S.O.W.E.R.

Tolerance

2012-03-08T22:27:00.003-08:00

"Tolerance is a virtue for those without convictions." -GK Chesterton

So, let's talk about "tolerance" and try to understand the word, because I think it's been taken out of context quite a bit lately. It would seem that the gay rights activists think it means we all have to agree in order to be tolerant. But these are some of the most intolerant people towards anyone who disagrees with them that I've ever seen.

We cannot even have tolerance unless we disagree. What is there to tolerate if you completely agree with someone else?

I disagree with the homosexual lifestyle, like Kirk Cameron, I find it unnatural and destructive. I will vote against homosexual marriage, I will talk to people about what the Bible says about the subject But I do not hate nor fear homosexuals. I do not beat them up for their beliefs or think they should be jailed or killed. I would say that I am fairly tolerant in my disagreement with it. Why is that so bad? Am I not entitled to my opinion just as everyone else?

I will never agree that it's right because the Bible clearly condemns it. Anyone who claims to be a Christian, yet condones that lifestyle is either deceived or ignorant, and any church leader who teaches that it's ok as a Christian is a false teacher.

If I must be considered "intolerant" because I will stand up for what I believe, and can argue the point from a biblical perspective, then fine. But those who throw around the accusations must acknowledge that they are just as "intolerant" as I am, in order for them to avoid the label of "hypocrite."

Saturday 03-03-12

2012-03-05T11:49:00.002-08:00

Tom and I met Alan out on Mill Ave. We brought the illusion board, which always attracts attention, and a couple stopped by to check it out as soon as we had it set up.

Tobias and Crystal liked the illusion, and we took them through some of the "IQ questions" which lightens the mood and gets some laughs at how easily we can be fooled by a few trick questions. Then they agreed to go through the Good Person Test (GPT). She seemed a little strung out on something and wasn't paying much attention, but he listened and took it seriously. We gave them a couple of tracts before they headed on their way. Before I was even done talking with them, Tom was speaking with another couple that had stopped by to look at the board.

Later, there was a group of around ten to fifteen people that were checking out the illusion board, so I got out the mic in order to speak with them all at once, and take them through the GPT. One woman seemed interested at first, but as we started going through the Law and the fact that we all deserve to be punished in hell, she decided to walk away without hearing the rest. A couple of her friends left a few minutes later, but the others stayed and listened, getting a clear view of our need for a Savior.

So many people in America believe that they can get into heaven by being a "good person," and they don't like being shown how they stand up to God's standards. These are the ones that are referred to as "innoculated backsliders", knowing just enough of a watered down message to think that they are safe, believing that God is only love, and will just forgive everyone no matter what they do, because He knows their heart. Well, God is more than just love, He is also holy, righteous and just. He does indeed know your heart, and that thought ought to really scare you, because our hearts are deceitfully wicked. If you don't believe that, seriously comtemplate this:

If we could record your mind, every thought and secret desire that you've had in just the past year, and we could put that up on a large screen and invite everyone you know, family, friends, coworkers and acquintences, to view your thought life, how would you feel? Think about this seriously, wouldn't you run away from there and never go back? Because you know that you've thought things that you would never share with even your closest friend. I know this because I am human, just like you, and none of us measure up to God's standards. Know for a fact that God sees every thought, and He is the Creator and Judge of all mankind. We should be very afraid that a holy and righteous God who gave us a standard to live by, knows our every thought and desire of our hearts, and we have violated His law. Without Jesus Christ to pay the fine that we owe, we would all be rightfully cast into the lake of fire for eternity, for our thoughts and deeds in transgression of His Law. Our only hope is to repent of our sins, turn away, foresaking the evil we once loved, and then trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation.

A couple of homeless people stopped by throughout the night. I have a few "Gift For You" tracts, which has a place to insert a bill and includes a good Gospel message within it. These people were very appreciative and started reading it right away.

You can get some of these at Living Waters.

A man named Hubert stopped and asked us for prayer. He was pretty drunk and has a serious drinking problem, which is causing issues with his family. He wants to be reconciled with them, but continues to go home drunk. We prayed for him and Tom talked with him for a while about needing to give up alcohol and get his life clean.

Julian, who goes by "Jersey" stopped by with a couple of friends to check out our illusion board. We took him throught the GPT, and he seemed to be convicted, as it made a lot of sense to him. His friends wandered off, but he stayed and talked with us for a while. He said this was "real" and we gave him some tracts to take with him.

A man named Julio stopped by, and claimed to be a Christian. He said that he didn't believe in "duality", that it's not as simple as right and wrong, good and bad, but more of a gray area. I took him through the GPT anyway, and he said that he appreciated what we were doing out there. However, even as he professed Christianity, he said that he did not believe that Jesus Christ was the only way. He thought that people in other religions might have some sort of "Christ-consiousness" as he called it. I explained that if there was any other way, then Jesus Christ died in vain. I explained that the Bible states that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father, except through Him. There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved.

It seems that his problem is that he has relatives who are Buddhists and Muslims and does not want to think that there is no hope for them apart from Jesus Christ. He couldn't take the exclusivity, which is the main thing that makes Christianity so offensive to unbelievers. Sean talked with him for a while, but didn't make much progress, either. I gave him an "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven" tract before we left, please pray that he will read it and the Lord will open his eyes to understand the Gospel and be saved, for the glory of God.

Soli Deo Gloria

Building on the Foundation

2012-02-28T21:22:00.001-08:00

As I was reading my Bible today, I came across 1 Cor 3:10, which says that men must be careful how they build on Christ's foundation. 1 Cor 3:13 and 1 Cor 3:15 tell us how the quality of our works will be tested by fire, and if it doesn't measure up, we will suffer loss, even though we are still saved.

So, the thought occurred to me that maybe this could be speaking of evangelism. How many times do we hear, "God can use any method to accomplish His purpose of saving someone."? True enough, but that does not excuse us from the responsibility to follow the example given in Scripture. Even Pharaoh and Judas were used for God’s purpose, yet it did not justify their actions.

What if things like "God has a wonderful plan for your life" and the "love and grace only" Gospel, having no biblical foundation, will be burned up when tested? Even though people may have been saved by these methods, they are leaving out half the Gospel, and so they are not completely biblical. We have started using man’s ways instead of God’s way (Is 55:9) to proclaim the way of salvation.

Those works, although well intentioned, may well be burned up when tested by fire because they are not the methods given in the Bible: Law to the proud, grace to the humble (1 Pet 5:5, James 4:6). The Law is the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Gal 3:24). The Law is perfect, converting the soul (Psalm 19:7), why should we look for other ways? Paul said he would not even know what sin was, apart from the Law (Rom 7:7). God is the Judge, and He is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11). Shouldn’t we warn people? Of course we should, God doesn’t want anyone to perish (Eze 18:32), yet many will (James 1:14-15). And He has commanded us to warn them, as a watchman on the wall. We cannot actually convert anyone, only God does that. Yet He will hold us responsible for warning them (Eze 33:8-9).

Granted, your salvation is not at stake for using unbiblical methods to reach out to others. Evangelizing by any method is actually more than a lot of people do. Yet do you really want to forfeit any part of the reward that God has for you? Wouldn't you rather be like Paul, able to say, I have finished the race (2 Tim 4:7), stayed strong, preached the full Gospel (Acts 20:26-27)?

If we call Him Lord, wouldn't we want to do things His way, rather than trying to make up our own? Wouldn't we rather hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt 25:21), instead of, "Congratulations, you just barely made it in by the skin of your teeth, your clothes have scorch marks on them!"?

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 02/18/12

2012-02-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

The DJ and breakdancing team set up in front of the post office this past weekend. They don't care if anyone else is already there or not, they have loud amps and just blast everyone else away. There was another guy set up there, singing and playing guitar before they arrived, and he wasn't too happy about them taking over his space. It seems the post office is becoming a popular place these days.

Tom had had a class and so there were a few new people out on the streets to see how it goes. Since the breakdancers were set up there, we just distributed tracts and didn't do any Open Air preaching.

The Door was set up on an opposite corner, preaching and playing music. I talked to one of their people for a little while, explaining the way that we share the Gospel.

Brandt has a class coming up this weekend, if anyone is in the Mesa area on Saturday, sign up and check it out at GodsWonderfulPlan.com. Hopefully, we'll have even more new people coming out this next weekend. Pray for more workers (Luke 10:2).

Soli Deo Gloria

Hey!

2012-02-10T23:00:00.000-08:00

Ya know what you are? "You narrow-minded, hate-filled, self-righteous, intolerant bigot. You're nothing but an ignorant, anti-choice, arrogant hypocrite! You’re a weak-minded, fool, believing myths and you’re a judgmental Jesus freak!"

Well, thank you! Let's break this little tirade down in order to understand why we should thank someone for it, shall we?

Narrow-minded - Matt 7:14 tells us that the way is narrow that leads to life, but wide is the road to destruction.

Hate-filled - We are not the ones who hate, but we will be hated in the world (Luke 6:22), just as our Lord was.

Self-righteous - Our righteousness is found only through Christ, not in ourselves (Eph 4:24, Col 1:28).

Intolerant - we should not tolerate false prophets or lies (Rev 2:20), and will be held accountable for doing so.

Bigot - Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6), there is only one name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12 ).

Ignorant - God uses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise (1 Cor 1:27).

Anti-choice - Every choice is accompanied by responsibility. If we are stubborn and unrepentant, we are storing up wrath for ourselves (Rom 2:5). We are slaves of God to eternal life (Rom 6:22), bought at a price (1 Cor 7:23), and if we love Him, we will obey His commands (John 14:23-24), rather than follow our own deceitful hearts (Jer 16:12, 17:9).

Arrogant - We preach in fear and weakness, knowing only Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2-4).

Hypocrite - Ah, let us be sure we have removed the log from our own eye first (Matt 7:5), nevertheless, we are saved by grace through faith, not of works, lest anyone boast (Eph 2:8-9).

Weak-minded - the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Cor 1:25), and the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Psalm 111:10).

Fool - The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18), but in reality, it is the one who says there is no God that is the fool (Psalm 14:1), and fools despise wisdom (Prov 1:7).

Believing Myths - We all have knowledge of the Creator, and are left without excuse (Rom 1:20). God's Law is written on our hearts, our conscience bearing witness (Rom 2:15).

Judgmental - John 7:24 says to judge righteously, and Matt 7:16 tells us that we’ll know them by their fruit. We are to judge those inside the church, (1 Cor 5:12) and we warn those outside to keep them from the coming judgment, when God's wrath will be revealed (Rom 1:18), for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31).

Jesus freak - If we are ashamed of Him now before men, He will be ashamed of us before the angels when He comes in glory (Mark 8:38). I am not ashamed of the Gospel (Rom 1:16).

So, if that is how the world chooses to define me, I have no real problem with that from a Biblical (as defined above) perspective.

God bless!

Saturday 02/04/12

2012-02-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

Joe and Alan were already out on Mill handing out tracts when we got there. We prayed and Tom started doing some Open Air trivia in order to gather a crowd. Some girl scouts stopped by, so Tom took the parents through the Good Person Test (GPT), but they were getting uncomfortable when they were being confronted with their own specific sins, and just wanted to get out of there.

They saw the opportunity when Tom asked them about the 7th Commandment and that Jesus said that lust would make a person guilty of adultery in the heart. They stated that they would not answer that question in front of their kids, who were probably around 5 or 6, and had already lost interest in the conversation anyway. It was completely over their heads, with no foul language for little ears to latch onto. But these moms were looking for an escape, so they took the opportunity and headed off down the street, claiming their moral high ground, which I found a little ironic out there. I can only imagine the inappropriate things those little kids would see and hear out on Mill Ave at night.

We had a few others stop by, but nothing real exciting. We handed out a few tracts and did some more Open Air. Our friendly neighborhood heckler, Melissa, stopped by to interrupt and teach us about her religion of Darwinian evolution, which she likes to refer to as "science."

As usual, that conversation proved to be pointless, as she sang a song to express her views. I told her that she had already sung this one to me, but she had to serenade me with it again anyway. And I hadn't brought my Paper Jamz drums out there on this night, or I could have added a little music. Or maybe drowned her out with the noise I make on that. A friend of hers eventually showed up and I guess they found something else to do
. So, although Mill Ave was pretty dead, we did still have a lot of spiritual opposition out there.

