word. Obey the great comission, and experience the unmatched joy and fulfillment of knowing that you have been an instrument in God's hands.
See you on the streets!
As many of you know, I am approved as a solicitor at Walmart. This means that 14 days a year, I can stand at the front doors and hand out tracts to the customers. On the scheduled days, I usually build a team of about 6-10 people, and we hand out an average of 1,000-1,500 tracts in about a 3 hour time period.
I have been planning a Walmart tracting event with Matt Kessie and the Calvary Chapel youth group for a few months, and we finally found a date that works well, which was Friday the 20th of November. I usually never check my tract supply to make sure I have enough for big events because I almost always order more to replenish my stock right after we hand them out. But it occurred to me on Tuesday that I should double check to make sure, and to my surprise, I didnt have nearly as many tracts as I thought. In fact, I definitely did not have enough for this event. I was in serious trouble.
I called Living Waters on Wednesday morning to order more, but to my dismay, they were closed! There was no way I could order them on Thursday and get them by Friday at 3:00. I began praying for the Lord to do a miracle! I was also racking my brain trying to think of who I knew who would have a large amount of tracts I could borrow. One friend had a few hundred tracts, which was a great help. Friday morning, I was at the point where I was prepared to just show up with the kids and go for it with whatever we had.
About 10:30 my phone rang and on the other end was a man I didnt know, who immediately began raving about some new tracts he had been using. As he was excitedly going on and on about the tracts, I interrupted him and asked, "Who are you?" Somehow, he had gotten my phone number from the church and was calling me to tell me about these tracts that were so wonderful. Out of the blue, he says, "Tell you what, I just got 600 of them and I want to give them to you!" What? At first, I was a little hesitant, because I didnt want to take that many tracts, and then find out that they werent something I would personally use. And then the bell rung. DING! You dummy! Werent you just praying for a miracle?
I said, "I believe this is a divine appointment," and began explaining to him the situation I was in and how I had been praying for miraculous provision. He broke down and wept, so moved because this was obviously the hand of the Lord. We talked briefly and set up a meeting for me to get the tracts.
What an incredible confirmation to me that the blessing of God is upon this ministry! As I said last week, you can trust, every single time, that when you set out to fulfill the great comission, you are 100% in the will of God. You can see the hand of God do miracles for you when you obey the command to preach the gospel to every creature.
I dont know how many times I have stood up to preach, fully dependant upon the Lord, and watched him fill my mouth. There have been times when I have shown up with a message fully prepared, and have been told at the last second to speak about something else, and had the Lord do an awesome work by speaking to people's lives. You can experience the same thing when you determine to speak for the kingdom of God. He is faithful to deliver and to use you. You may not have eloquence or know all the answers to every question, but you will see the Holy Spirit work through you and fill your mouth. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26
The Lord is at work all around us. He is doing incredible miracles for those who obey him and walk by faith. Are you willing to step out and do things for Him? Will you obey his commands even when it looks uncertain? I am not talking about recklessness. Like I said, I usually order tracts right away after big events so I have enough for the next one. And when I get up to speak, I come prepared. But when the Lord says to "Go," are you ready to go even if you dont know the outcome? Just smile, trust him and say, "Okay, Lord, but you better come through here!" And he will. I know it because I have experienced it again and again. He has never left me alone. That's his promise.
Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spoke unto them saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen"
Take him at his word. Obey the great comission, and experience the unmatched joy and fulfillment of knowing that you have been an instrument in God's hands.
See you on the streets!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Obeying the Great Commision
All of us know the Great Commission. The last mandate the Lord Jesus gave his disciples before he ascended up to heaven. Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."
Think for a moment. This was the last time he would be meeting with the apostles on this side of heaven. His last instructions would be important. Every ear in the group was listening intently. In fact, the last commission Jesus gave should be the first and foremost objective of every one who claims to be his follower.
When it comes to the subject of evangelism, many Christians often excuse themselves by announcing boldly that God has not specifically told them they should do it. If he were only to tell them in some way that they were to share their faith, then they would obey. All the while, they have the clear command of Jesus in the New Testament that goes unheeded. If you are waiting for the Lord himself to come down from heaven and give you a divine revelation of his will for your life in regards to evangelism, you will be waiting a looooonng time. He has already done it, and you hold His Word in your hands with clear instructions. How can you ask for direction in an area you are already ignoring and expect to get an answer?
The story is told of a man who desired to go to a certain country and do mission work. He decided to pray about it for a while first, but as he was waiting, he heard the story of another man who had been praying about the same thing. He prayed and prayed and waited and waited, and eventually grew old and died. So, the first man decided to step out in faith and go, and he had a ball of a time serving the Lord.
The point of the story is that there are some things that we don't need further instruction about. If your brother or sister in Christ is in dire need of financial aid, and you have plenty of extra, you don't need to fold your hands and ask, "Lord, what's your will here?" You already have clear instructions in 1Tim6:18 and James1:15. The same goes for evangelism. You can trust, every single time, that when you set out to fulfill the Great Commission, you are 100% completely in the will of God.
The apostle Paul practiced this. We read in Acts 16:6-7, "Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, after they were come into Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit permitted them not." In other words, they were going about carrying out the great Commission, from place to place, and the Holy Spirit gave them direction as they went. You and I make our best laid plans and if the Holy Spirit has other plans, he can shut or open doors to lead us. You don't have to worry about being presumptuous about where or when you share your faith. You obediently go about your Father's business and He will be with you and lead you.
Look out upon the harvest fields. Millions upon millions in our country alone, and billions in the world, are heading to everlasting damnation. They are heaping up damnation that will be revealed on the day of wrath, according to Romans 2, and will stand open and naked before the Judge of the Universe, who will bring every work into judgement, whether it is good, or whether it is evil (Eccl 12:14) and He will punish sin wherever it is found, with no respect of persons. The books will be opened and the dead will be judged according to their works(Rev20). You hold the treasure of forgiveness and eternal life in this earthen vessel. You have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2Cor5).
How long will you hold your tongue? How long will you keep silent?
All around you, your friends, loved ones, and acquaintances are blindly marching towards disaster! You have the command of Jesus and the encouragement of the rest of the New Testament. Sadly, and to our shame, Christians are praying for direction when what they should be praying for is boldness and anointing. What about you? What are you doing for the cause of Christ? Step out in faith and see God work wonders through you. Open your mouth for the kingdom of God and reach a lost and dying world with the gospel of everlasting life. You may not have tomorrow.
If you have about 4 minutes, follow the link below and watch an encouraging video. It's worth your time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA_uwWPE6lQ
See you on the streets!!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
India Mission Trip: Spring 2010
Hello all,
We have decided to postpone the trip to India until Februaury/March of 2010.
Everything was looking good except for one tiny but very important detail. Mitch did not have his Indian visa stamped on his passport. In order to get it, you either have to apply in person or through the mail at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The mail would definitely take too long, and applying in person does not neccessarily guarantee approval. Even though they told us that most likely he would get it, it is just too big of a risk to set up events across the globe and pay for airfare and find out his visa was delayed or that he couldn't get into the country.
After much prayerful deliberation, it all came down to this one thing, and it looks like it will just be better to wait and build a bigger team and go in the spring.
Already, we have several solid believers who have committed to joining us on that trip.
We will be holding various fundraisers throughout the winter.
Once I get in touch with our contacts in India, I will get some real dates so we can be prepared well ahead of time. Many of you receiving this e-mail have offered to contribute funds for the mission, and many of you have said you would love to give more if given more time. This will give us all plenty of time to be ready. Thank you very much for your kind and generous support. You're support is absolutely essential for these kinds of things to happen and you can be sure you are building treasures in heaven for your generosity and love.
Also, I have spoken with most of you about becoming a part of the team that actually goes to India. Please prayerfully consider doing so. I would love to have you. If that's you, contact me ASAP so we can begin the process of (1) getting a passport if you don't have one already, (2) getting your Indian visa, (3) getting an estimated cost for travel expenses so you can save and raise money, (4) making sure you get the right immunizations before going into the country. If you leave these things on the back burner and decide within 2 months of the trip, you may experience troubles and in the worst case scenario, not be able to go.
Without naming names, I believe we have 7 people who have given verbal confirmation that they WILL go in the spring. If you have not told me specifically that you are IN, please contact me and I will fill you in on a more detailed itinerary so you can make a decision.
One last thing.. We could all glean from the wisdom of a great man of God. Another reason we delayed the trip, (which I wasn't going to tell you about, but I think it's appropriate), is that Mitch wanted to be SURE that he spent hours and hours preparing to speak to the believers in India. When I told him that they were ready to have a pastor's conference with 200 pastors attending, he told me that he wasn't willing to use some old recycled messages out of his closet to get by with, and that he needed serious time to prepare what the Lord has for them. That is great love and wisdom. It demonstrates to me that he really cares about the people he will be ministering to. May we all follow his example if we intend to come along.