Sometimes, when we pray before starting, I've heard people pray for "just one person" to come and hear the Gospel and be saved. I disagree with that one, I always want as many as the Lord will bring us, and if it happens to be just one, then fine, but I'm going to ask for more. But this night, I think we had just that one. We didn't find her until we left Mill Ave.

Tom and I decided to stop at a different place than we normally do. We went to a Denny's on Rural Rd for some hot chocolate. We were talking about why so many believers are quiet and don't share their faith. There are many times that I don't share, even though I know that I should. I'm basically quiet by nature and prefer to be left alone. That's not an excuse for me or anyone else, it just means people like me need to work harder at overcoming that in order to be obedient to the Lord.

So, at Tom's prodding, I told our waitress (Meeka) that we normally pray before a meal and asked if that was ok with her. She said, "Sure, of course it is", so I asked if there was anything we could pray for her about. She thought about it for a minute and then told us that she will be moving out of state soon, so we could pray for her safe trip and that everything goes well with getting established in a new home. I've never really known how this is received by people, but we found out later that she was quite excited that we would care enough to ask if we could pray for her. Her mother, Nikki, was also working there and Meeka had told her about us.

Tom put a curved illusion tract on the table to start a conversation, and we were able to take her through the GPT. She admitted to lying (9th Commandment), stealing (8th), blaspheming (3rd) and lust (7th, seen as adultery in the heart by the words of Jesus in Matt 5:28). However, Meeka was having some trouble admitting that she'd be found guilty when standing before God. So, Tom explained that if we've broken the law, we would obviously be found guilty. Still, she went a different direction, claiming that God would forgive, which is quite common. He asked her if everyone would get into heaven then, no matter what they've done. She wasn't sure about that, so he said, "I'll give you one more analogy, and then you'll have to answer the question. If I were found guilty of breaking the law here, and went before a judge at Maricopa county, admitted my guilt and asked the judge to forgive me, could he just let me go if he was a just and righteous judge?"

At this, Meeka understood, and admitted that she would be found guilty. Tom asked her then, where would God have to send her, and she looked down and said, "Hell." He asked if that concerned her, and she said, "Yes! I don't want to go to hell!"
Then she had to go take care of a couple of customers, but was back later, and even pulled up a chair to talk with us further. She knew there had to be more, and she wanted to hear it. She asked, "So am I just doomed then?"

This is where it all makes sense to someone. If you only tell them about God's love, they might come to Christ to be saved, but in the back of their mind, they will still see God as harsh and mean to send someone to hell for eternity. But if you use the Law as it was designed, it shows us our guilt, and that we all actually deserve to go to hell because we've rebelled and broken God's law. Then a person can understand God's mercy - when we don't get what we deserve, and His grace - when we do get something that we don't deserve.
When they express their concern, knowing that they deserve to go to eternal torment in hell, then we have the opportunity to tell them of God's love and it will actually make sense. This is so often lacking in American churches today. We have "pastors" like Joel Osteen giving us a warm fuzzy message where God's wrath doesn't even make sense.

We explained what God had done, in His great love for us, to keep us from the hell that we all deserve for breaking His holy law.
He came down, lived a perfect life in Jesus Christ, then suffered and died on a cross, taking on the punishment that we deserve. Three days later, He rose again, defeating death forever. Now, all that remains for us to do is repent of our sins - turn away from them, hating the sins that we once loved, and then to trust in Jesus Christ alone for the payment of our sins. There is nothing we can do, we don't deserve it, we can't earn it, but everlasting life is available to us through Christ's work on the cross. Any good works that we do after that are solely out of gratitude to the loving God on undeserving sinners.

After we had talked with her for a while, I asked if she had a Bible. She said she used to, but didn't have one any more. Her mother wanted one as well, so I gave them each a pocket sized ESV. Please pray that they would both read and obey the Scripture and that the Lord would draw them close for their salvation to the glory of God. And pray for a safe move and getting established in their new home.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday Night on Mill Ave

2012-01-31T22:17:00.001-08:00

Here's a video thatBrandt took last week, to give you a feel for evangelizing on Mill Ave.
Press the pause button on the media player to the right and check out the video clip below.

Thanks to Brandt forediting and putting it out there!

Saturday 01/28/12

2012-01-31T14:05:00.001-08:00

Tom and I headed out to evangelize on the streets of Tempe, where we met Alan, who was already handing out tracts. Jean was there, and had brought a friend named Jason from her church to witness on Mill. We hadn't seen her out there for a while, so it was nice to see her even bringing someone else with. They distributed tracts and talked with people for a while before heading out.

I spoke with Ryan, a young guy with lots of skeptical questions, who's obviously been checking out some atheist sites. He had lots of good (hard) questions that I didn't have answers to. He even mentioned strengthening my faith through some of these questions, which was a little strange. It does strengthen my faith, as I go back home and comtemplate some of them and look for answers, I had just never heard an unbeliever state that fact before. I was able to give him an "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract that he said he'd read.

Tom was talking with a couple of guys, one of them was cursing, and stated that he didn't believe. He argued for a while, as Tom took him through the Good Person Test (GPT), and when he was done, the guy wanted a tract. He wasn't interested in the glow stick that Tom tried to give him, he said he wanted one of the pamphlets, which were in Tom's pocket and not even in sight. Tom asked how he knew that he had one, and the guy said he'd heard us out there before and that we give them to everyone and he wanted one. Another strange encounter. Tom gave him the tract he wanted, the guy shook his hand and thanked him for the conversation, then headed down the street.

A country singer named Joshua and his friend Ezekiel were out walking his dog. They said they were Christians, but didn't have a Bible. Joshua stated that he didn't really trust the Bible, citing the argument from the children's game of whispering a secret into each others ear, and by the time it gets all the way around the circle, the secret barely resembles the original. So, I explained that the Bible was different, because it was written down, and that the Dead Sea Scrolls show that it has not been changed over the years. Besides this, I trust that God will protect His Word over time and through different translations.

People have bled and died in order for us to be able to have this Book in our hands. I asked him if he'd read it if I gave him one and he said he would. Then Ezekiel came over and and asked for one, too, so I gave him one as well.Joshua said that he didn't have much and remained homeless on purpose, because he feels that God called him to that. He said that he talks to people that others may not be able to reach.

As always, please keep the lost in your prayers, as we continue to reach out to them with the Truth of the Gospel.

Soli Deo Gloria

Explanation of SOWER profile

2012-01-29T21:02:00.000-08:00

Early Christianity was known as “the Way” (Acts 24:14) and believers are called “saints” (Rev 14:12). So, putting those two Biblical terms together, I came up with Saints of the Way.
The Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15) tells us to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. That means every Christian is commanded to evangelize.

Without repentance, there can be no salvation (Acts 17:30-31). You also must put your trust in Jesus Christ alone, who paid the punishment for our sins. There is no other way (John 14:6), so this completes the second part, Evangelizing to Repentance, and makes the acronym SOWER, as per the Parable of the Sower, which is the key to understanding all of the parables (Mark 4:3-20).

Acts 10:42 commands us to preach about the coming judgment, and Jude 1:3 tells us to contend for the faith against unbiblical teachings, which are so prevalent today.

We speak with both believers and the lost, explaining the Gospel, including the need for a Savior to unbelievers, and to the saints, we equip them to share their faith Biblically with the lost, and pray for more workers in the harvest field (Luke 10:2).

The logo comes from the shadow of the cross, in front of the two tablets of the Law, which come together in a heart shape, showing that the Law of God is written on our hearts. You might notice there are 4 lines on one tablet and 6 on the other. I don't know if it was written this way on the originals, but the first four of the Ten Commandments have to do with our relationship with God, and the other six pertain to our relationships with our fellow man, so I divided it this way.

I put this all inside of a gold band with a blood red banner across the front. I didn't think of it before, but the gold could symbolize the royal worth of the Gospel that we proclaim, and the red could stand for the Blood of Jesus Christ, shed for our salvation. We should be prepared to sacrifice in the same way, as many martyrs in the past have done. That martyrdom and persecution persists to this day, although not to the degree in our country as it continues in other places.

Even though the cross is a shadow, it is white, spotless as light in a dark world, the light of Jesus Christ that we reflect towards others in obedience to our Savior.

Go, proclaim the Gospel (Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Acts 10:42, 1 John 2:3, Rom 10:13-14).

Saturday 01/21/12

2012-01-25T13:51:00.001-08:00

Tom and I met Brandt and Alan on Mill to evangelize the lost. Later, Joe and Norm stopped by for a while as well. There was a homeless guy named Charlie hanging around. He had some musical instruments, and played some Gospel music, then suggested that we all pray together, so we did.

Tom and Brandt did some Open Air, giving away glow sticks to anyone who could pass the Good Person Test.
A guy named Jerome, who claimed to be a Christian, stopped by for a while. He said he liked to talk with bikers and bring them the Gospel, but he had a bit of a foul mouth. He kept hugging us and seemed to like what we were doing. We gave him and his companion a few tracts to check out.

I did some Open Air Trivia, and a group of girls stopped by. One of them, Jackie, agreed to go through the Good Person Test. She seemed receptive and said it made sense. We gave them some tracts to take with them as they left.

Over all, it was kind of a slow night out there, but we distributed some tracts and talked with a few people about their eternal salvation.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 01/14/12

2012-01-18T13:40:00.000-08:00

We were running a little late on Saturday, and there was someone else set up at the post office playing guitar. So, we went a block down to 6th St and set up in front of Urban Outfitters. We hadn't been at this location in quite a while.

Brandt and Joe showed up a little later, and we passed out tracts and did some Open Air. There seemed to be a lot of homosexuals ready to argue tonight. Four young girls who said they were lesbians came and talked with Tom for a while, but they just wanted the free glow sticks, and weren't convicted at all. They eventually lost interest and left, but returned later for their glow sticks. You can a video clip of this encounter at Tom's Blog.

Some obnoxious drunk women that were walking by thought they should stop and scream at us for a while. Of course they were offended because they thought that they could call themselves "Christians" while they stumble around in a drunken stupor without anyone questioning them about it.

This is a sad example of what happens when the Law is not used to show our need of a Savior, they don't understand their transgression, or that they deserve punishment in hell for it. They cannot comprehend the great sacrifice to save us from the punishment that we all deserve and they trample the Son of God underfoot (Heb 10:29). They have been taught unbiblical teachings that say "we're all God's children" (John 1:12, Col 1:21, 1 John 3:10) and think that He will simply overlook their lifestyle of sin (2 Tim 2:19) as some corrupt judge might do. This produces false converts, sometimes referred to as "Carnal Christians." They know just enough about Christianity to become innoculated from the truth and are much harder to reach, even when sober.

They are very angry when asked to examine themselves to see if they are in the faith or not (2 Cor 13:5), and while they curse at us and threaten violence against us, we remember the words of Jesus, that you'll know them by their fruit (Matt 7:16-20).

One of them even came back later to complain about how offended her drunk friend was, and how unloving and judgmental that we were. All typical responses of anger when their seared conscience (1 Tim 4:1-2) is touched by the conviction of God's Law that's already written on their hearts (Rom 2:15). They will do their best to continue to supress that knowledge so that they can continue in their sins guilt-free, thinking that they're saved because they claim to believe in Jesus (James 2:19, 1 John 2:3). Please pray that God would work in them, revealing Himself to them and convicting them that they might be saved. I once believed similar ideas as they do, but by the grace of God, He pulled me away from that and showed me my erroneous thinking (Eph 2:3). If I can be saved, so can they.

A guy named Brian and his son Hunter stopped by on their bikes. We talked to him for a while. He said he was a believer, but was timid about sharing his faith. I gave him a book by Ray Comfort, and we invited him to a free seminar in order to become equipped to share his faith better, and Biblically.

Another guy was listening nearby, and then came over to talk with me for a little while. He was wondering how many Gods we believed there were, and so we tried to explain the Trinity to him. He left, but said he would be back, and brought more of his Muslim friends to discuss their beliefs.
I took one of them through the Good Person Test, but he wasn't really listening, just biding his time until he could state his objections to Christianity with all the same old arguments - the Trinity, the idea that the Bible has been corrupted, and a few others. I had heard all of these before, but was a little rusty with my answers, since I hadn't used them in a while.