Thanks again for your prayer and support. This is a worthy ministry.
Blessings,
Billy
We have decided to postpone the trip to India until Februaury/March of 2010.
Everything was looking good except for one tiny but very important detail. Mitch did not have his Indian visa stamped on his passport. In order to get it, you either have to apply in person or through the mail at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The mail would definitely take too long, and applying in person does not neccessarily guarantee approval. Even though they told us that most likely he would get it, it is just too big of a risk to set up events across the globe and pay for airfare and find out his visa was delayed or that he couldn't get into the country.
After much prayerful deliberation, it all came down to this one thing, and it looks like it will just be better to wait and build a bigger team and go in the spring.
Already, we have several solid believers who have committed to joining us on that trip.
We will be holding various fundraisers throughout the winter.
Once I get in touch with our contacts in India, I will get some real dates so we can be prepared well ahead of time. Many of you receiving this e-mail have offered to contribute funds for the mission, and many of you have said you would love to give more if given more time. This will give us all plenty of time to be ready. Thank you very much for your kind and generous support. You're support is absolutely essential for these kinds of things to happen and you can be sure you are building treasures in heaven for your generosity and love.
Also, I have spoken with most of you about becoming a part of the team that actually goes to India. Please prayerfully consider doing so. I would love to have you. If that's you, contact me ASAP so we can begin the process of (1) getting a passport if you don't have one already, (2) getting your Indian visa, (3) getting an estimated cost for travel expenses so you can save and raise money, (4) making sure you get the right immunizations before going into the country. If you leave these things on the back burner and decide within 2 months of the trip, you may experience troubles and in the worst case scenario, not be able to go.
Without naming names, I believe we have 7 people who have given verbal confirmation that they WILL go in the spring. If you have not told me specifically that you are IN, please contact me and I will fill you in on a more detailed itinerary so you can make a decision.
One last thing.. We could all glean from the wisdom of a great man of God. Another reason we delayed the trip, (which I wasn't going to tell you about, but I think it's appropriate), is that Mitch wanted to be SURE that he spent hours and hours preparing to speak to the believers in India. When I told him that they were ready to have a pastor's conference with 200 pastors attending, he told me that he wasn't willing to use some old recycled messages out of his closet to get by with, and that he needed serious time to prepare what the Lord has for them. That is great love and wisdom. It demonstrates to me that he really cares about the people he will be ministering to. May we all follow his example if we intend to come along.
Thanks again for your prayer and support. This is a worthy ministry.
Blessings,
Billy
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Obama Trillions 'Racist'???
So I called Walmart today to get scheduled in for later this week to set up the prayer/Bible/tract table, but the manager gave me a whole bunch of trouble about last time we were there.
Apparently, some customers complained to him about the Obama Trillions. I guess they found them very offensive and "racist". I was so shocked I didn't know how to respond. The manager actually sided with the customer and said that the drawing of Obama's lips were too big, "like and African American" as well as other features of his face.
Its a good thing we were on the phone because I was laughing so hard. I am still blown away.
Anyhow, at the end of the day, I dodged being shut out of Walmart altogether by being very apologetic about my poor taste and insensitivity. And, of course, we will NOT be handing out Obama $$ at Walmart anymore.
Thought you all might get a good laugh out of this story.
Blessings,
Billy
State Fair Evangelism
The Central Washington State Fair kicked off on Saturday the 26th, and we were on hand to make the most out of the opportunity.
A great couple and I headed down to Yakima to share the gospel with as many peopel as we could. We wanted to keep kind of a low profile, so we wouldn't get kicked out, because we are taking another team down to the fair this coming weekend.
So we started out slow, by walking the grounds once to get a feel for the place. then we split up and began our evangelism. After about an hour, I met up with Dan and Kay, who told me they had been confronted almost immediately by the crowd management services and were told to stop handing out tracts. At least they hadn't been given the boot! This kind of confrontation would ordinarily put a lid on the whole day, if an evangelist were all alone, but together, we resolved not to be silenced! So we decided we would just lay low with the tracts and just do a lot of one-
on-one witnessing.Things went really well, and we each got to share the gospel with a lot of people. We met up at the exit, and waxed bold just before we were leaving. We began to aggressively hand out as many tracts as we could to the passers-by and gave out a few hundred without the police or the CMS approaching us even once.
Its always great to enjoy great fellowship with like-minded people, and to draw from each others' strength when the winds of persecution blow. It was a real blessing to meet Dan and Kay, and we are looking forward to bringing an even bigger team this weekend!
The Enemy Within
I was just going through some old blogs that I sent out from Billy's Tackle Box, before we switched over to Sowing the Seed, and found one that I wanted to share once again. Hope this is an encouragement...
Every one of us who belongs to Christ is perpetually engaged in a battle for control of our mind. Our flesh is constantly waging war with our spirit to influence whether or not we will succumb to sin or walk away. We all know this, and we all have experienced victory as well as defeat in different areas. Aside from the fact that our flesh is drawn like a moth to the flame to various sinful pleasures, there are other ways in which the Adamic nature rears his ugly head.
One specific area is in the realm of personal witnessing. All too often, I find that I have much more important things going on than to spend my precious time sharing the gospel with a bunch of people who don't want to hear it anyway. There are fish to be caught, birds to be shot at, sporting events to attend, good TV shows that I can't miss, etc. And on top of all that, there is some really good fellowship to be had with my hunting budd- Ahem- christian brothers. What am I describing? Evangelical laziness. We just don't give it the time.
There is nothing in me that wants to go out and speak to people about the things of God. I would much rather stay home and surf the web or watch television. There is an old adamic nature in me that needs to be continually denied its appetite if I want to serve Jesus and glorify him. I have been in situations where I have gone to certain public places, determining ahead of time that I was going specifically to witness to people, and when I arrived, began looking immediately for some excuse to blow it off and do something else. Have you been there?
If you've ever gone out and done any personal work, then I'm sure you have. Sometimes it is the result of fear, and sometimes it is the result of plain old laziness. We couldn't be bothered to share the words of everlasting life with people because we are so busy doing our own thing, living our own lives. But the Bible says that we should be "in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom we shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life.."
The next time you are confronted with a witnessing opportunity and you are feeling too lazy or too scared to open your mouth, just take a moment and imagine the tables were turned. Imagine that you were on your way to hell and didn't know it, and this person couldn't be bothered to take a moment and share the words of eternal life with you. How would you feel about that? Wouldn't you want to have been told?
Or what would you think of a doctor, who discovered a cure to cancer, but didn't share the cure with the world because he was going on to further studies as a doctor? Obviously, just the thought is enough to give us a sense of indignation. How much more then, is the gift of everlasting life in comparison with a cure to cancer? And how often do you keep it to yourself when you could be sharing it with those who still sit in the shadow of death?
The world is going to hell. One by one they are falling into an abyss of eternal torment. You and I have been entrusted witht the word of reconciliation by our Lord. We must reckon the old man to be dead, and we must be dead indeed to sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The enemy within will come up with all sorts of things for us to be doing other than what we are supposed to be doing, but we must be diligent, continually denying our flesh of its desires and being filled with the Spirit of God.
So be on your guard, and look out for the attitude of laziness and complacency. Determine to ask the Lord to fill you with compassion for the lost, and go out with boldness and power to lead men and women to the source of life, Jesus Christ.
See you on the streets!
Every one of us who belongs to Christ is perpetually engaged in a battle for control of our mind. Our flesh is constantly waging war with our spirit to influence whether or not we will succumb to sin or walk away. We all know this, and we all have experienced victory as well as defeat in different areas. Aside from the fact that our flesh is drawn like a moth to the flame to various sinful pleasures, there are other ways in which the Adamic nature rears his ugly head.
One specific area is in the realm of personal witnessing. All too often, I find that I have much more important things going on than to spend my precious time sharing the gospel with a bunch of people who don't want to hear it anyway. There are fish to be caught, birds to be shot at, sporting events to attend, good TV shows that I can't miss, etc. And on top of all that, there is some really good fellowship to be had with my hunting budd- Ahem- christian brothers. What am I describing? Evangelical laziness. We just don't give it the time.
There is nothing in me that wants to go out and speak to people about the things of God. I would much rather stay home and surf the web or watch television. There is an old adamic nature in me that needs to be continually denied its appetite if I want to serve Jesus and glorify him. I have been in situations where I have gone to certain public places, determining ahead of time that I was going specifically to witness to people, and when I arrived, began looking immediately for some excuse to blow it off and do something else. Have you been there?
If you've ever gone out and done any personal work, then I'm sure you have. Sometimes it is the result of fear, and sometimes it is the result of plain old laziness. We couldn't be bothered to share the words of everlasting life with people because we are so busy doing our own thing, living our own lives. But the Bible says that we should be "in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom we shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life.."
The next time you are confronted with a witnessing opportunity and you are feeling too lazy or too scared to open your mouth, just take a moment and imagine the tables were turned. Imagine that you were on your way to hell and didn't know it, and this person couldn't be bothered to take a moment and share the words of eternal life with you. How would you feel about that? Wouldn't you want to have been told?
Or what would you think of a doctor, who discovered a cure to cancer, but didn't share the cure with the world because he was going on to further studies as a doctor? Obviously, just the thought is enough to give us a sense of indignation. How much more then, is the gift of everlasting life in comparison with a cure to cancer? And how often do you keep it to yourself when you could be sharing it with those who still sit in the shadow of death?
The world is going to hell. One by one they are falling into an abyss of eternal torment. You and I have been entrusted witht the word of reconciliation by our Lord. We must reckon the old man to be dead, and we must be dead indeed to sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The enemy within will come up with all sorts of things for us to be doing other than what we are supposed to be doing, but we must be diligent, continually denying our flesh of its desires and being filled with the Spirit of God.
So be on your guard, and look out for the attitude of laziness and complacency. Determine to ask the Lord to fill you with compassion for the lost, and go out with boldness and power to lead men and women to the source of life, Jesus Christ.
See you on the streets!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Right Perspective
Do you make every effort to share the truth with your lost friends and relatives? If not, why? Can you seriously think of any good reason? The following quote should put things in perspective for you. Which one of these are your reasons? To be honest, I don't really think that either reason is in fact the truth, but what else could we expect them to think? How do you suppose the Judge will treat our laziness on the Day of Judgement? What kind of grand explanation will hold up when all our feeble excuses are laid bare before the eyes of the God of the universe?
This quote is not from a contemporary Christian leader. It may surprise you...
Listen to what Nobel prize-winning American physicist Steven Weinberg said in a recent PBS interview regarding religion: "I have very good friends who belong to religious denominations whose teaching is that since I don't accept their teaching, I am damned for all eternity. And you would think that these friends would try to convert me. But they never do. Now, you could explain this in various ways. It may be that they really don't like me very much and are just as glad to see me damned for all eternity-that's a possible explanation. But another explanation which I tend to think is more likely is that although they know what their church teaches, they give lip service to it." Our unconcern for the lost shows that we merely give God's threat of Hell mere lip service. Shame on us. There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.
This quote is not from a contemporary Christian leader. It may surprise you...
Listen to what Nobel prize-winning American physicist Steven Weinberg said in a recent PBS interview regarding religion: "I have very good friends who belong to religious denominations whose teaching is that since I don't accept their teaching, I am damned for all eternity. And you would think that these friends would try to convert me. But they never do. Now, you could explain this in various ways. It may be that they really don't like me very much and are just as glad to see me damned for all eternity-that's a possible explanation. But another explanation which I tend to think is more likely is that although they know what their church teaches, they give lip service to it." Our unconcern for the lost shows that we merely give God's threat of Hell mere lip service. Shame on us. There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.
SHUT DOWN!
I was shut down by the authorities today. I hate it when that happens. So here's the story...
I have never gone to the Sausage Festival until today. I thought it would be nothing more than a bunch of guys and gals at booths selling their grandma's secret summer sausage recipe. But, because there were no other events going on that I knew of, I packed up my gear and headed down to case the place out and hit it hard with the gospel. To my surprise, this was no ordinary Sausage Festival, but the atmosphere was almost like that of a carnival. There were games, booths, a stage with live performers, a beer garden, and most importantly, lots of people.
I started out by using some optical illusion tracts on a group of young people. They were responsive and I was able to give one of them a tract. Then I moved on to a group of young teens, which, as I was approaching, I overheard cussing. I showed them the optical illusion, and they seemed to really like it, so I also offered them some Obama Trillion Dollar Bills, which they absolutely loved, and then I busted out with the giant $100 bills. They were ecstatic. So I became more bold with my approach to the next group, and was having great success. If you haven't had the opportunity to hand out the giant money in the midst of a large group of young people, you are missing out on an experience. It doesn't take long before you are literally being mobbed. They were pulling the tracts off of the stack faster than I could hand them out.
I began moving around the event, handing out tracts to young people and old, and didn't get turned down even once. To be honest, I only had to approach one or two people, because all those young people were doing some free advertising for me. All I had to do was literally stand there with the tracts in hand, and people would come up saying, "there he is!" and ask for the tracts.
Unfortunately, the free advertising backfired, and I was approached by the event coordinators, who politley told me to stop. They said they didn't allow outside advertising, to which I replied that I wasn't advertising anything and offered them a giant money tract to see for themselves. Also, I was not pushing the tracts on people, they were mobbing me for them. They said they knew that, and had read the entire tract, but still wanted me to stop. Even as we were having the discussion, I was being approached by people eagerly looking for the money tracts. As I was leaving the event, I was being constantly bombarded by more and more people, especially young people who wanted tracts, but unfortunately, I had told the event staff that I would stop handing them out. I hate it when people are begging for the tracts but you can't give them one.
The event was being held on private property so there was nothing I could do.
To my shock and horror, I came to find that this event is put on by Christ the King Catholic Church, and is held on their property. I guess it should come as no surprise. On one hand I understand their position, because if Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses showed up at a Calvary Chapel event, I would be one of the first to boot them out. On the other hand it is telling that Catholics, who will claim to be Christian, will stop you from giving out tracts that simply state the gospel with no denominational affiliation. Equally troubling is their willingness to have a beer garden on their property. Some of those people I was witnessing to told me that last night the place was really rocking.
At least I was able to spend about a half-hour there giving out tracts. Something like 100-150 people have the words of everlasting life! Praise the Lord for that! I'll just continue to look for opportunities to share the gospel. Where there is a crowd, there are people.
In the words of fellow evangelist John Speed, "God is at work on the streets... are you?"
See you on the streets!
I have never gone to the Sausage Festival until today. I thought it would be nothing more than a bunch of guys and gals at booths selling their grandma's secret summer sausage recipe. But, because there were no other events going on that I knew of, I packed up my gear and headed down to case the place out and hit it hard with the gospel. To my surprise, this was no ordinary Sausage Festival, but the atmosphere was almost like that of a carnival. There were games, booths, a stage with live performers, a beer garden, and most importantly, lots of people.
I started out by using some optical illusion tracts on a group of young people. They were responsive and I was able to give one of them a tract. Then I moved on to a group of young teens, which, as I was approaching, I overheard cussing. I showed them the optical illusion, and they seemed to really like it, so I also offered them some Obama Trillion Dollar Bills, which they absolutely loved, and then I busted out with the giant $100 bills. They were ecstatic. So I became more bold with my approach to the next group, and was having great success. If you haven't had the opportunity to hand out the giant money in the midst of a large group of young people, you are missing out on an experience. It doesn't take long before you are literally being mobbed. They were pulling the tracts off of the stack faster than I could hand them out.
I began moving around the event, handing out tracts to young people and old, and didn't get turned down even once. To be honest, I only had to approach one or two people, because all those young people were doing some free advertising for me. All I had to do was literally stand there with the tracts in hand, and people would come up saying, "there he is!" and ask for the tracts.
Unfortunately, the free advertising backfired, and I was approached by the event coordinators, who politley told me to stop. They said they didn't allow outside advertising, to which I replied that I wasn't advertising anything and offered them a giant money tract to see for themselves. Also, I was not pushing the tracts on people, they were mobbing me for them. They said they knew that, and had read the entire tract, but still wanted me to stop. Even as we were having the discussion, I was being approached by people eagerly looking for the money tracts. As I was leaving the event, I was being constantly bombarded by more and more people, especially young people who wanted tracts, but unfortunately, I had told the event staff that I would stop handing them out. I hate it when people are begging for the tracts but you can't give them one.
The event was being held on private property so there was nothing I could do.
To my shock and horror, I came to find that this event is put on by Christ the King Catholic Church, and is held on their property. I guess it should come as no surprise. On one hand I understand their position, because if Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses showed up at a Calvary Chapel event, I would be one of the first to boot them out. On the other hand it is telling that Catholics, who will claim to be Christian, will stop you from giving out tracts that simply state the gospel with no denominational affiliation. Equally troubling is their willingness to have a beer garden on their property. Some of those people I was witnessing to told me that last night the place was really rocking.
At least I was able to spend about a half-hour there giving out tracts. Something like 100-150 people have the words of everlasting life! Praise the Lord for that! I'll just continue to look for opportunities to share the gospel. Where there is a crowd, there are people.