It's so easy to fall into debate, when what we should have done was simply brought it back around to the Ten Commandments. Muslims accept Moses as a prophet, and so the Law that he was given would apply. We need to remember to always bring it back to the Good Person Test, the guilt under the Law, leading to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Had we kept on track, it would have been a much more productive conversation. As it was, it ended up just being a bit of a debate, but still an interesting conversation. Maybe we'll see these guys out there again in the future.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 01-07-12

2012-01-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

Saturday night on Mill Ave - starting out another year as a beacon of light in the darkness of lost people wandering around the streets. Many people out on Mill at night are not receptive to hearing the Word, but there are some who are. We are not called to count converts, but only to be obedient to the Lord in witnessing to others. Since there are a lot of lost people out there, I guess it's where we should be.

You don't have to go overseas somewhere for missions, we have a mission field right here locally. It may not sound as exciting as going to some far away exotic place, but Jesus said we are to proclaim the Gospel in Jerusalem and Judea, then to Samaria and to the rest of the world (Acts 1:8).
Mark Cahill says that you have no right to go on missions trips to share your faith in other countries unless you are doing it right where you are first.

So, Tom and I met Brandt, Mike and his friend Matt out by the post office in Tempe. We distributed some tracts and talked to a few people as Tom offered glow sticks for anyone who could pass the Good Person Test (GPT). I set up the illusion board to attract people and some stopped by. Overall, a pretty typical time of street evangelism on Mill.

We got into a more indepth conversation with a young woman in a wheelchair who stopped by. She said her name was Angel, and that she would not consider herself to be a good person. She went through the test anyway, and counted on her fingers to ensure which of the Ten Commandments that we were talking about.

Of course, we got the familiar, "the 9th Commandment doesn't say you shall not lie, it says you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Ok, fine, who is your neighbor, and what does "bear false witness" mean? It means lying, and your neighbor is anyone who you come in contact with, so summarizing it to you shall not lie is not a problem. Besides, if you really think that God is ok with lying, check out Rev 21:8, where it says that ALL liars will have their part in the lake of fire. This includes little white lies, half-truths, and exaggerations. The standard is perfection (Matt 5:48).

Angel set up a bit of a trap for Brandt (she seemed to enjoy arguing). She stated that she is a Christian, yet she is currently and willfully breaking the 7th Commandment. She pointed out that the man with her was her boyfriend, while her husband is in Utah.

Of course, we do not condone what some call "carnal Christianity" - we refer to those in that category as false converts, who have not yet understood the wickedness of sin, and thus cannot comprehend the great sacrifice made on our behalf by a loving God. Instead of turning from wickedness in gratitude, they attempt to use salvation as a license to continue in their sins, all the while considering themselves saved and heaven bound. Hebrews 10:26-27 would flatly refute that idea, as well as Matthew 7:21-23.

When confronted with that, she was very angry said she was finished with this conversation. However, she later told us that she was way too stubborn to actually leave. She settled down and eventually told us that her husband had physically abused her to the point of broken bones and refuses to grant a divorce, even though he continues to cheat on her. Provided that all of this is true, I could see where it presents somewhat of a dilemma for her. However, that 7th Commandment is much more broad that most people think. It's not just adultery, but includes fornication (premarital sex) as well. In fact, Jesus said that if you merely look with lust, you're already guilty of adultery in your heart. So this little rabbit trail does not justify the sin. Still, I do believe the Lord is working in this woman. I pray that He would continue to do so, convicting her of her sins and drawing her out of them in sanctification.

We had a good conversation with her, and left her with a couple of good tracts, and she pulled a Bible out to show us her reading material for the night. Later on, she came back and talked with Brandt some more.

There were quite a few people that were attracted by the illusion board and glow sticks and went through the GPT. Please keep the lost in prayer, all those that we speak to, give tracts to and who might hear the Gospel being preached.
And as always, pray for more workers in the harvest field (Luke 10:2).

Soli Deo Gloria

Good News?

2011-12-30T10:40:00.001-08:00

"Can you tell me about the 'Good News'?" "Come on, tell me. I've noticed your 'light shining', there's something different about you, you seem to have some sort of inner joy that I'm interested in."

This generally isn't going to happen, you're going to have to approach people and start the conversation. Are you prepared to give a reason for the hope within you (1 Pet 3:15)? How do you, as a Christian, share your faith (as you are commanded to in the Great Commission)?

There are those who would say that the Law is not applicable to us today. They might claim that it was only for the Jewish people, or they may say that it no longer applies since Jesus came with grace, as they cite "legalism" or "works-righteousness."

While it is true that no one is saved by the Law (Rom 3:20), the Law of God still has a prominent place in Christianity. It is based on His very nature, and is the standard He gives mankind to live by (Rom 8:7-8).

Scripture tells us that the Law is good if used lawfully (1 Tim 1:8), bringing knowledge of sin (Rom 7:7), and it acts as a tutor to lead people to Christ (Gal 3:24). Psalm 19:7 tells us that the Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Why have we forsaken the Law in the last 200 years or so (2 Tim 4:3-4)?

The Ten Commandments are all restated in the NT, except for the fourth one, which is opened up to worship on any day of the week, no longer limiting us to the Sabbath day (which is Saturday, btw).
Early believers started meeting on the first day of the week (Sunday), because that was the day that Jesus rose from the dead.

It is impossible to witness to someone Biblically without using the Law, you just need to learn how to use it properly, in an inoffensive way, by asking questions to allow a person to judge themselves by God's standard. This doesn't mean that no one will be offended - the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18), and some simply refuse to give up their sin.
But in order for the Gospel to make sense, people must understand their NEED for a Savior. Otherwise, why would they come? They consider themselves to be good people (Prov 20:6), looking around and seeing all the others that are far worse than they are - just watch the evening news - right?

We justify our own actions, and condemn the sins of others, which is what makes men such hypocrites. Hypocricy is not limited to church members, it's ramant throughout all mankind, it is a part of our sinful human nature.

But the question remains, are we good by God's standard? And the million dollar question: "Are we good enough to get into heaven?" The Bible says that there are none found good, not one, that we are all sinful and fall short of God's standard. But that's too general, God actually gives us specifics, let's look at His Law, summed up in outline form in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). Have you kept them? Most people don't even know them, even though they are written on our heart (Rom 2:15).

We know it's wrong to murder (6th), to lie (9th), and steal (8th), don't we? We understand that adultery (7th) is wrong, that we should not covet other people's belongings (10th) and that we should not make idols for ourselves (2nd), right? We can comprehend the fact that we should honor our parents (5th), keep God first in our lives (1st), and not blaspheme His name (3rd). We know that God has given us every blessing we have, even our very life. Is it too much to ask for one day out of seven to give back in thanks and worship (4th), no longer limited to a Sabbath day, but any day of the week?

Examine yourselves to see if you're in the faith (2 Cor 13:5). Then go out and share the Good News with others, not waiting for them to come to you, but take the inititive (Mark 16:15), you have been commissioned by God to witness to others (Acts 10:42).

Don't be a hypocrite, crying, "judge not!" (John 7:24) while you yourself judge aperson as saved so that you can remain silent (Ezekiel 33:8-9). It's still judging, but a much more dangerous way of doing so. By simply assuming that a person is saved without digging a little deeper with questions so they can examine themselves by the standard of God could leave them in a false sense of security (Prov 16:25), only to be revealed when it is too late (Matt 7:21-23). You might as well just tell them to go to hell, because that's what you're saying by your silence (Acts 4:12).

"Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you're not saved yourself, be sure of that!" - Charles Spurgeon

Is Repentance Necessary?

2011-12-27T23:04:00.000-08:00

The first recorded words of Jesus in ministry were the same as John the Baptist. They both started their ministry with "Repent."

We are accused of being judgmental, but we are simply asking people to judge themselves before they are judged by God.

We ask questions so people can compare themselves to God's standard and see where they stand before the Day of Judgment. People need to first be made aware of their NEED for a Savior in order for the Gospel to make sense.

Does that mean some people might be offended? How many are saved by this method of evangelism?

Both questions have the same answer. It simply doesn't matter, because it's Biblical. We are to be obedient to preach the Gospel, and anyone who preaches a different Gospel is to be accursed (Galatians 1:6-8). The Gospel is ALWAYS Law to the proud, grace to the humble. So often these days, the Gospel is watered down with love and grace preached, but no mention of God's holiness, His righteousness, and His wrath against disobedient sinners.

But, aren't we all children of God? That's not what the Bible says (1 John 3:10)

So, let's see if the message was sugar-coated in the Bible.

John the Baptist called the prideful Pharisees and Scribes "you brood of vipers" in Matt 3:7. He didn't say, "we're all God's children" or "Jesus loves you." He spoke the Truth and sometimes that was a hard truth. He was eventually beheaded.

Jesus said it in Matt 12:34, and also tells them "you who are evil." In verse 39 He called them a "wicked and adulterous generation" for seeking a miraculous sign.

In Matt 23, Jesus called people "hypocrites", "sons of hell", "blind", "full of greed and self-indulgence", "full of hypocrisy and wickedness", and asks them "how will you escape being condemned to hell?"

He also said there are none found good, and yet so many people, professed Christians and unbelievers alike claim that they are "good" people, just like the Bible says they will in Prov 20:6.

Paul was beaten and whipped with many attempts to kill him because of what he preached. I don't think it was the warm fuzzy "Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life."

Jesus said that if the world hated Him, they would also hate us. The world killed Him, and there have been many Christian martyrs since, and it continues to this day. But He rose from the dead, defeating death forever. We trust in Him alone, so preach His Gospel and no other, following His example. Law to the proud, grace to the humble (Prov 3:34, 1Pet 5:5, James 4:6).

How can you determine if someone is proud or humble? Simply ask them this question, whether they are a professed Christian or unbeliever: Would you consider yourself to be a good person? Then take them through the Good Person Test to see if they truly are good by God's standard.

Only then can one see their need for a Savior, and then repent and trust in Him alone for their salvation. There is no other way (John 14:6, Acts 4:12), and as a believer, you will be held accountable (Eze 33:8-9, Acts 20:26-27).

What Law?

2011-12-27T22:55:00.000-08:00

What do we do with all those OT Laws? When some smug atheist asks you if, as a Christian you wear woolen blends (Deut 22:11 ), how do you answer?

What about eating pork, not working on the Sabbath, etc? What do we do with these Old Testament Laws that they like to quote out of Leviticus and Deuteronomy? Do we really just pick and choose what we like, as we're accused of?

Well, here are some answers to these ridiculous accusations, in order to answer the fool, lest they be wise in their own eyes (Proverbs 26:5)

The Law can be divided into three categories: Moral, Civil, and Ceremonial.

The Ceremonial Laws (animal sacrifices, the Sabbath, etc) were pointing us to a coming Messiah, and so this aspect of the Mosaic Law has been set aside, fulfilled in Christ.

Colossians 2:14-17
having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a new moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

The Civil Laws were written to a specific people at a specific time and specific place. The basic responsibility for the civil aspect, showing the application of the moral Law in a community, has been transferred to human government.

Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

This leaves us with the Moral Law. Here's how John MacArthur explains this aspect of it. He says that the Moral Law finds its basis in the character of God and is presented in outline form in the Ten Commandments. It still stands and applies to our lives now, having never been revoked or abolished, but finds its authority in the New Covenant.

MacArthur goes on to say that every unbeliever is still under its requirement of perfection and its condemnation, until he comes to Christ, and every believer still finds in it the standard for behavior.

Normally, unbelievers like to quote the most obscure Ceremonial or old Civil Laws, but the real problem they have concernes the Moral Law and submission to the Lord.

Besides the unbelievers, there are those who claim to know Christ, yet prefer to twist Scripture in order to allow for indulence in their own pet sins. They, like the unbeliever, claim that they don't have to follow God's Law. Yet they still consider themselves to be saved. These come to be known as "carnal Christians", but are they Christian at all? Or are these some who will hear those fearful words, "Away from Me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you" that Jesus says in Matt 7:23?

Revelation 14:12
This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

What's that say? Saints (believers) who OBEY God's commandments? The carnal "Christian" would cry, "Legalist!" but how could a believer not obey the commandments of the Lord (Luke 6:46)? They're based on His very character, how can a true believer despise them and look for ways around them (John 14:15, John 14:21, John 15:10, 1 John 2:3)? Only because they are not true believers (John 3:36,1 John 5:2, 2 John 1:6), they are not a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), they do not love the Lord (1 John 2:4).
Beware of these (Matt 7:15), they will attempt to drag you down with them (Matt 23:13, 2 Pet 2:1-2).

Do you find His commandments to be too great a burden (1 John 5:3)? You're a slave either way, it's just a matter of whom you choose to serve (Rom 6:16).