In the words of fellow evangelist John Speed, "God is at work on the streets... are you?"
See you on the streets!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Putting it into Action
Recently I was asked to do a series of teachings on how to share your faith at Calvary Chapel Tri-Cities. Eight weeks of classes on Sunday nights. Of course, I was eager to accept that invitation and began preparing immediately. I was encouraged to see a lot of faces in the room on the first night, especially considering that we were meeting on a Sunday evening in the middle of summer.
One of the most important things I knew I could offer the class was real "hands-on" experience on the streets. Heaven forbid that we would just meet every week for eight weeks and discuss how to witness and never put it into practice. So I emphasised the point at the beginning that we would not only be learning in class, but that we would also be getting real training on the streets as well.
The first of these real-life street evangelism sessions was tonight at Wal-Mart. In case you didn't know, it is the national corporate policy of Wal-Mart that any non-profit organization may apply and be approved for solicitations at the front doors, up to 14 days per year. So, I went to a local Wal-Mart and got on schedule to set up a prayer/Bible/tract table at the front entrances. Tonight, I took the class to the store for what would be for many of them their first evangelism experience. We had about half the class make it for the trip, which made about 11 or 12 of us.
We split up into three teams. I had a table with Bibles and tracts at each of the two entrances, where we usually had 3-4 people handing out tracts to the customers. The rest would be out in the parking lot near the three exits/entrances, where they were holding big signs that read "Free Money!!". We had a dollar bill paper-clipped to a gospel tract that we gave to anyone who would take them. The plan was to rotate people through both the free money giveaway and the tracting at the doors, so that everyone would be able to experience both.
To be honest, I didn't expect things to go near as well as they did. I surmised that we might be able to give away 400-500 tracts on a Sunday night in two hours. Boy, what an underestimation! We gave out at least 1,700 tracts, possibly 2,000. Every person on the team was able to get into a witnessing encounter with someone who asked what we were doing this for. Several of those discussions lasted up to 20 minutes or more. Praise the Lord! People were stopping at the doors with questions and prayer requests, and out in the parking lot, there were many people who were completely disarmed by our generosity and came back ready with an open heart to hear the gospel. I don't know how things could have gone any better than they did tonight, especially for those who were putting evangelism into practice for the very first time.
Almost every Christian will agree that evangelism is an important and often neglected part of being a believer, and most would say they have the desire to go out and be the witness that God intends for them to be. The hardest part is just getting out there the first time. Once people see how easy and fun it is to evangelize, they will be asking when it is time to go again! It was a huge blessing to see everyone having a great time serving the Lord and others tonight. I am sure they were encouraged to find it was not nearly as difficult as our imaginations might tell us.
What about you? Are you afraid to make evangelism a regular part of your life because you are uneasy or nervous? Step out into the waters, murky though they may seem, and you will find that the Holy Spirit will fill your mouth and give you a boldness you have never known. You may walk timidly into it with fear, but you will leave dancing and clicking your heels with joy, knowing that you have just been used by the Lord in ways that may only be measured in eternity.
One of the most important things I knew I could offer the class was real "hands-on" experience on the streets. Heaven forbid that we would just meet every week for eight weeks and discuss how to witness and never put it into practice. So I emphasised the point at the beginning that we would not only be learning in class, but that we would also be getting real training on the streets as well.
The first of these real-life street evangelism sessions was tonight at Wal-Mart. In case you didn't know, it is the national corporate policy of Wal-Mart that any non-profit organization may apply and be approved for solicitations at the front doors, up to 14 days per year. So, I went to a local Wal-Mart and got on schedule to set up a prayer/Bible/tract table at the front entrances. Tonight, I took the class to the store for what would be for many of them their first evangelism experience. We had about half the class make it for the trip, which made about 11 or 12 of us.
We split up into three teams. I had a table with Bibles and tracts at each of the two entrances, where we usually had 3-4 people handing out tracts to the customers. The rest would be out in the parking lot near the three exits/entrances, where they were holding big signs that read "Free Money!!". We had a dollar bill paper-clipped to a gospel tract that we gave to anyone who would take them. The plan was to rotate people through both the free money giveaway and the tracting at the doors, so that everyone would be able to experience both.
To be honest, I didn't expect things to go near as well as they did. I surmised that we might be able to give away 400-500 tracts on a Sunday night in two hours. Boy, what an underestimation! We gave out at least 1,700 tracts, possibly 2,000. Every person on the team was able to get into a witnessing encounter with someone who asked what we were doing this for. Several of those discussions lasted up to 20 minutes or more. Praise the Lord! People were stopping at the doors with questions and prayer requests, and out in the parking lot, there were many people who were completely disarmed by our generosity and came back ready with an open heart to hear the gospel. I don't know how things could have gone any better than they did tonight, especially for those who were putting evangelism into practice for the very first time.
Almost every Christian will agree that evangelism is an important and often neglected part of being a believer, and most would say they have the desire to go out and be the witness that God intends for them to be. The hardest part is just getting out there the first time. Once people see how easy and fun it is to evangelize, they will be asking when it is time to go again! It was a huge blessing to see everyone having a great time serving the Lord and others tonight. I am sure they were encouraged to find it was not nearly as difficult as our imaginations might tell us.
What about you? Are you afraid to make evangelism a regular part of your life because you are uneasy or nervous? Step out into the waters, murky though they may seem, and you will find that the Holy Spirit will fill your mouth and give you a boldness you have never known. You may walk timidly into it with fear, but you will leave dancing and clicking your heels with joy, knowing that you have just been used by the Lord in ways that may only be measured in eternity.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Bad Evangelistic Phrases
Todd Friel: 13 Evangelistic Phrases That Produce False Conversions
I came across this on the internet, an article written by Todd Friel called 13 Evangelistic Phrases That Produce False Conversions. This is great stuff, filled with truth. Enjoy.
Churches divide over carpet color, building additions and budgets. In the meantime, our fellow church members are going to hell by the boat load.
A.W. Tozer said, “It is my opinion that tens of thousands of people, if not millions, have been brought into some kind of religious experience by accepting Christ, and they have not been saved.”
D. James Kennedy said, “The vast majority of people who are members of churches in America today are not Christians. I say that without the slightest contradiction. I base it on empirical evidence of twenty-four years of examining thousands of people.”
Friend, we argue over so many petty things. May I suggest we have lost sight of the most important debate of all, “What is salvation?” My theology teaches that salvation happens when a man repents and places his trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).
I would like to present thirteen ways that we have re-defined how a person becomes a true convert. Have we done this intentionally? Certainly not. We have simply created lingo that has a grain of truth in Scripture, but it is so open to interpretation that the un-converted understand it in ways that lead to false conversions.
1. Make Jesus your Lord and Savior. We cannot make Jesus our Lord and Savior, He is our Lord and Savior. We are living in rebellion to Him and He commands us to repent and trust Him.
2. Ask Jesus into your heart. Does Jesus come into our hearts? Yes He does. The question is, “How does He get in there?” It is not by simply asking Him in; it is by repentance and faith.
3. Just believe in Jesus. The demons believe and they tremble. We must repent and trust.
4. You have a God-shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it. We have far more than a hole that needs to be filled so we can feel complete; we have a wretched, deceitful, sinful heart that needs cleansing. Repentance and faith applies the blood of the lamb for that cleansing.
5. Accept Jesus. Whoa. We need to accept Jesus? This is entirely backward. We need Jesus to accept us–and He will, if we repent and trust.
6. Make a decision for Jesus. Decisional regeneration puts man in the driver’s seat of salvation. When we repent and trust, Jesus decides to save us. That puts Him in the driver’s seat…where He demands.
7. It is easy to believe. While the formula of repentance and faith sounds simple, a complete surrendering of self in repentance is anything but easy. It’s hard.
8. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. The only promises for the convert are trials, temptation and persecution. If that is how you define a wonderful life, fine. Otherwise we must command all men everywhere to repent and trust.
9. Come to Jesus just as you are. We should come to Jesus just as the sinners we are, but He also expects a broken heart and contrite spirit demonstrated in repentance and faith.
10. Come to Jesus and you will receive forgiveness of sins and ________________ (fill in the blank with money, health, a healed marriage). Jesus didn’t promise healed marriages; in fact He promised broken homes because we would divide when one member repents and trusts.
11. Come to Jesus and experience love, joy, peace. Do we get the fruit of the Spirit upon conversion? Yes. But if we come seeking the gifts and not the giver, we will receive neither. Instead, we must repent and trust.
12. Jesus is the missing piece. Um, no, the God of the universe is not the missing piece, He demands that He is the center of our lives when we repent and trust.
13. Jesus is better than fame and fortune. That is an understatement, and frankly, it is insulting. Saying Jesus is better than money is like saying that a steak dinner is better than eating a dung hill. He defies comparison and we trivialize the Son of God. Instead, we should be pleading with all men everywhere to repent and trust.
If I showed up at your door with a can of grapefruit juice and a roll of paper towels and offered to change your oil, you would say, “No thanks.” If we wouldn’t let someone mess with our car using the wrong method, why do we allow the Gospel to be presented so ambiguously?
Would you let a doctor operate on your child who was “sort of” accurate? The salvation of men is far more important than an appendix.
I beg you to consider how you share the Gospel. You and I know what we are talking about when we use these phrases, but do the unregenerate? Is it possible that we have so many backsliders today because they never slid forward in the first place? Is it because they were never told that they must repent and trust?
If we are willing to debate shag verse plush in the fellowship hall, shouldn’t we be more concerned about an issue that has eternal consequences?
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Breaking the Ice
One of the hardest things to do in personal witnessing is getting the subject of spiritual things up. How do we go from, "Nice day, isn't it?" to "Have you been born again?" It is probably the #1 reason many people do not share their faith. They just don't know how to get started.
I know how frustrating it can be to have the desire to approach someone, but chicken out because I just couldn't find the right way to open it up. I imagine all sorts of different scenarios in my mind while trying to come up with the best opening line. If I say this, then he might say that, then I could respond with...
The biggest fear is saying something that turns him/her off and turns the whole thing into a disaster and embarrassment. That is why I love to use good gospel tracts. If you get your hands on a good tract, it can open the door up for you and transition a pleasant conversation into a witnessing opportunity smoothly. Once the ice is broken, you are off and running with the gospel.
Today, a dear brother named Shawn and I hit the streets and employed this effective technique. We primarily used the curved illusion tract (pictured) to have a little fun with people before we began to share the gospel with them. We also used some fake money tracts, which are always a great hit, and had a lot of wonderful encounters with men and women where we were able to get into long conversations.
The tracts that people enjoy are great because it helps you earn the right to witness to them. It is awkward to approach people and immediately begin opening up spiritual things to them, and some even find it offensive. We need to make some sort of connection with them first and smoothly go from one subject to the next. The curved illusion is a great example. There are other great tracts you can use that are fun and easy to use at www.livingwaters.com
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Missing link finally found!!... or not
Scientist have been hailing their latest discovery as the missing link in human evolution which finally will link our ancestry to primates. "Ida" has been dubbed as the 8th wonder of the world by the scientific community. But is this latest fossil really all its cracked up to be in terms its impact on the theory of evolution?
"Scientists Unveil Missing Link In Evolution: Scientists have unveiled a 47-million-year-old fossilised skeleton of a monkey hailed as the missing link in human evolution. This 95%-complete 'lemur monkey' is described as the 'eighth wonder of the world.' The search for a direct connection between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom has taken 200 years -- but it was presented to the world today at a special news conference in New York. The discovery of the 95%-complete 'lemur monkey' -- dubbed Ida -- is described by experts as the 'eighth wonder of the world.' They say its impact on the world of palaeontology will be 'somewhat like an asteroid falling down to Earth.' Researchers say proof of this transitional species finally confirms Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, and the then radical, outlandish ideas he came up with during his time aboard the Beagle. Sir David Attenborough said Darwin 'would have been thrilled' to have seen the fossil -- and says it tells us who we are and where we came from. 'This is the one that connects us directly with them' . . . Now people can say 'okay we are primates, show us the link . . . The link they would have said up to now is missing -- well it's no longer missing'."
Look at the words used to describe the find. "the search for a direct connection between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom has taken 200 years" What?! So upon what have they been building the case for evolution up until now? "the link they would have said up to now is missing -- well its no longer missing" So if there were no links between humans and the animal kingdom, how in the world has the theory gained so much steam? Does anyone else see a red flag waving?
Even more telling is the following statement, "This will be the one pictured in the textbooks for the next hundred years," said Dr Jørn Hurum, the paleontologist from Oslo University’s Natural History Museum who assembled the scientific team to study the fossil. "It tells a part of our evolution that’s been hidden so far. It’s been hidden because the only [other] specimens are so incomplete and so broken there’s nothing almost to study."
As one man puts it, drop the word "almost" and you have the truth. So the question becomes, "What in the world has the theory been based upon other than imagination and conjecture up until now? And how can I trust the assessment of a group of scientists who have not been forthcoming in the past? How do we know that "Ida" will not quickly become nothing more than another illustraton of how scientists got it wrong?
Here is some more for you to laugh at...."It's caught at a really very interesting moment [in the animal's life] when it fortunately has all its baby teeth and is in the process of forming all its permanent teeth," said Dr Holly Smith, an expert in primate development at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The article goes on to say,"Crucially though, Ida is not on the lemur line because she lacks two key characteristics shared by lemurs – a grooming claw on her second toe and a fused set of teeth called a tooth comb. Also, a bone in her ankle called the talus is shaped like members of our branch of the primates. So the researchers believe she may be on our evolutionary line dating from just after the split with the lemurs."
So she hasnt formed her teeth yet but she is pulled from the lemur line because she doesnt have fused teeth? What kind of scientists are working on this? These people believe this fossil connects us to primates because of of a similarity an an ankle bone? An ankle bone? And Ida is hailed as the missing link!
If that isnt enough of a smoking gun for you, wait until you hear this from an msnbc report from May 19, 2009. "The fossil was apparently discovered in 1983 by private collectors who split and eventually sold two parts of the skeleton on separate plates: The lesser part was restored and, in the process, partly fabricated to make it look more complete."
Do I even need to say anything further?
Never be afraid to ask your evolutionist friends for "proof" of the fairy tale they call Evolution. As scientists have unwittingly confessed, there has been none until now, and even what they think they have has been "fabricated".
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Seeing is Believing?
Look at the image to the right. Are the circles moving? Focus on the black dot in the center. Come on, you know they are not moving, but your eyes are deceiving you. You can't always trust what your eyes are telling you. As a matter of fact, when you look at the sky, your eyes tell you that it is blue, when in truth, as astronauts can confirm, the sky is clear. They don't have to scrape the blue off the windshield of the shuttle.When you look at a long, flat road on a hot day, you see water on the roadway, when it is nothing more than an illusion.
These are some of the questions I like to bring up to people who demand that they must physically see God in order to believe he exists. How could they believe it even of they did see it? Maybe it would be a hallucination! Those looking for excuses often will find them, and believe me, anyone who can look at the genius of creation and still profess ignorance concerning God's existence is inventing excuses.
Even if we cannot see the creator himself, we can conclude with absolute certainty by the vast complexity of things created that he must exist. Romans 1 describes in detail how the biggest problem in the mind of the skeptic is not the lack of evidence for God, but the suppression of it, thereby rendering him without excuse on the day of judgement.
Take the example of Stonehenge. No one is foolish enough to think that these massive stones fell together in order by themselves. No one knows who put them there or how they did it, but we all know that an intelligent mind, or minds, put them in order. You would get laughed out of the scientific and historical communities of you suggested that this were a mere cosmic accident. Yet these are the same people who will look you in the eye, with a straight face, and tell you God does not exist and everything else you see, the balanced order of nature and the universe are the result of time and chance!
Psalms 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.
We don't have to literally see God to know he exists. The promise of the Bible is that if you will seek him, you will find him. If you will humble yourself before God, repent of your sins and trust the savior, Jesus Christ, then he will manifest himself to you. If you will call on the name of the Lord, you will be saved. God will come and live inside of you, and give you a new heart with new desires. Jesus described it as being born again.
He said the wind blows where it wishes, and you can hear the sound of it but you can't tell where it comes from or where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
You can't physically see the Holy Spirit inside of someone, but you can see the effects. You can't see wind, but you can see its effects. You see the trees moving and the dust blowing around. When a person becomes a Christian you start seeing the effects of what God is doing in his heart. No one, especially the Christian, can deny a changed heart and a changed life.
You and I may not be able to see God face to face, but we experience the effects of his creative hand in everything we see, hear taste, feel, etc.
Don't ever be afraid to defend the existence of God. Look around. He is defending it quite well all on his own.
See you on the streets!!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Liberty
Independence Day is a wonderful day of reflection and gratitude for the liberties we enjoy and the benefits of living in this great nation. As we look back on the sacrifices that men and women have made for our country, we are humbled and thankful for their efforts, and now we celebrate our independence as a free nation.
If you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you have a reason to celebrate freedom as well. The ten great cannons of the Law of God were once pointed in your direction, and you were held under the curse of the law, with no way of escape, until Jesus Christ fulfilled it on your behalf and then bled and died to pay the penalty for your sins. You were powerless to overcome the strength of sin within you, until you were forgiven of your sins and given the Spirit of God. Then, He proved he had power over sin and death with the ultimate victory of the resurrection.