If you choose the easy way of the world, the wide road (Matt 7:13-15), going with the flow, ignoring God's law - whether an outright unbeliever or one who believes (James 2:19) yet doesn't actually follow - you can expect some good times. Sin is pleasurable for a season (Heb 11:25), and you will avoid a lot of persecution and tribulation from this world (Matt 24:9, Mark 13:13, James 1:2), as well as the spiritual attacks during the end times (Rev 12:17). But eternity is a lot longer than the short time we are living in the world (James 4:14), and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31, Rev 14:11).

Take the narrow road, the way God lays it out in the Bible, and you are promised trial and tribulation, hatred from the world, sticking to rules and morals that others will mock you for, but hold fast until the end, and you are promised eternal life.
Repent of your sins, turn away from them, forsake them, and trust in Jesus Christ alone, submitting to Him as Lord and Savior. Read your Bible daily and obey His commands.

It couldn't be any more clear than it is stated right here:

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. - Hebrews 10:26-27

Check out the Test of Salvation to find out if you are truly saved or not.

X-mas

2011-12-21T11:08:00.001-08:00

I see Christians getting all uptight about using "X" in place of Christ during the Christmas season. I don't know how many times I've heard people getting all riled up about it.

It is true that the real meaning of the holiday has been getting lost in the commercialization these days. I actually saw Christmas decorations in the stores right next to Halloween stuff. It gets earlier every year - does anyone remember Thanksgiving? Oh yeah, that's the giant spending day when everyone is fighting over the hottest new items of the year. I don't even like the holiday season because of the crowded shopping, stress and craziness that it brings.

However, even though the true meaning seems to be getting pushed further and further away in all the frenzied shopping, the term Xmas is nothing to get all worked up about.

X is our equivalent to the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter in Christ, and has been a common abbreviation for Christ in Church history, possibly all the way back to the first century. There's not a lot of evidence for that far back, but it really came into common use in the fifteenth century, during the time that the Gutenberg press was invented, in order to save time and space in printing.

Now, I'm sure there are some agnostics who use the X thinking that they're removing Christ from the holiday. I find it quite humorous that they've failed miserably in their ignorance.

Some think that Happy Holidays is replacing Merry Christmas as well, but that doesn't really bother me a whole lot, either. The word "holiday" actually derives from "holy day," so the atheists who think they're by-passing religion by using this haven't escaped it yet.

So let's keep the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) this holiday season, and not get angry when someone wishes you a happy holiday or writes Xmas on your Christmas card. It's all the same, and it's not really the words that are changing the season, but the attitude that we have.

Let's just be sure, as Christians, we are providing an example that glorifies God. And remember how blessed we are in having the freedom to share our faith and tell others the Good News of the Gospel, as we are commanded in the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Acts 10:42). As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, there is ample opportunity to bring up the Reason for the Season, and to explain why He came to earth to provide salvation (John 3:16-18, Rom 6:22-23, Acts 4:12, Acts 13:47, Jonah 2:9).
God bless, Happy Holy Day, and Merry Christmas!

Soli Deo Gloria

Free or Slave?

2011-12-08T09:29:00.001-08:00

Is there such a thing as "free will"? And if so, what is it, and is it good? This is not about Calvinism and Arminianism, but a much broader subject. Let's look into it.

Mankind has the freedom to be enslaved to one thing or another, let's look at the two choices to be enslaved to, and follow each to it's logical conclusion.

On one side, we have "freedom", which has many levels. You can have Arminianism, Free Grace Theology, Free Will, Carnal Christians, Seeker Sensitive movements, etc. Some of them may be saved and others may not. But this same freedom dangerously extends even further outside of Christianity, to evolution, which is a religion without rules, humanism, different kinds of paganism, such as Wiccans, who say "An it harm none, do what ye will."

That quote appears to be a modification to "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" that Aleister Crowley promoted, and this seems to be the direction we are headed in today. This brings us to the far end of the "freedom" side, where mankind has no responsibility, and can do whatever they choose. Whether it's because we are just some cosmic accident as Darwinianism teaches, or more subtle versions such as "God made me this way so it's His fault anyway, He can't blame me." No responsibility and no accountability, so where does this lead?This sort of freedom brings anarchy, chaos and disorder.

As we see the family unit destroyed through premarital sex, adultery and divorce, as well as the re-defining of marriage from one man and one woman, the increased sexuality in advertisements and clothing lines, homosexuality openly displayed and condoned, even in the clergy of certain denominations.

People are too busy, too distracted to read their Bibles that our ancestors fought, bled and died for, in order to get God's Word into our hands, and many throughout the world still do not have that privilege. And for those who might actually make the time to read Scripture, you've got the History channel, Discovery, and others promoting heretics who attempt to discredit the Bible, distort the truth found within it's pages and ridicule those who take it as it's written, making them out as narrow minded bigots and irrelevant fanatics so that no one will listen to them.

Our history books are being rewritten to leave out the Christian heritage of our nation, and the founding fathers are villainized if all traces of Christianity cannot be purged from them. Our children are indoctrinated in the name of tolerance in our schools to the point that they cannot even comprehend how to make a moral judgment.

All of this in the name of freedom, the right to choose, and to live our lives any way we want. Tolerance of all things.... except Christianity. That alone should make one contemplate why one particular worldview is set apart against all others.

So, on the one side, we have "Do what thou wilt" - freedom to do anything you choose, although everyone else has the same freedom, and it is inevitable that there will be conflict as one's freedom infringes upon anothers.

This is not really the freedom that it is made out to be. It is actually slavery to sin, ending in death. It's the same lie from the serpent in the Garden, you can be like God, you are completely free, accountable to no one. Selfish pride is promoted, and that is the exact same sin that lead to Satan's fall.

On the other end, we have Biblical Christianity, where Scripture is taken literally, in it's grammatical historical context. Here we find, not only the origins of creation (Gen 1), the meaning of life (Ecc 12:13), and explanation of the standard from which we get our laws of science and our moral values (from the very character of our Creator), but it also warns us of the dangers of the other side of the argument (mentioned in Judges 17:6, when Israel had no king, and everyone did as he saw fit).

Now, the Bible goes completely against living in chaotic freedom, and warns us of the dangers, even if it seems pleasurable for a time (Heb 11:25). Prov 14:12 and 16:25 tells us: There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

This idea of total freedom to do anything you want is acceptable to mankind's heart because our hearts are deceitfully wicked (Jer 17:9).

But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. - James 1:14-16

Every one of us will be judged one day, held accountable for how we've lived our lives (Heb 9:27) - are you ready for that day? Or will you listen to the lies of the world?

For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. - 2 Peter 2:18-19

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? - Romans 6:16

So, choose which path you will follow - they may all lead to the same place (the Judgment Seat of Christ), but they don't all end in the same place (Heaven or Hell). One seems to be freedom, going with the pleasures of the world, but ending in death - it is the wide road to destruction. While the other contains God's unchanging moral standards, the way of salvation only through Jesus Christ, and leads to eternal life - the narrow path, which few will find.

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. - Joshua 24:15

Saturday 11-26-11

2011-12-05T10:03:00.001-08:00

I haven't updated in a couple of weeks - it's been kinda busy lately, lots of stuff going on. Still, we went out evangelizing on Mill a couple of weeks ago. Here's a brief account:

Two young women, Azurelle and Megan, went through the Good Person Test (GPT) after checking out the Illusion board. They didn't seem to have a lot of knowledge of the Bible, having no idea how many of each animal was brought onto the ark. They didn't really seem all that convicted, either, but I took them through the Gospel and left them with a few tracts.

A woman was looking for a homeless artist named Herman, who she was looking for to help. She had stopped to check out the illusion board, but didn't want to go through the GPT. I was able to give her an "Are You Good Enough to get into Heaven?" tract to take with her, though.

Marcus and I talked with a girl named Heather who was handing out some bar coupons on the corner. She said she didn't really have any kind of Church background at all, and Marcus took her through the GPT. She had no idea what God had done for us to keep us from ending up in hell, so we explained the Gospel and left her with a tract.

Fox 10 News was out there, just around the corner from us. I'm not sure what they were doing, maybe a follow up to the parade that had been out there earlier.

Tom, Marcus, Alex and I stopped at Taco Bell afterwards for some food and fellowship afterwards. As we were getting ready to leave, Tom handed a guy a million dollar bill tract. He and his two friends were Muslims, so Tom talked with them for a while. I don't think it was a real productive conversation, but I think they did take a couple of tracts with them to read later.

Please pray for more opportunities to reach out to lost people, more divine encounters, and, as always, pray for more workers in the harvest field (Luke 10:2).

Soli Deo Gloria

Atheist Billboards pt 1

2011-11-28T21:28:00.001-08:00

So, there's these "atheist" billboards going up aroundthe Phoenix area lately. http://ffrf.org/news/releases/phoenix-and-tucson-nontheists-come-out-of-the-closet/

I thought I'd type up some responses to thesethings from a Christian worldview, and give some ideas of how one might turnthese attempted "attacks" on Christianity into an opening for sharingthe Gospel. Thanks atheists!

Here are some examples of things we could say:

Hey, have you heard about those new "atheistbillboards"? What do you think ofthat? Have you had a Christianbackground?

Isn't it interesting how atheists are being more evangelicalin something they claim NOT to believe, while so many Christians won't talkabout what they DO believe for fear of offending someone?

Do you really think a person can be "good" andhave "morals" without there being some sort of unchanging standard,such as the nature of God, to base them on?

Do you really believe that everything could have beencreated by random chance?

Why are there seven days in a week? It doesn't match up to a solar, lunar ormonthly cycle of seasons in any way. Theonly place a basis for it is mentioned is in the seven days of creation.

Has there ever been a code that was not made by some sort ofintelligent being? Codes don't justhappen by themselves, right? How aboutthe DNA code?

Where do laws of science come from? If there is no sort of Designer for them, howcan they be trusted?

Where do standards of morality come from? If all living things are random accidents,why is there value to life other than one's own?

If survival of the fittest is true, why do we mourn the lossof a life?

How do we all know that lying, stealing and murder arewrong? Because it's written on our hearts by the Creator of all.

Atheist Billboards pt2

2011-11-28T21:06:00.001-08:00

I look at these billboards and I am not offended. They get people thinking about God, for or against, and bring the topic to the forefront of conversations, opening a door to speak to them about spiritual things. Now, don’t think that Christians hate atheists – we don’t. We’d like to see them saved. I looked at each and every one of the people in these billboards and I feel bad for them. Each of them were created in the image of God, yet they have been deceived by Satan and their own selfishness and desire for sin that they are completely lost and without hope. Please pray for them, that the Lord would work in them, convicting them in their heart, drawing them to Himself that they might experience true salvation. For such were some of us (1 Cor 6:11).

As usual, the self-proclaimed “atheist” has to borrow from Christianity. What would “heavenly” actually mean to an atheist? Does he mean the sky, or the atmosphere, or is he speaking of outer space?

Where does love come from? Of course we should think, and open minds are great, as long as you don’t let them open for so long that stuff starts to fall out. Not everything out there is something you want to let in. We have doors on our homes for a reason, and we should guard our minds even more carefully. I hope that one day, one of my daughters will meet yours, and be able to speak to them in love, that your kids will have an open mind, and realize the truth by simply thinking it through.

Ah yes, I am too old for imaginary friends as well. But look into it, study the Word of God and know the truth. Look at the archaeological evidence, the fulfilled prophecy, the science that is found in the pages of the Bible. Seek Him and you will find Him, when you seek with all of your heart, mind and soul. Eternity depends on it.

It is, but Christianity is not blind faith. There is more evidence for the authenticity of the Bible than there is for any other work of antiquity – more manuscript evidence, shorter timeframe between when it was written and when the events happened, and the fact that has never been any archaeological evidence to disprove anything written in the Bible, but there has been much that has proven the text.

“I believe in reason, not religion” I agree. Man made religion to reach to God, but it is an impossible feat. God has reached out to mankind by coming down Himself in Jesus Christ, paid for our sins by dying on the cross, then rose again on the third day. It is a relationship with the Living God, not religion that will save you.

You don’t know their deeds, and to be quite honest, you’re right about the creeds. People don’t always follow what they say they do. We are deceitfully wicked, but there is a cure. If you truly do have respect for deeds, know that there are none found good, not one, on the entire earth. God alone is good, and any good you see in mankind is purely by His common grace, no matter who you see it in.

Morality isn’t found in religion, but in the very character of God. I’ll tell you that you have no basis whatsoever for any morality in your own life if you claim to be an atheist. What would you base them on? You must “borrow” your ethics and morality from the Christian worldview, because they don’t make sense from an atheist worldview.

"Good for goodness sake"? What are you – Santa Claus? An atheist worldview makes no sense. If it’s just “survival of the fittest” then there is no right or wrong, no good or bad.
I’d like to know how you define “good” and what standard you base that on.
I’d like to know how you think scientific laws exist, what morality is and what it’s based on, and how a DNA code just randomly created itself. There is no code of any sort that didn’t have a creator.

Well, I’d agree with this guy, that the Mormon god is fictional. There is a lot of incorrect theology that disagrees with the Bible in Mormon doctrine. However, being mixed up in a cult for a while shouldn’t cause you to throw out all belief in God. You just need to search for the truth.

I don’t know what sort of “Christian indoctrination” you received, but as a doctor, how can you look at life, at the human body, and think that it all just fell together by some sort of random chance? You’ve really got to jump through some hoops and have some strong faith in nothing to deny the God who created you.

Planes fly because of the laws of aerodynamics. I’d just like to ask you exactly where and how scientific laws came into being?
As an atheist, you cannot accept that God created them, but as a thinking, rational person, you must realize that these scientific laws don’t just create themselves, right?

Choices

2011-11-22T20:27:00.001-08:00

I would say that I am "pro-choice" Choices are good, right? Are they always good? Maybe someone chooses to shoot someone else on the freeway – good choice or bad one? Are we now “anti-choice” because we don’t condone that? How about rape – good choice or bad one? I wouldn’t want to infringe upon the rights of a rapist, would I? Choices. So, let’s get down to the real issue – the choice to have an abortion.

First of all, I’d like to point out that if you're reading this right now, you’re probably quite relieved that your mother made the choice not to kill you before you were even born. Yes, that’s right, I said “kill” because every abortion stops a beating heart. It’s not a “parasite” or a “blob of tissue” or some “cluster of cells”, it’s a human being at the time of conception. By the time the mother is even aware that she’s pregnant, there is a beating heart of a human being inside of her, with his or her own blood type. So, if we want to talk about rights - where are that baby's rights?

If a person were to cause a pregnant woman to miscarry, it is considered murder in a court of law, but if that same woman goes to Planned Parenthood to have an abortionist kill her child, it's perfectly legal? Does anyone else notice something wrong with this scenario? Either way, a life was ended, a heartbeat stopped, yet why such drastically different results to the one who caused it?

Oh, I’m all for a woman’s right to choose, I just feel that the choice should be made earlier – perhaps the choice to abstain from sexual relations prior to marriage – there’s a choice that doesn’t involve murder. Or, maybe there are some who would like to take it further in the other direction. I mean, why limit the killing to the pre-born? What if, within a couple of years, we decide we don’t really want a kid – should the mother still have the right to kill it? What age should the limit be? 5? Maybe 10, or better yet, let’s see how many would survive the teen years if it’s legal to kill your own children.

You see, every human life is important – every human being is made in the image of God, and we have no right to kill, simply out of convenience.

You can call me “pro-life” or “anti-abortion”, but to say that I am “anti-choice” is simply not true. We would all disagree with certain choices, wouldn’t we? Isn't that a choice in itself?

Saturday 11-19-11

2011-11-20T20:37:00.001-08:00

Tom, Marcus, Alex and I met Alan out on Mill Ave on Saturday night. It was really crowded out there with the ASU- U of A game going on. It took us awhile to find a place to park and we had to walk for a few blocks to get to ourusual place. We met a Wildcats fan whoasked, “Ready for what?” in response to the cross we were carrying with thequestion, “Are You Ready?” on the cross bar. I said, “Ready to stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and give an accountfor your life.” Another guy said, “butnot today” as he kept on walking past. Iexplained to the first one that we were talking to that 150,000 people dieevery day, and we never know when death might come upon us. Most people don’t see it coming, but we arenot guaranteed another day.

He took an “Are You Good Enough To Get Into Heaven?” tract with him ashe left.

We eventually got to our spot where Alan was already handing outtracts. There was an artist selling hisdrawings there, so I talked to him for a while. His name was Ron, I took him through the Good Person Test and we foundthat he wasn’t so good when held to God’s standards.

Please keep him in prayer, he had some erroneous ideas of God, but waswilling to check out a couple of tracts I gave had given him and he said thathe would definitely read the Bible that Alan had given him earlier.

Later on, the guy who claims to be a Satanist hung around for a whilewith a friend of his, attempting to disrupt Tom as he was doing some OpenAir. We had a few more really rowdy guyswho were very hateful towards the Gospel, but they didn’t hang around toolong.

Two policemen on bikes stopped nearby to talk with some guy. Apparently, things weren’t going well withthat conversation, as he turned, hiked up his pants and ran. The police tackled him to the pavement just afew feet from where he had started from. I’m not sure what he’d done, but he was going to jail for sure now.

The game got over as we were deciding to pack up, so it took us a whileto get out of the area through all the traffic. We hung out at Taco Bell while waiting for the crowds to thin out beforeheading home.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 11-12-11

2011-11-17T21:28:00.001-08:00

We saw an angel out on Mill Ave this last Saturday. I've seen a lot of interesting things on Mill Ave over the years - a guy walking his wolf, girls parading around in their underwear, various atheists attempting to prove ... well, nothing I guess. I've seen people who call themselves "Christian" and then curse at us with language that would make a sailor blush.

I've even seen people who claim to be angels (one told us he could kill us), but this is the first one that I saw with wings and a halo. I went over to find out what he was doing out there and took a picture.

It turns out that his name was Javier, and he was out there with a young girl named Anna. They had come out to recite something that he had written, and she had a snare drum with her. They were bringing a message of love, and asking people to put aside political differences in the name of peace.
After we listened to their message, I told them that we were taking a slightly different view, that the greatest problem in the world today is sin.
I asked Anna and Javier if they would consider themselves to be "good" people, and they said, "yes, pretty much." So I took them through some of the Ten Commandments. We found that they both admitted to being lying, coveting thieves and adulterers-at-heart. They both agreed that, judged by this standard, they would be found guilty by the Almighty Judge of the universe and would be destined for hell. I explained the Gospel to them, how God had made a way to keep all of us out of the hell that we deserve by paying the fine for us and the two things we must do in order for that sacrifice to pertain to us. We must repent of our sins, turning away from them, stop committing them. We should hate those sins we once loved as much as God has always hated them. Then we trust in Jesus Christ alone for the payment of our sins, submitting our lives to Him.

They understood, and I gave them each a tract to take with them and maybe check out the Living Waters website for more witnessing tools.
Other than that, it was a pretty average night on Mill Ave. We distributed some tracts and talked to a few others, planting seeds of the Gospel.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 10-29-11

2011-11-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

Halloween weekend on Mill Ave is always interesting. It was packed out there the entire time we were there.

We had a couple of Catholics that came out to try to persuade us not to talk to anyone who professed to be a Catholic. I explained that I could not make that promise. The lady, Jo Anne, walked around praying as we talked with different people, but she would speak out against us if we touched on anything about any errors in the Catholic church - such as ideas about purgatory, Mary worship, or praying to the saints - all false doctrine.

The guy kept Brandt busy discussing the differences between Protestants and Catholics, and anytime that I went over to try to get him free to talk to others, Jo Anne would come over and engage me in conversation. They were nice enough people, but wasting our time when there were plenty of others to talk to.

A woman named Keisha stopped to look at the illusion board, I took her through the Good Person Test (GPT) and gave her a tract to take with her.

Jordan, one of our friendly neighborhood atheists, was there with a rubber demon mask. Since there has been no real atheist presence lately, he was kind of bored, but hung around for a while. Every once in a while, he would bring someone he knows over to talk with me.

He brought a guy named Daniel over, and I took him through the GPT. He seemed to have a lot of knowledge on Christianity, listened to what I had to say and took a tract when we were finished. He seemed receptive.

A couple others came by to look at the illusion board, but got away when Jordan asked me a question. They had been drinking and I suppose they just took the opportunity to escape.

Another lady and her friend stopped to look at the illusion board, but took off before going through the GPT. I think at least one of them had taken it before, and they didn't want to hang around. They wouldn't take a tract, either.

Jason and Artie went through the GPT, and Jason asked a couple of questions later, like why would God condemn people when He loves everyone, so I explained that, in addition to being loving, God is also holy, righteous and just. In order for justice to be satisfied, the fine must be paid, and the wages of sin is death. This is what is so lacking in churches across America today, who only preach half the Gospel, only about love, when that is not the only attribute of the God revealed to us in the Bible.

I also explained how the same crime committed against different levels of authority will result in heightened levels of punishment in direct proportion to the level of the one it is committed against.

Jordan sent a couple more of his friends over (I don't know why he does this), but these were pagans and didn't really have any interest in a discussion on spiritual things. One of them did take a tract later on, though, so who knows how the Lord will work in them.

Some guy pushed Brandt, so I took his picture. He didn't like that much, but he wandered away after a little while, attempting to look cool and leisurely, but making sure he was out of there before any police came by.

We distributed a lot of tracts and planted seeds of the Gospel with many who were out for a Halloween weekend on Mill Ave.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 10-22-11

2011-10-27T09:26:00.001-07:00

We had a great night on Mill Ave last Saturday night. It wasn't overly busy, but the new illusion board attracted a lot of people. It has a 3-D picture of Einstein on it, and it seems that the face follows you as you walk back and forth in front of it. It has four questions at the top for people to test their IQs with some brain teasers, and then it mentions the Good Person Test (GPT) at the bottom for a prize. We usually give glow sticks since it's night time and people seem to like them.

I talked with Andre and Josh, who stopped to check out the illusion, and was able to give them an "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract after taking them through the GPT.

Tim, an atheist with his girlfriend stopped to look at the illusion, but didn't hang around long. Another couple, Kevin and Gabrielle, stopped to talk for a while. Gabrielle had a Catholic background and talked with Tom for a while, but I'm not sure if she saw the error of her beliefs yet. Please keep them in prayer to truly come to Jesus Christ alone for their salvation.

Lark and Jacqueline went through the GPT and I gave them a tract to take with them, then I spoke with another couple, Andrew and Melissa. They were receptive to taking the test and a tract when they left as well.

Saul, a homeless guy, was hanging around, so I talked with him for a little while. I asked him about lying, stealing, blasphemy and lust, to which he admitted guilt. He mentioned something on the lust part that seemed that he might have been a homosexual, but we didn't get into that. He had spoken with Alan out there before, but Alan had already left by this time. He seemed convicted somewhat, but didn't really get into too deep of a conversation. I left him with a tract and hope to see him out there again. Please keep him in prayer, that the Lord would work in him, convicting him of his sin and drawing him to salvation.

Divina and Chenice said they were Christians and I took them through the GPT. It's surprising how many professed Christians will still claim to be a good person when the Bible clearly says that there are none found good, not one. But the Bible also tells us in Prov 20:6 that people will profess their own goodness. I left them with a tract to see if they could look into things a little more Biblically in the future.

Tom was talking to a couple of girls that were prancing around the sidewalk in their underwear. They were cursing at him and telling him that they were saved and could do anything they wanted to. They told him that they were Christians. This is the sad product of "carnal Christianity" and the "love-only gospel" that is so prevelant in our churches in America today. Without knowledge or understanding of Scripture, people make up a god of their own in their mind, fashioned after their own image, one that will allow them to enjoy their sins without consequence. But they kid themselves thinking that they're saved and are in violation of the 2nd Commandment against idolatry.
Hebrews 10:26-27 is quite clear, we must turn away from sin when we come to Jesus Christ for salvation. Otherwise, we're just fooling ourselves until that day that we stand before Him and hear those fearful words of Matt 7:23.

Jim came out with a cane, it was good to see him out walking around. There was a time when he was the only one out on Mill Ave reaching to the lost.

It was a busy night, and the Illusion board was awesome in drawing people in to engage in conversation, with an easy transition into the spiritual.

Soli Deo Gloria

More Pics from "180movie" outreach at ASU

2011-10-26T22:40:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 10-25-11

2011-10-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

Today, twenty of us hit ASU campus to distribute 3,000 free "180 movie" DVD’s, while others all across America were doing the same thing at major universities.

As we were gathered together to pray in the parking lot, a car beeped at us because we were standing in the way. We moved over and the car parked in a space near us. We looked over and saw the bumper sticker, “I’m Pro-Choice, and I vote.” I wonder if they had any idea what we were there for.