Now you and I live in a constant state of gratitude, thankfulness, joy, and celebration as we look back on the sacrifice of the Savior, and look forward to the Day of the Lord.
When we stand before the Lord, the Law will have no power over us because our sins have been blotted out. We can have great boldness and assurance in the presence of God because we are covered with the snow-white righteousness of the Son of God. Our names are written in the book, and we have an inheritance in the kingdom because of the death of the Savior.
All glory, power and honor belong to the King, our Lord Jesus Christ!
If you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you have a reason to celebrate freedom as well. The ten great cannons of the Law of God were once pointed in your direction, and you were held under the curse of the law, with no way of escape, until Jesus Christ fulfilled it on your behalf and then bled and died to pay the penalty for your sins. You were powerless to overcome the strength of sin within you, until you were forgiven of your sins and given the Spirit of God. Then, He proved he had power over sin and death with the ultimate victory of the resurrection.
Now you and I live in a constant state of gratitude, thankfulness, joy, and celebration as we look back on the sacrifice of the Savior, and look forward to the Day of the Lord.
When we stand before the Lord, the Law will have no power over us because our sins have been blotted out. We can have great boldness and assurance in the presence of God because we are covered with the snow-white righteousness of the Son of God. Our names are written in the book, and we have an inheritance in the kingdom because of the death of the Savior.
All glory, power and honor belong to the King, our Lord Jesus Christ!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Portland, OR June 20th
Our time in Portland was a total blast! At first, it looked like we were going to get rained out. As Joel Mattila and I made our way down to Portland from Vancouver, it rained all the way through Vancouver and across the I-5 bridge, and then quit as we entered downtown Portland. We were encouraged to see people hanging around at the Waterfront Park, so we parked and made our way in. The rest of our team was to be arriving shortly, so we set up our ladder, sp
eaker and heckler's mic and away we went. Here you can see me as I am trying valiantly to gather a crowd on a wet Saturday afternoon.
Our first attempt was rather bleak. I could only muster up a crowd of about 10-15, which dwindled down to about 6 by the time I finished preaching. The Portland PD decided to make an appearance and we had a long discussion with an officer about our rights of free speech and how far we were allowed to take it in our open-air endeavors. The officer had a surprisingly good handle on the law, which can be rare when it comes to exercising free speech. His only concern was that someone could trip over our equipment and we would be liable in that case. So, even though it was not against the law, we decided we would do some pure open-air and go for it without amplification.
A tour-guide boat was just docking up nearby, unloading about two hundred passengers, so I took advantage of the situation and began to gather a crowd. Things went extraordinarily well, as I was able to
preach to a good size crow
d, including dozens of bystanders who were listening in from a distance. They were very open and receptive to the gospel. It was one of the most fun times of open air that I have had.
The other members of the team showed up just as the
people began spilling out of the ship and onto the sidewalks, and they boldly began dishing out tracts. Giselle actually went right to the gates where they came off the ramp and gave a tract to each passenger as they stepped onto the concrete! Giselle lives near Kelowna, B.C., and is also a member of the Ambassador's Alliance. She shares a passion for soul-winning with Joel, Darren and I and it was a blessing to have her as a part of our team for the day. She is one of the most fearless female evangelists I have worked with.
Darren is a seasoned street evangelist who I have had the pleasure of hitting the streets with on a number of occ
asions. It is always a blessing to work alongside a brother who comes prepared and loaded for bear. He is great at overcoming fear and stepping into situations that make me nervous, which in turn encourages me to be more bold. Here we found an ideal spot at the Saturday Market where there were lots of people moving about. We were discussing how and where we should set up to preach when all of the sudden we hear this booming voice open up with the gospel. Darren doesn't mess around. He just jumps right in and goes for it.
The afternoon went by quickly, as it usually does when you are in good company. The rain never did come to ruin our efforts, and many people heard the gospel and received the written word in a tract. Please pray for the city of Portland, which is especially known for being very liberal and full of witchcraft and homosexuality. Pray for more laborers to reach out in this city to those who need the message of salvation. Stay tuned to the website for events coming up in your area that you can be a part of.
www.sowingtheseed.com
See you on the streets!
eaker and heckler's mic and away we went. Here you can see me as I am trying valiantly to gather a crowd on a wet Saturday afternoon.Our first attempt was rather bleak. I could only muster up a crowd of about 10-15, which dwindled down to about 6 by the time I finished preaching. The Portland PD decided to make an appearance and we had a long discussion with an officer about our rights of free speech and how far we were allowed to take it in our open-air endeavors. The officer had a surprisingly good handle on the law, which can be rare when it comes to exercising free speech. His only concern was that someone could trip over our equipment and we would be liable in that case. So, even though it was not against the law, we decided we would do some pure open-air and go for it without amplification.
A tour-guide boat was just docking up nearby, unloading about two hundred passengers, so I took advantage of the situation and began to gather a crowd. Things went extraordinarily well, as I was able to
preach to a good size crow
d, including dozens of bystanders who were listening in from a distance. They were very open and receptive to the gospel. It was one of the most fun times of open air that I have had.The other members of the team showed up just as the
people began spilling out of the ship and onto the sidewalks, and they boldly began dishing out tracts. Giselle actually went right to the gates where they came off the ramp and gave a tract to each passenger as they stepped onto the concrete! Giselle lives near Kelowna, B.C., and is also a member of the Ambassador's Alliance. She shares a passion for soul-winning with Joel, Darren and I and it was a blessing to have her as a part of our team for the day. She is one of the most fearless female evangelists I have worked with.Darren is a seasoned street evangelist who I have had the pleasure of hitting the streets with on a number of occ
asions. It is always a blessing to work alongside a brother who comes prepared and loaded for bear. He is great at overcoming fear and stepping into situations that make me nervous, which in turn encourages me to be more bold. Here we found an ideal spot at the Saturday Market where there were lots of people moving about. We were discussing how and where we should set up to preach when all of the sudden we hear this booming voice open up with the gospel. Darren doesn't mess around. He just jumps right in and goes for it.The afternoon went by quickly, as it usually does when you are in good company. The rain never did come to ruin our efforts, and many people heard the gospel and received the written word in a tract. Please pray for the city of Portland, which is especially known for being very liberal and full of witchcraft and homosexuality. Pray for more laborers to reach out in this city to those who need the message of salvation. Stay tuned to the website for events coming up in your area that you can be a part of.
www.sowingtheseed.com
See you on the streets!
Another Big Year
As many of you know, this past weekend was the second year we went to the Hoopfest event in Spokane, the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in North America. This event fills up Spokane Riverfront Park, as well as 40 city blocks, with over 2,400 teams and 25,000 players, with 175,000 fans! An evangelist's gold mine! This is by far the largest event of the year for us in the northwest when it comes to street evangelism.
This year, we had a small but effective team. Only myself and a brother named Rick Thursby made the trek from Tri-Cities, but we met up with
brothers and sisters from Spokane who also took advantage of this incredible opportunity to get the gospel out. An aquaintence of mine named Ken brought down a team from his church in Spokane, and they spread the word from about 9:00 am till noon. We tried to link up with them, but most of the team had gone home by the time Rick and I made it from our parking lot to the meeting place. It took us over an hour to walk 6 blocks! Of course, we were handing out tracts as we went along, which slowed us down. In 6 city blocks, we handed out over 1000 tracts!
Rick is a faithful brother in Christ who shares a burden for the lost and is committed to bringing the message of salvation to the world. He is active in a local jail ministry where he holds Bible studies twice a week. Rick is an absolute machine on the streets, and proved himself to be an invaluable member of any evangelism team. He fearlessly approached strangers and handed them tracts all day long. When people asked what they were, he was not ashamed to admit that they were gospel tracts. I would estimate that Rick single-handedly forked out probably 2,000 tracts in one day! We left the truck with at least 3,000 tracts, and I know Rick gave out more than I did, because for a good portion of the day, I was setting up for and open-air preaching. Rick was tireless as he stood with his hands full of tracts, offering them to passersby with a pleasant smile, "Did you get
one of these?"A little later in the afternoon, we were joined by Calvin and Debbie Matson, along with their family. As soon as they met up with us, both they and their children were anxious to get started right away. It was encouraging to see their kids taking the bull by the horns and boldly offering tracts to young people and adults. Unfortunately for them, we had long since run out of our most popular tracts, but even those that we had remaining seemed to go quite quickly. We set up and preached once while they were there as well. Here you can see Debbie approaching s
ome strangers with tracts. Most of the pictures you see here were taken on a side street which we utilized for preaching. We didn't want to disrupt the flow of foot traffic on the main streets, or we would have certainly been shut down by the authorities, so we found an ideal area where there were still plenty of people to gather a crowd. The tracts went as fast as you can hand them out on the main streets. In fact, by the time we left, we had a meager 40 or so tracts left in our pockets.