We distributed all the DVD’s in about two and a half hours without much resistance. Most people were happy to receive a free DVD, and a few asked what it was about.

We explained that it was a documentary, comparing the Holocaust in Germany during WWII, to a modern day holocaust right here in America.

As far as I know, we only received one complaint, someone told a security guard that one of our team was too aggressive, but I didn’t see anything like that.

The security guard brought us some extras that had been left on a table inside, and Tom talked him into taking one for himself.

A policeman was riding by on a bike and agreed to take one. Many people on skateboards or bikes would grab one as they rode by.

I only retrieved a couple from trash cans, and one guy refused to take one because he said that he knew what it was about.
He claimed that he did not agree with the analogy comparing the Holocaust to abortion, but rode away on his bike before I could find out if he’d actually even watched it or not.

We all met up together after we were finished, then stopped at Chilis to compare notes and fellowship a little before heading back home.

If you didn’t get a free DVD, you can watch it for free here: http://180movie.com/

Saturday 10-08-11

2011-10-12T23:32:00.000-07:00

It was busy out on Mill Ave, with more people on the streets the later it became. The weather is finally cooling off and it felt good in the cool night air. We decided to pack up when we realized it was already 1:30 in the morning. Time flies when you're staying busy.

I did some Open Air Trivia, and a woman named Allison agreed to go through the Good Person Test (GPT). Her friends wanted her to go, but she stayed to hear what we had to say. I didn't notice any conviction in her, but she was paying attention, and I left her with an "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven" tract. I hope she will look through that when she has more time and realize the eternal importance of the Gospel message. Pray that God will work in her, convicting her and drawing her to salvation.

I talked to a man named Christian (who had some sort of theological degree) and Charlotte who was with him. She believed everyone goes to heaven, and that Christ just came to provide us an example. The both seemed to think that we can be sanctified after death and eventually get into heaven. They did not believe that homosexuality was wrong, and claimed that in the original Greek, the word was only referring to prostitutes and not to "consenting adults." But 1 Cor 6:9-10 actually mentions both male prostitutes and homosexuals separately, so I don't see how that point can be made.

This came up when I quoted Hebrews 10:26-27 to them, and explained the difference between falling into sin and living a lifestyle of it. He stated that if we ever walk past a poor person without helping them, we are willfully sinning as well. So, I guess that was his basis for rejecting the clear teaching of Scripture, and adding man's bias to it. Sounds like a false teacher if I ever heard one (2 Peter 2:1).

This is the primary reason that I am unimpressed with theological degrees and even seminary. I used to think that people who had an education in such things would know and understand the Word of God better. But it seems that, far too often, they are taught things contrary to the plain teaching of the Bible, develop an arrogance towards others, and are closer to the Gnostic beliefs than they are to the Gospel. They twist the Word in an attempt to make it say things that are actually quite the opposite of Biblical doctrine.

Our evolutionist woman came back to argue and blow bubbles. She says that she does believe in a God of some sort, but that evolution has truly happened and tries to reconcile the two ideas. I used to do that as well, before I actually read the Bible and did some studying. Then I found that the two ideas simply contradict one another and there is no way that you can honestly believe in both simultaneously if you have looked into each of them at all.

Then she gave me the old argument that "evolution is just a theory like gravity is just a theory" and that in the realm of science, everything is considered "just a theory." What a load of garbage. I have no problem with science, there is a lot of scientific fact found in the Bible, and I've posted a series of articles about that here on the blog.
But Darwinism is not science, is unproven and unprovable, and I have no respect for such lies being taught, deceiving people like this. It has no basis in science and is simply another religious cult. Then we managed to turn the conversation towards the Gospel. She said she couldn't believe in a God that would send her "nice atheist friend" and her "atheist brother" to hell. I explained that that is exactly why we are out there talking to people about these things. After that she blew a few more bubbles and went on her way.

Three girls stopped to check out the Celebrity Board, we looked at a few of the caricatures of celebrities to see who they could identify, but when we made the turn to spiritual things, they claimed they were atheists and took off.

We had a few people stop to check out the board, it works well to draw people's attention. Tom drew a lot of people with glow sticks for going through the GPT.

Brynn stopped to check out the Celebrity board and I took her through the GPT. She said she works in Sunday school, but didn't seem to have a lot of Biblical knowledge. It made sense to her, but I didn't really see any conviction there. I left her with a tract and she headed on her way. Seeds planted, only God will make an actual conversion.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 10-01-11

2011-10-03T23:49:00.000-07:00

Another crazy night on Mill Ave. There were quite a few people out, since there was another home game, so we handed out a lot of tracts.

A woman had had too much to drink, puked on herself and passed out on the sidewalk a few feet from where we were. We had two firetrucks and an ambulance on our corner, as they took her away on a stretcher. Please pray that the Lord would work in her, convict her of her lifestyle and sins and draw her to Him. I was once a part of that lifestyle of partying and poisoning myself with alcohol as well, and that very thing could have easily happened to me not that many years ago. But God kept me and brought me through that, and He can do the same with others.

I was doing some Open Air Trivia and talked with a guy named Rob (aka Canine), who is currently homeless. He said he had a Catholic background and his wife was Evangelical, so they met in the middle and decided to be Episcopalian. He thought sacrament was a requirement for salvation (still a little works-based ideas hanging in there), so I explained that it was repentance and trust in Christ alone, that there is no way we can earn our own way and that only He can pay our fine.

There was a strange guy who came out and yelled in general, but you couldn't really understand what he was ranting about. He kinda sounded like the Tasmanian Devil cartoon. Here's a picture of him, to the left.

Tom spoke with a young girl named Isabel and her mother for a while, and then prayed with them afterward. He said that Isabel had felt convicted, repented of her sins and prayed for Jesus Christ to come into her life right there on the sidewalk. We talked with both of them for a while and then they left. I think Tom caught some of that on video as well, so keep an eye on his blog for more info on that one. http://tillthenetsrful.blogspot.com/.

A man was riding by on a bike as I held out a Trillion Dollar Bill tract and he stopped to talk with me. He said he didn't understand English real well, and asked if I'd explain it to him.

So I briefly took him through the Good Person Test and he said it that it made sense.
His name was Achmed, and he was not a Christian, but did want to keep the tract to look into it further.

Later, he came back, because he had accidentally torn his tract and asked for another. So I gave him another Trillion Dollar Bill as well as an "Are You Good Enough to Get Into Heaven?" tract. He said he would read them.

We went to Denny's afterward, and Tom asked our waiter if it was ok with him if we prayed, and he responded, "Sure, as long as I can join you!" His name is Rodney, and he is currently houseless, living in his car. Without hesitation, he stuck out his hands and said, "Ready?" and so we prayed with, and for, our waiter. This was the first time we had such an enthusiastic waiter regarding prayer.

He was looking for a church, so I gave him the name and cross streets for Shiloh. It would be a bit of a drive for him from Tempe, but maybe I'll see him there one of these Sundays. Please keep him in prayer, and pray for the lost who are on the road to eternal destruction.

Also, pray for more workers in the harvest field (Luke 10:2).

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 09-22-11

2011-09-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a guy who decided to stand up on the soap box as we were getting ready to leave on Saturday night.

There were 61,000 people in Tempe this past weekend for the ASU game (where they beat USC 43-22). This generated a lot of traffic on Mill Ave, many of whom had been drinking a lot. All of this and Tracy came out for the first time. What a night for a first time out!

A disturbed guy who claimed he was some sort of Satanist stopped to babble at me, making no sense whatsover. As a couple of girls were walking by in front of him, he said something to the effect of them getting out of the way and called them names. One of them yelled at him that she was a Christian, probably thinking he was with us. She said she went to Central Christian Church and proceded to curse at him as she walked away.

Her friend stopped and talked with Tom for a little while. Apparently she was some Unitarian minister who thought that love was all that mattered. Tom explaining that God is also holy, righteous and just did not go over well with her heretical beliefs, so she was yelling and dropping a few F bombs at us as she walked away. Then she went down the street to another corner and argued with Sean and Edwin who were preaching over there.

A woman named Ellie got all of my trivia questions right, and then agreed to take the Good Person Test (GPT). In the end, she said that she was not concerned about going to hell because she was a Christian and had repented. I told her there were two things that you need to do in order to be saved, and repentance was one of them. The other thing is that you must trust in Jesus Christ alone for the payment of your sins. Even if we repent, those crimes in the past are still there and must be paid for. There is no statute of limitations on sins against God.

We cannnot pay our own fine, because it is our own sin that condemns us to death. No one else can pay our fine for us because they've all got their own sins to deal with. Only God Himself could come down and live a perfect life, then lay down that life as a sacrifice, paying the penalty that we deserve, and He did exactly that, two thousand years ago. If Jesus Christ is not God, then we are all still in our sins and condemned, because salvation is of the Lord.

A couple stopped by to interrupt who were both pretty drunk. The guy wanted to unplug the mic and had threatened to smash the speaker, so I was keeping an eye on him. The girl just wanted to argue.
She asked what if she believed in purgatory, and I told her there is nothing in the Bible even mentioning the concept, and that what we believe doesn't make something true. People like the idea because it gives them a second chance, but the Bible says it is appointed man once to die, and then the judgment. There are no second chances after we die.

Then she asked if I thought God would overlook some agnostic thinking because of some difficult situation that had happened in her life. I told her no, I didn't think He would. She didn't like that and tried to bring up some other arguments for a while before they both decided to leave.
God will not be mocked, and whatever bad things have happened in our lives do not give us some kind of excuse to deny His existence in a lame attempt to feel justified in our sins.

A few Catholics who were drunk were arguing with Brandt. One of them was as tall as Brandt was on the stool. One of his friends grabbed the mic to tell them he wanted to leave, and a couple of us grabbed the mic as well, since we cannot just let any angry drunk get hold of that. That made him kind of mad, but he let go of the mic and threatened to beat us up then left.

Haleh was talking to a guy for a while, who said his name was June. He said he liked having discussion about religion but didn't believe Christianity. Haleh had quoted a couple of verses in the Book of John to prove the deity of Christ, but he still didn't believe it, so I gave him a pocket testament Book of John and he said he'd read it. Maybe we'll see him out there again.

Marcus was talking with a guy for a long time. He seemed to be just wanting to argue and waste our time, so Marcus eventually broke away to talk to others. Then he came over to me. I had seen how much time he had been wasting, so I didn't really want to talk with him, and I told him that. He said that he sincerely wanted to understand and was not just being argumentative, so I talked with him for a little while.

He said his name was Fares and he is a Muslim. We discussed some of the differences in the way Christians view the Bible as the inspired Words of God, as in the meaning of what He said, which makes different translations a matter of little importance. But to a Muslim, the Qu'ran is the actual, specific word of Allah in the original language, and any translations changing those words into different languages makes a huge difference to them, no longer being the actual words that Allah spoke.

So, we view our holy books differently. This helps explain why Muslims are so upset with treating their Qu'ran irreverantly, while to Christians, our Bible is simply a means of God communicating with us.

It was an interesting night, hopefully seeds were planted and tracts were read.

Soli Deo Gloria

180

2011-09-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

You've got to see this! First, click the pause button on the music player over to your right, then play this video. It just may change your beliefs like it did for many others, doing a one - eighty.

What Happens On Mill Ave

2011-09-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

You'll have to pause the music on the player over to the right, then watch this video of Tom taking a guy named Steven through the Good Person Test on Mill Ave last weekend.

Saturday 09-17-11

2011-09-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

As we arrived on Mill Ave, we found Alan already out there, and the two musicians that have been hanging out in our normal spot. They have a guitar and sing some Christians songs, but usually pack up shortly after we get there, since they come out earlier. So this works out pretty well.

We played some music through the amp, handing out tracts for a while, and then Tom started doing some Open Air to give away glow sticks to people willing to take the Good Person Test (GPT). We had a few people stop by and go through the test and we distributed some tracts.

Tom went through the GPT with a few people. One particular guy seemed a little uncomfortable and convicted, but as soon as he was able to step away, there didn't seem to be any real change in him. He had told Tom that he was there with some friends, and as they came over, he took the opportunity to escape. So Tom took them through the GPT, too. One of them, a girl named Aubrey was very attentive and seemed to understand the need for a Savior.

Then a couple of guys stopped to heckle Tom, and some bystanders who were listening to him were offended by the hecklers. As Tom continued talking to Aubrey, one guy came out of the crowd and had some words with the heckler, before shoving him to the ground (I caught all of this on video). This, of course, only gives the heckler more ammunition. He jumped up and shouted that he'd been knocked down in the name of God. Great...