There are so many people crowding the streets at this event, it would take a large team and a substantial effort to make a big impact. However, we were very encouraged to have brothers and sisters approach us and tell us they had been seeing people all over the event reading our tracts! I personally had several people tell me they had been looking for us to get their own because the tracts were so cool.
I know that everyone on our team this year had the time of our lives, enjoying fellowship and the fulfillment that only comes from serving the Lord and being used greatly by Him. Maybe next year we will have a few more recruits to join in the festivities. Until then, stay tuned into the website for events coming up in your area where you can be used to reach your community for Christ!
www.sowingtheseed.com
See you on the streets!!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Combine Demolition Derby .... What's that???
This year marked the 22nd annual Combine Demolition Derby in the small farming town of Lind, in eastern WA. This event attracts crowds of up to 4,000 to the community of about 450 people. Instead of having a demo derby with old cars, they use combines! Yeah, that's right, combines! What a great opportunity to get the gospel into the hands of lost and dying people!
A fellow evangelist and I took the 1 hour trip into the boonies to the small middle-of-nowhere town to reach out to the people there with the gospel. To my delight, admission into the event was free, and there were people wandering around all over.
We started out handing out tracts, trying to keep a low profile while observing the situation to see what kind of security measures were in place before we became too bold.
At one point, there was a break in the action and the crowds swelled out of the bleachers and to the concession stands, and I saw my opportunity. I quickly ran to our vehicle and grabbed my ladder and amplifier. Then, when I was about to set up in a perfect place, crowd management services personnel came by and scared me off. They had no idea what I was about to do, and did not speak to me, but these were the same people who had shut me down just a few months ago in Tri-Cities at a hockey game.
I chickened out because I
didn't want to get booted too early.So, I just continued doing what I was doing, handing out tracts to random people.
Then, just before we left, I went up the bleachers, row by row, handing out wads of tracts saying,"Take one, pass them along, please." You should have seen it! People loved them. I was using the Giant Money tracts. I gave out hundreds of them like that! HA! I was wanting to do it all the while, but I was afraid of getting caught and being booted too soon. But it worked great! I just acted confident like a normal vendor and the security didn't say a word. Hee hee!
My buddy had great success handing out tracts as well. Marshall is a seasoned veteran of street witnessing who has a passion for contending for the truth of the gospel, especially concerning the cults. He is a valuable asset to any evangelism team. The new Obama Trillions (the bailout bill) are quite a hit, especially in rural America, where he is not exactly adored. Now that I know how big the event is, I will take a bigger team up next year and maybe get a little more bold. I really think the crowd management services were only there for alcohol monitoring. It was a really good atmosphere, so I'm hoping I can contact the organizers and get permission to preach next year.
Please pray for me. I attend a church of about 1000, and the pastors just asked me today to do an 8 week series on evangelism training. I'm really nervous. I have a lot I would like to go over, but I know that I may have to tread lightly to start out. I don't want to come on too heavy at first.
Also, there is one gentleman in particular who is very aggressively pursuing an alliance with me to combine our ministries, but I don't know him that well and am a little apprehensive about getting too involved right away. Please pray for me to have wisdom, discernment, and a gentle and loving touch when dealing with him and with my church. Thanks, brothers and sisters!
Next week, we'll be in Portland hitting the streets, and the following week we'll be in Spokane. If you can make it to either of these events, contact me. We'll see you on the streets!
Assurance
I was on my way to work last week, and happened to be praying about some specific things. One of which, was that the Lord would help me not have any more doubts. (Yes, even after 11 yrs of being a believer, I still go through seasons of doubt) I know that when this happens, my doubting actually is a great insult to God. If I doubt him, I am insinuating that he is a liar and His word is not true or worth trusting. So, I was repenting before him and asking that he help me not to go through any more times of doubt.
When I arrived at work, I opened my email and received this message from Todd Friel of Wretched Radio. I took it as an answer to prayer and I am sharing it with you so that if there are any more out there who sometimes succumb to a wave of doubt, you can overcome that doubt by a proper understanding of the grace of God.
When I arrived at work, I opened my email and received this message from Todd Friel of Wretched Radio. I took it as an answer to prayer and I am sharing it with you so that if there are any more out there who sometimes succumb to a wave of doubt, you can overcome that doubt by a proper understanding of the grace of God.
Salvation Assurance. Got it?
God wants you to know that you are saved. The entire book of I John was written for that very reason (I John 5:13). Do you have that assurance? Do you know that you are saved? Have you lost the fear of going to hell?
God wants you to walk with Him in confidence. He does not want you in the Slough of Despond. If you are wobbly in your confidence, let’s see if we can get you out of the pit.
This is going to sound radical, but I wonder if you are shaky because of your fear of sinning.
Don’t get me wrong, you and I should be afraid to sin, but the question is, “Why?” While there are several reasons, I suggest there should only be one reason for the believer. If you have been afraid to sin for the wrong reason, perhaps that is why you have no assurance.
There are two wrong reasons for being afraid to sin.
Reason 1: Wrong Theology
Are you afraid to sin because that will demonstrate you are not actually saved? Uh oh. That is wrong. Ponder this carefully.
Your fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control) is an excellent sign that you are saved (Galatians 5). While external transformation takes effort, it is relatively attainable. But having a heart change is impossible unless God has saved you.
On the other hand, your sins are only POSSIBLY a sign that you are not saved. Note this well: Christians sin. That’s right, true born again believers will sin (I John). If you sin, that does not prove that you are a false convert.
“But wait,” you say. “Doesn’t the Bible say that if we keep on sinning we are of the devil?”
It sure does, but that is the key: you keep on sinning.
Let’s not sugar coat this, if you are living in willful, unrepentant, persistent sin, you are not saved. You need to repent. Now.
But if you are a man or woman who is growing in holiness (love, joy, peace, etc.) and you are not living in on-going, willful sin, then be assured: you are IN HIM.
You are saved. You have forgiveness of sins. You are adopted into His family. You are His child. You have all of the rights and privileges of an heir. STOP DOUBTING.
“But wait,” you protest. “I don’t want to sin so that grace might more abound.”
That is good, but hear me well: YOU WON'T. If you are in Him, you will not, nor cannot be a grace abuser. Why not? Because you have a new heart and new desires.
Reason 2: Wrong Motive
Perhaps your motive for not sinning is to prove that you are saved. That too is wrong.
What should be your motive for not sinning? It is NOT to prove that you are in Him.
Your fear of sinning should be motivated by your position in and love for Christ. You loathe sin because you are in Him and you do not want to sin against the One you love so profoundly.
Let me demonstrate what I am describing with the Tale of Two Christians.
Doubting Danny
Danny has a born again experience. He can remember when God brought him low and he repented of his sins and trusted Jesus. He reads the Bible every day and his family notices that he is a different person. He has even lost a lot of his old friends because he is “so Christian.” But Danny has doubts.
Danny has mortified his gross sins. The pornography has ceased and the anger is gone…almost. You see, occasionally Danny still gets kind of mad. Not nearly as mad as he used to, but he still finds himself getting annoyed in traffic and short with the kids.
When Danny gets wound up, he recognizes his sin, apologizes to God and then frets that he is not actually saved. His worry ebbs and flows based on how well he is doing.
Assured Alice
Like Danny, Alice has a born again experience. She can remember when God adopted her and she reads the Bible every day. Her family notices that she is different. Alice has no doubts she is saved.
Why not?
Alice used to be a raging gossip who loved her soap operas. Now she hates those things. Unfortunately, Alice will sometimes find herself in a conversation and she will realize that she is spreading gossip. She bridles her tongue, apologizes to God and praises Him that He has rescued her and has given her a new heart. She asks Him to help her not sin again. As the day progresses, she will thank God for His amazing grace toward her, a sinner.
Unfortunately, Alice sins again. While flipping through the channels to find Wretched TV, she lingers for a few seconds on a channel that she promised God she would not watch again. Alice gets mad at herself. Turns off the TV and apologizes to God and thanks Him that He has so graciously saved such a fowl creature. Alice is filled with awe at God’s loving-kindness. She cries.
Alice is resolved to not sin again because she is HEARTBROKEN every time she does. She does not battle sin to prove she is a Christian, but she battles sin simply because she is a Christian who loves to please the Lord with obedience. She knows that when she sins, she has increased the suffering of her Savior and treated Him with contempt, something she hates.