I talked to him a while after that, and also his friend named Michael. Each of them had a little knowledge of the Bible, but rejected it as truth. Michael said he liked the concept of Jesus and His teachings, but didn't believe that He actually existed. There is so much evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ that even a lot of atheists must concede this point. They still don't believe in Him as God, but cannot refute that He walked the earth as a historical Person.

Michael said that he believed in some sort of "higher power" but also believed in evolution. The real problem in all of this is simple: They choose to believe in an unknowable, supernatural god of some sort, but cannot know what is required of them, so they can continue in their sins, convincing themselves they are guilt free. But God will not be mocked. I told him that if there is a God out there, he better figure out who it is and what He expects out of us, or he may find himself in big trouble on Judgment Day.

There was an older guy named Charlie out there who plays a banjo and agrees that Christians should be evangelizing and preaching the Word. He said he doesn't like tracts, but talks to people on the streets whenever he can.

Soli Deo Gloria

Marriage

2011-09-13T18:56:00.001-07:00

The world tells you that marriage is boring and stupid, that you should keep your options open, play the field and enjoy yourself before your life ends with becoming permanently shackled to another person. The world lies. And why does it lie? Because it's currently under the control of the father of lies (John 8:44 ), and it hates you (John 15:19 ).

In reality, marriage is a beautiful thing (Prov 18:22), as a man leaves his parents and unites with his wife as one (Gen 2:24). I know some people have problems, and it takes two to resolve conflict, but divorce should be a much more rare occurrence than it is today (Matt 19:8-9). I say these things because I've been married for 25 years, have three children, one grandson and another on the way. I love my wife more than ever before, as we've grown, matured and experienced life together. I am blessed to have a Proverbs 31 wife (Prov 31:10-31).

To get to this point in a relationship, it takes a deep knowledge of your mate, the building of trust through sacrifice and difficult experiences, as well as the good times, uplifting one another, and enjoyment of each other, regardless of circumstances.

As we share our lives together, growing closer through all the Lord has given us and brought us through, we realize that humans long for this closeness with a spouse, we are designed to know and be known, and this intimacy cannot be gained overnight, it takes time to develop.

Marriage between a man and a woman is not only a beautiful gift, but an expression of love from our Creator, and an example of His relationship with us through the Church. That is what makes marriage so sacred, that is why it cannot be re-defined and defiled, attempting to make it something contrary to the guidelines that God has set. Anything else (fornication, adultery, homosexuality) is an abomination and rebellion against the God who has given us this wonderful gift.

Keep the marriage bed pure (Heb 13:4), do not listen to the deception and lies of the world that hates you, but hold fast to the Word of God and His moral standard for what He's given you.

Glorify the Giver of this amazing gift, be blessed and rejoice in the wife of your youth (Prov 5:18), protecting and caring for her even as Christ has provided the example in His sacrificial death for the Church.

Saturday 09-03-11

2011-09-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

An atheist came up with a million dollar bill tract that he didn't think was appropriate, since he claimed that Jesus was against money. He and a friend were arguing about this, and Tom just handed them a different tract, and started the Good Person Test (GPT), but they left before we could get through the whole thing. I don't get it. How does an unbeliever think he can explain how our beliefs should work?

A woman was walking by and wouldn't take a tract, because she was a "Christian and didn't need it". Tom asked her why she wouldn't give it to someone else then. She walked away, but came back again to say that she does share her faith. So, Tom asked her to share with him so that he could learn more, but she refused, saying that she would not be quizzed on how she does it. This usually means that they don't. I offered her a "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract, and she claimed she was familiar with Ray Comfort's ministry and gives money to them, but she certainly didn't put it into practice in any way. It was kind of a weird night.

It was kind of slow at first, but got busier later on. Tom sang for a while with a couple of musicians that were out there in our usual space (I told ya it was a weird night).

As I was doing some Open Air Trivia, one guy got all three questions right and stayed for the GPT. He was found guilty of breaking God's law, and when I asked him if he would then be sent to heaven or hell and he said heaven, because he's already repented. He wouldn't listen to any more and walked away. I told him repentance is only half of it, that he must place his trust in Jesus Christ as well, but he continued on his way, too afraid to listen to any more.

A guy named Kevin stopped when I offered him a tract, and claimed to be a Christian. He said he shared the Gospel and was familiar with WOTM. I asked him what he thought of it, and while he wouldn't condemn it, he didn't use it, either. He seemed to concentrate on love instead, without showing people the reason they need a Savior. We discussed this for a while, but I couldn't pin him down to what his specific beliefs were. When people avoid clearly stating what they believe, yet attempt to sound as if they're in agreement with you, I find they are normally either unsure of their beliefs or they are so strange that they cannot share them with someone until they pull them in on a superficial level first, like some sort of cult.

I saw Brandt talking to some clown - no really, this guy was wearing clown make-up like the Joker. His name was Jimmy, (I think we've spoken with him before), and he claimed that he likes pain and will be happy in hell. The fact that he's talked to us more than once tells me he's not so sure about that. He had a friend who was hanging around, but wouldn't take a tract and said he didn't have to talk to me. He did his best to ignore me until they both headed off down the street.

Maybe we'll see Jimmy again. I pray the Lord will work in him, growing the Gospel seed that was planted.

Soli Deo Gloria

Fishing?

2011-09-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

Jesus said, "Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men." (Matt 4:19, Mark 1:17)

Wouldn't it seem then, that if you're not fishing, then neither are you following?

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? - Luke 6:46

The Great Commission is given in Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15 and Acts 10:42.

We are commanded to go.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. - 2 Peter 3:9

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! - Ezekiel 18:32

And how can they know, unless someone tells them? “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? - Romans 10:13-14

This is not just pleading with you to reach out and witness to others, it is commanded and you will be held accountable:

When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself. - Ezekiel 3:18-19

And no, this was not only for Ezekiel as a watchman over Israel in the OT. Paul states the following in the NT, which sounds like he's referring to that verse in the OT.

Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. - Acts 20:26-27

Don't misunderstand and think that you will be saved by doing good works. Obedience to these commands does not save you, for you are saved by grace alone, through faith (Eph 2:8-9 ), yet these works are evidence of that true saving faith (James 2:26).

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. - Matt 7:21

Suffering

2011-08-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

Listen carefully to my speech, and let this be your way of consolation. Bear with me that I may speak; then after I have spoken, you may mock. As for me, is my complaint to man? And why should I not be impatient? Look at me, and be astonished, and put your hand over your mouth. Even when I remember, I am disturbed, and horror takes hold of my flesh. Why do the wicked still live, continue on, also become very powerful? Their descendants are established with them in their sight, and their offspring before their eyes, their houses are safe from fear, and the rod of God is not on them.
One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and satisfied; his sides are filled out with fat, and the marrow of his bones is moist, while another dies with a bitter soul, never even tasting anything good. Together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them. - Job 21:2-9, 23-26

The wicked and the good, the suffering and the fortunate, all will die one day, regardless of the experiences we have in this life. I was reading the VOM Newsletter today and found this section on suffering (and it kind of related to Job 21, which I read today as well):

"After dedicating forty years of his life to missionary work among the Australian aborigines, a pastor fell sick. He suffered greatly as he was being transported on primitive roads to the city and was barely able to breathe. He asked his family to sing and to read to him from the Bible. Finally he said, "Stop praising! I have served Him my whole life and He does not care for me." He took the Bible from his wife's hand and threw it into the bush. He could find no answer to the problem of suffering."

This is the danger of the "prosperity" gospel and the "love only" gospel that is so prevalent in our churches in America today. This missionary expected something for his sacrifice in this world, yet the Bible promises trials and tribulations in this life for believers. The article continues:

"The only answer that I believe should be given is not to ask the question. Jesus, when He was on the cross, asked God why He had forsaken even His only begotten Son. His question is followed only by a question mark. All that is revealed to us is that the question exists and that we can live with it."

It is difficult though, isn't it? Yet if God didn't provide the answer to this question, then I guess we need to trust in Him anyway. His ways are much higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9), and He has chosen to keep some things from us (Deut 29:29). Then the article moved on to another example:

"A sufferer once came to a pastor and asked him many questions. The pastor answered, 'Kneel here in church and ask Jesus for the answers.' The man replied, 'Do you really think I will hear a voice from heaven?' 'No, ' said the pastor, 'but by keeping quiet in prayer for several hours before God, you will realize that you can go along without answers to all your problems. This would have been Jesus' answer, and it will quiet you.' You do not need more than His peace, which passes all understanding. You do not need both peace and understanding, for understanding presupposes qualifications that most of us do not have." - Richard Wumbrand (from 100 Prison Meditations, pp. 16-17)

Sounds like good advice. It seems that most often, it's the atheists and unbelievers who want an answer to this question, but does it really matter? Whether they believe in Jesus Christ or not, they still have the problem of suffering in the world. The real problem that they should have is, why does it bother them? Where does morality come from? If it's just nature and there is no God, does that answer why there is suffering in the world?

So, why is there suffering? I think it's because there is no better means to build faith, to build confidence in God's sovereignty, than suffering. It will force you one direction or another, if a false convert, you will turn and walk away in suffering, just like the pastor in the story who threw out his Bible after 40 years. But if you are truly one of the Lord's, it will strengthen your faith, even unto death, which will affect others who see it or hear about it later as well.

I find that reading stories of persecution and martyrdom tend to convict us, to break out of our laziness here in America, to see past the vast luxuries, blessings and freedoms that we take for granted but refuse to use. Learning of the persecution of other believers helps us to understand the importance of evangelism, sharing the full Gospel with others that they would be convicted of their sins against God, and truly repent, coming to Him alone for salvation, never looking to the rewards or sufferings in this world, but to glorify Him and spend eternity with Him, solely out of gratitude, seeking only to serve the Lord, because He alone is worthy.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 08-27-11

2011-08-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

I talked to an atheist named George for a while last week. He was very set in his disbelief and wouldn't even consider the Bible at all. He doesn't see any difference in this world between himself and me. I explained the difference is not in this life but the next, but he saw no benefit if it wasn't profitable in this life, revealing that his god is his money. He was very hardened against the Gospel and argued with some of the others for a while as well.

This week, Tom's sign caught the eye of a guy named Kevin, who came over to see what we were doing. Tom took him through the Good Person Test (GPT) and explained the Gospel to him. Kevin said he was from IA, out here going to Mesa Community College, and seemed to understand and agree with what we were doing. Tom gave him one of his cards to see if he might email him and consider going to an evangelism class sometime.

A couple of guys named Stevo and Will came up to question us about the GPT. Will was a little more receptive, but still didn't seem to grasp the Gospel message that we were giving. They both thought that Stevo would be ok, having "basically repented without using the same words." I tried to explain that the words are important, and that there is no other name under heaven by which men might be saved. But in the end, Stevo considered himself to be a pretty good person, even after going through the GPT, and felt that he had suffered enough on this earth that God would allow him into heaven. I explained that He will not, but he rejected anything from the Bible and preferred to make up his own god. We had an amiable conversation though, please pray that both Stevo and Will would be convicted of their sins and self-righteousness and realize their need for a Savior before it's too late.

There were a few people preaching and handing out papers on the corner across the street, so Dan and I went over to see what they were preaching. We talked to Sirus and Patrick, who turned out to be from the Door. They could only name about four of the Ten Commandments, and didn't really know God's Law. They held to some charismatic beliefs, such as speaking in tongues, but they stated that it was not a requirement, so I didn't have a problem with that, even though I disagree and hold more to the ceasationist beliefs like John MacArthur.

They also claimed that we are saved by grace alone and not works, but they did seem to require some works. I guess it's a fine line between good works as a result of salvation and good works to keep your salvation, but it's a very important line. Sometimes it's not easy to tell were a person stands on that issue until you've been around them for a while. In talking with Marcus, who is more familiar with their teachings and has spoken to them on more occasions, he said that they believe you can lose your salvation and must do works in order to maintain it.

Melissa Trible, the woman with the URLs who comes out to hassle us, was back, blowing bubbles and arguing with anyone who would listen to her. She wastes a lot of our time in arguments, but who knows? Maybe the Lord will one day convict her of her sins, having heard the Gospel message many times on the streets. She likes to argue about Darwinian evolution and claims that "nylonase" is proof that things do get more complex (in violation of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics). She insisted that I look that up as proof, and so I did a search on it. I found that the idea is definitely debatable, and still the same old thing as Darwinists always do, in misinterpreting the evidence that they find in an attempt to make it back their bad theory. I printed off a couple of pages to give her the next time we see her out there.