The thought of abusing God’s grace is the furthest thing from Alice’s mind. Let me repeat: the thought of abusing grace is the furthest thing from a Christian’s mind. Grace abuse is the last thing a Christian wants to do. Let me beat that horse. Not only will Christians not abuse grace; they won’t even want to abuse grace.
Our motive for not sinning should not be to prove we are not a false convert, but because we stand in awe of His grace.
Look to the cross, rejoice in your Savior. Do not fear. You will not abuse His grace as you walk this way. In fact, you will sin even less.
Please, do not be a doubting Danny. Be an assured Alice (unless you are a man, then be an assured Alan). Trust Him. Rest in Him. Because you are in Him.
Then go, and serve your King.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Hitting the Streets
Hey guys and gals, sorry its been a few weeks since my last posting. I have been experiencing technical problems with my computer (big surprise) but it looks like we're up and running once again. I am very excited about the good weather returning and what that means for evangelism opportunities. Last weekend, we hit the park and had a total blast handing out tracts, getting into great conversations with people and even open air preaching. Parks officials came and had a listen to us and didnt even try to shut us down. They just told us we would be needing a permit next time for the amplification. Sweet!
This Saturday, it looked like it was not going to be a very good day at all. When I showed up, the place was empty, as you can see! But there were a few people milling around and setting up for cook-outs, and I had a buddy showing up in a few minutes who was expecting to see some evangelism in action, so I could hardly just pack it up and go home in defeat.
Randy is a solid believer with a heart for the lost who has been wanting to come out for a while and hit the streets. Today was going to be a great day because even though it started out slow, it gave us the purpose of mind to spend plenty of time explaining the gospel to people. We used some great tracts as ice-breakers to open up conversations about spiritual things. I really like the tracts we used today because they are so cool that even if someone doesn't like the message on them, they keep them anyway. Who knows how many times they will read the gospel and keep having those seeds planted? The curved illusions are always a big hit.
When we saw these women from a distance, we were intimidated by the thought of approaching them, but it turned out well. The woman on the left was especially frightening for poor Randy, who was valiantly giving his best effort to deliver the gospel to them, but she was having fun with him. Overall, they loved our tracts and encouraged us to keep sharing with others.
We encountered a lot of young people who have Christian parents who bring them to church, but they didn't really understand the gospel and how it all works. We were able to share with them about the difference between simply acknowledging the truth of the gospel and actually being born of the Spirit. These girls had all heard the gospel before, but didn't quite grasp the meaning or repentance and faith. We gave them each a few tracts and shared with them our own testimonies of how we became Christians.
What was especially great about today was watching Randy break out of his comfort zone and do some radical things for Jesus. He was a bit nervous at first, but after experiencing the Lord's faithfulness, he became more bold and more confident as the afternoon went on. This family was the last encounter we had today and Randy handled them beautifully, from start to finish.
That is the best part about going out and opening our mouths for the kingdom of God. We all have fears, and we are all afraid of rejection. But that is when we draw from His strength. We let His strength be made perfect in our weakness. Then He gets all the glory! We don't rely on our own wisdom or power, but upon the Holy Spirit. So determine that you will share the love of God with those around you, and when you feel afraid, ask for boldness, and see what the Lord does through you.
Just think, a couple of hours out of your busy schedule on a Saturday could make the difference for eternity for someone else. Don't hide your light under a bushel, but rather let it out for all to see. See you on the streets!!
If you are on Facebook, go to Sowing the Seed profile and become a fan. You will recieve updates on upcoming evangelism events that you can be a part of. We would love to have you along!
This Saturday, it looked like it was not going to be a very good day at all. When I showed up, the place was empty, as you can see! But there were a few people milling around and setting up for cook-outs, and I had a buddy showing up in a few minutes who was expecting to see some evangelism in action, so I could hardly just pack it up and go home in defeat.
Randy is a solid believer with a heart for the lost who has been wanting to come out for a while and hit the streets. Today was going to be a great day because even though it started out slow, it gave us the purpose of mind to spend plenty of time explaining the gospel to people. We used some great tracts as ice-breakers to open up conversations about spiritual things. I really like the tracts we used today because they are so cool that even if someone doesn't like the message on them, they keep them anyway. Who knows how many times they will read the gospel and keep having those seeds planted? The curved illusions are always a big hit.
When we saw these women from a distance, we were intimidated by the thought of approaching them, but it turned out well. The woman on the left was especially frightening for poor Randy, who was valiantly giving his best effort to deliver the gospel to them, but she was having fun with him. Overall, they loved our tracts and encouraged us to keep sharing with others.
We encountered a lot of young people who have Christian parents who bring them to church, but they didn't really understand the gospel and how it all works. We were able to share with them about the difference between simply acknowledging the truth of the gospel and actually being born of the Spirit. These girls had all heard the gospel before, but didn't quite grasp the meaning or repentance and faith. We gave them each a few tracts and shared with them our own testimonies of how we became Christians.
What was especially great about today was watching Randy break out of his comfort zone and do some radical things for Jesus. He was a bit nervous at first, but after experiencing the Lord's faithfulness, he became more bold and more confident as the afternoon went on. This family was the last encounter we had today and Randy handled them beautifully, from start to finish.
That is the best part about going out and opening our mouths for the kingdom of God. We all have fears, and we are all afraid of rejection. But that is when we draw from His strength. We let His strength be made perfect in our weakness. Then He gets all the glory! We don't rely on our own wisdom or power, but upon the Holy Spirit. So determine that you will share the love of God with those around you, and when you feel afraid, ask for boldness, and see what the Lord does through you.
Just think, a couple of hours out of your busy schedule on a Saturday could make the difference for eternity for someone else. Don't hide your light under a bushel, but rather let it out for all to see. See you on the streets!!
If you are on Facebook, go to Sowing the Seed profile and become a fan. You will recieve updates on upcoming evangelism events that you can be a part of. We would love to have you along!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Cleaning the Inside of the Cup
The purpose of this blog has always been and will continue to be to equip and encourage believers to reach out to the lost and dying world around us with the message of the gospel. Each of us has not only the high calling, but also the responsibility of sharing the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ with those who are perishing.
This week we are going to shift focus for a moment because it is important for us to have self-evaluation time as followers of Christ. If we are going to open our mouths for the kingdom of God, we don't want the world to see us as hypocrites. Remember Jesus' scathing rebuke aimed at the pharisees when he said they were like white-washed tombs - all clean on the outside, but inside they were full of dead men's bones. Our hearts must be right with the Lord if we want to be true and faithful witnesses.
If you are going through a time when you aren't in the Word, or your prayer life has been suffering, or you've been struggling with a certain sin, you will find that during those times you won't exactly be filled with evangelistic zeal. Even if we were to try out of a sense of guilt or duty, you and I will not be effective witnesses if the reality of our walk with the Lord is being constantly challenged by our disobedience or neglect.
The inside of the cup must be clean as well. Of course, we all go through valleys and times of testing. I am not suggesting that we need be perfect in order to be used by God. I am a flake and he uses me, so I know he can use you. I think you understand my point.
So how do we go about examining ourselves? What are some practical ways we can look at our walk and see where we need improvement, or more specifically, repentance? I am going to give a small list of questions that is not original, which is intended for "accountability partners". I have never personally been a huge fan of the concept of accountability partnerships because it seems to reveal a lack of understanding or reverence for God. You won't do certain things because you'll have to answer to your "partner", when all the while God Himself has been right there beside you. How about not doing them because He is watching?
I am, however, a fan of prayer partners. That is, a relationship where you can confide in a trusted friend(s) about areas of struggle and you pray for and with that person(s). Spending time with brothers and sisters in the Lord and challenging each other can reveal a lot to us about our walk with the Lord, so I really like this list. You can do it with another, or just take some quiet time and go through it alone with the Lord.
1. Hi how's your day been?
2. Did you experience any struggles/victories this week?
3. What problem has consumed you this past week?
4. How have you been tempted this past week?
5. Do you feel emotionally drawn or vulnerable to someone other than your spouse?
6. Have you lacked integrity in any of your financial dealings?
7. How's your devotional life?; what can I pray for you about this week?
8. How have your times in the Word and prayer been?
9. Which direction is your personal relationship with Christ going?
10. Have you abused your position of ministry or leadership in any way?
11. Have you given adequate priority time to your spouse? Your kids? Your friendships? How?
12. Have you been diligent in areas of agreed-upon personal discipline, such as diet, exercise, prayer, anger-control, gossiping, morning wake-up time, sleep time,etc.?
13. What progress have you been making toward your life goals?
14. Have you observed anything in my life that I need to hear about?
15. Have you lied to me in any of your answers?
Again, this list is intended for accountability partnerships, but as you can see it can easily be adapted in order for us to reflect on our own life and our relationship with the Lord. Take time to make sure the inside of your cup is clean.
See you on the streets!
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