It was hot, but a good night of witnessing and distributing tracts.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 08-13-11

2011-08-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

It was very hot and humid on the streets of Mill Ave this week. Still, a few of us went out to reach the lost. Robert had been out evangelizing with us a couple of years ago, and remembered going to Jack in the Box with Richard and David. He’s been traveling around some and is back, so we’ll probably see him out more often.

Tom started doing Open Air, taking someone through the Good Person Test, and a couple came over to talk with me. They said they were Christian, and didn’t agree with the way we were presenting the Gospel.

Their names were Raquel and Kirk, and they thought we were making people feel bad. I guess they had never hung around long enough to see that many people are glad to hear the full Gospel given, and how they say that it’s never made sense like this before. Raquel felt that there was nothing to “draw people” to Jesus, but I thought that was the work of the Holy Spirit anyway, and not some promise of prosperity.

She said that the Bible promises blessings to all believers and I asked her if she felt that she was somehow better than a nearby homeless person. She stated that she was not, but could not explain why she was blessed so much more than that guy. Dan asked them about Paul’s “wonderful life full of blessings”, when he was shipwrecked, beaten and imprisoned numerous times.

I asked if she could give her prosperity and blessings talk to the people in the Twin Towers on 09/10/01, knowing what would happen within 24 hours. She said that she couldn’t possibly know what would happen the next day and thus evaded the question.

Kirk, who was pretty quiet, seemed that he was starting to comprehend that our reward is not in this life, but the next. The Bible promises believers trials, tribulation and persecution, but that is not preached so often in many churches today. We only get half the Gospel, only about God’s love, but God is also holy, righteous and just. He is filled with wrath over the sins and rebellion on this earth, and when Jesus Christ returns, it will be in judgment. We need to make sure that we’re ready.

Later on, the drummers showed up, so we moved down a block to do some more open air preaching and distributing tracts, before heading home. Keep praying for more workers (Luke 10:2).

Soli Deo Gloria

Vacation

2011-08-10T23:16:00.001-07:00

I didn't go out to Mill Ave last Saturday, and missed First Friday as well. I was at Huntington Beach for vacation. I thought I might see Ray Comfort out there, because he goes there for some open air, but there was a huge surfing competition going on. It was so crowded we couldn't get near the place, so we went a little further down the beach until we could find a parking spot.

When we got there, I found a bank card laying in the sand, so I picked it up. I didn't see anyone looking for it, so I put it in my pocket, wondering how I was going to find the owner of it. There was no lifeguard station and I had no idea where I could turn it in. Finally, I figured that I would just drop it off at some branch of that particular bank. But then I saw a guy walk by, casually looking around. When he came back by again, I asked if he was looking for something. He said, "Yeah, you haven't seen a bank card around here anywhere, have you?" I said, what's your name? and he told me. I said, yes, I have it right here. He was very thankful, I didn't have any Gospel tracts on me, but gave him one of my cards. Maybe he'll check out the blog.

When we left the beach and were hanging out in a lawn area to fly kites with the kids, I found another guys drivers license and cards laying there. So, I picked those up, and since we had his license, I was able to look him up on the hotel computer and get a phone number. I called and left a message that I had found his stuff. He called back a little later. It must have been nice to have a message that someone had found your stuff before you had to cancel all your cards and get a new license. He came to the hotel and picked it up, offering a reward. I gave him a Gospel tract and my card and asked that he read that instead. It was a busy day of finding stuff and returning it to people.

We went out on the pier the next day, and met a guy and his sons who were handing out Million Dollar Bill tracts. I showed them the coin trick with the Ten Commandments coin, and gave them the last one that I had.
It was nice to get away from the heat for a weekend. Back out to Mill Ave next weekend to share the Gospel with the lost.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 07-30-11

2011-08-01T23:07:00.000-07:00

It was a little later than usual when we arrived on Mill Ave tonight. We had a WOTM Crash Course today for training people in evangelism. If anyone is interested, and you're in the Phoenix area, check out the link on the right for Getting Equipped to see when the next class will be.

Dan was already there, talking to a guy, who seemed to have some odd beliefs. I'm not sure if he's following some sort of organized religion or just making stuff up as he goes along. He was talking about the book of Enoch and different names for God and trying to sell CDs that he had made.
Tom spoke with him again later, and he ended up telling Tom that he's going to hell for calling God by the wrong name or something. The guy felt that the 66 Books of the Bible were not enough, and believed that he had more to contribute. He refused to listen to any kind of reason and didn't make a lot of sense.

Tom started some trivia questions and talked with a guy who had already spoken with Edwin and Sean on another corner. He had some tracts that they had given him, but didn't seem to have a grip on the Gospel message. Hopefully, he'll take the resources we've given him and the Lord will use them in reaching this man.

I did some trivia questions, but wasn't able to get a crowd, people would answer one, take the money and continue on their way. But later, a group of girls came back for more trivia that they heard earlier. One agreed to do the Good Person Test. She obviously had a Catholic background, as she was correcting my numbering of the Ten Commandments. Catholics divide them differently than Protestants, but both get them from the same text - Ex 20:1-17 (they are not numbered in Scripture, just listed). They'd been drinking and they left before we could finish.

I talked with a guy named Dave for a while. I had offered him a tract and he told me he didn't need it, that he was already a Christian. Since it was one of the untearable tracts, I told him that if he could tear it in half, I'd take it back. He tried tearing it and it wouldn't budge, so I asked him if he would take it with him and read it, and he said he would.

I explained that not all who call themselves Christians actually are, and he agreed with that as well. I asked if he would consider himself a good person, and after some thinking it over, he decided that he was, overall, a pretty good person,as people generally do (Prov 20:6).

I took him through the test, and he realized that, by God's standard, none of us are found good. But he claimed that his belief in Jesus would save him. I told him that Scripture says that even the demons believe, so that's not enough.

He had said that we must do the best that we can do and that Jesus does the rest, and I explained that was Mormon doctrine, that Jesus saves us "after all we can do." He'd had a Catholic background and didn't like or realize that he was holding to Mormon beliefs, so he was going to look into that. But both are works based.

Later, he said it again, and I asked him if we could reverse that, and he agreed with me that Jesus saves us and then we do good works out of gratitude, not as a means to earn our salvation. Rather, it's the evidence that we are truly saved, a new creature, born again and changed from what we were before.

Over all, I don't think we were too far off in our beliefs of salvation, and we had a pretty good conversation before he had to go. Pray that the Lord continues to work in Dave.

Soli Deo Gloria

Sin?

2011-07-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

"I was warned so many years ago, that if I overemphasized sin in my preaching it would drive people away, if I preached too frequently on sin it would offend people and people wouldn't come, and if I continued to preach on sin, it would wear people out.

"I don't believe that. I never have believed that if you try to deal with sin people aren't going to come because they don't want to be exposed to that, it's too intimidating and threatening.

"Listen I know one thing about the true children of God, their inner person desires holiness, and they will pursue an environment where they are aided in fulfilling those longings." - John MacArthur

This is what I love about John MacArthur. I mean, look at that first paragraph of the quote above. Isn't that what the church in America believes these days? Isn't that what we're taught? Our seminary's and Bible colleges are teaching us not to proclaim the very Gospel! And it takes a man like MacArthur to stand up against that and say, no, I don't believe that, it's contrary to the plain teaching of the Bible.

No wonder the modern Gospel is watered down, sugar-coated and powerless. We're taught to take out the very reason that we need a Savior. We're being taught to entertain people, to work on their self-esteem and have fun. Our up and coming pastors are being trained as "goat-hearders" rather than true shepherds proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. No wonder it's so hard to find a good church in America these days.

But then look at the last paragraph of the quote. True children of God will desire this, they will pursue holiness, they will want to remove sin from their lives whenever it's found, not attempt to ignore it and see how much they can get away with while still avoiding hell. This is the difference between true and false converts.

How do professed believers react when you bring something like this up to them? They might say, 'Well, we can't know their hearts', but I say find that in the Bible. Instead, I find, "You'll know them by their fruits" (Matt 7:16, Matt 7:20, Matt 12:33, Col 1:10).
I find where we ARE to judge those inside the Church (1 Cor 5:12), and not to associate with those who call themselves believers, yet continue in a lifestyle of sin (1 Cor 5:11).

Do you know what "judgmental" means? I looked it up, since people always seem to take it in a negative way. But here's what I found.
Judgmental
1. involving the use or exercise of judgment.
2. tending to make moral judgments

Word Origin & History - "inclined to make moral judgments," 1952, from judgment.
Online Etymology Dictionary, C 2010 Douglas Harper

So, the next time someone calls me "judgmental", I think I'm just going to thank them. According to that definition, it's a compliment to my ability to make moral decisions.
What about "judge not, lest ye be judged"? Context, people, context. If you continue reading (Matt 7) you will find that you must remove the log from your own eye, and then it is permissible to judge a brother, in love. This was written to a hypocrite, so don't be one of those by quoting it out of context. Continue reading and you'll get to the part where Jesus says, "You'll know them by their fruit."
Use your discernment, make a righteous moral judgment, based on Scripture (John 7:24).

Carnal Christians?

2011-07-26T22:57:00.000-07:00

When someone claims, "I still sin everyday, I am a man, ya know?" The next question should be, "Do you hate it? Or do you embrace that sin?" It almost sounds as though he is proud of it, and obviously not convicted or repenting of it. If we feel that we are not subject to God's moral Law, we may have a problem (Rom 8:7, Col 1:21, Col 3:6, 2 Tim 2:19).

There should be a battle with sin and when the possibility of sin in their life is brought to a believer's attention, they should not get defensive and call you "judgmental" or "legalistic." Maybe a better response would be, "Is that what you see in me?"
A true believer should be sensitive to sin in their lives, and take any such accusation seriously, contemplating if this could be true or not. This is important to a believer! We don't want to be in sin. It may take some study and prayer, but if there is no struggle against sin, that's a bad sign.

Discussing this subject with some Christian brothers caused me to consider how this affects my life and my walk with the Lord. This post may end up with more questions than answers.

Now I believe there is no such thing as a "carnal Christian" as defined by today's standards. When Paul is speaking in 1 Cor 3:1-3, he is strongly rebuking them as spiritually ignorant, immature, acting as unbelievers, not condoning what they're doing. Rom 8:6 tells us where that leads, and Heb 10:26-27 states this fact clearly.

We won't be perfect this side of heaven, but should be striving for it. We still sin, yet not willfully, there should be a struggle, a conflict within ourselves regarding the sin still in our lives. We should hate it, not embrace it. But do we really sin against our will, unintentionally? Maybe, but that's a blurry line, isn't it? Aren't we still responsible for our own actions? How exactly do we "sin against our own will"?

Take pornography for instance, that's hardly against our will. We have to get the pornography, find the time and then be able to view it. It takes some planning ahead, I don't think that a person can just "slip" into this one.

How about speeding? The Bible tells us that we are to follow the law of the land (Rom 13:1-7) as long as it doesn't contradict God's Law. So, when we set our cruise control for 10 mph higher than the speed limit, are we not willfully sinning?
Do we really just pick and choose which things we like from the Bible, as unbelievers so often accuse us of?

Are we sensitive to sin in our lives? What happens when someone brings it to your attention? Is your first thought an attempt to justify yourself, or is it to repent of that sin that you hadn't really thought about before? It should be the latter, but I often find that it's the former.

Paul's words in Romans 7:18-20, do not give us the right to continue in sin. There should be a battle against it (Rom 6:12), and we should be making progress towards eliminating sin in our lives if we are truly in Christ (Rom 8:1). We will walk according to the Spirit (Rom 8:4), not to GET saved, but because we ARE saved, no longer willing to fulfill our sinful lusts (Gal 5:16).

Whatever ways these sins may manifest in our lives, whether it's lusting glances at women walking down the street, habitually speeding, or foul language, one of the tests of salvation is that we are growing in holiness (1 John 2:29 ). We should be more holy than we were last year at this time, and continuing in the sanctification process, not stagnating to see what we can still get away with in the ways of the world (1 John 2:15 ). Otherwise, we may find that we're not yet saved at all, and need to examine ourselves with Scripture (2 Cor 13:5, 1 John 5:13).

Saturday 07-23-11

2011-07-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

It was hot and humid out on Mill Ave on Saturday night. I did some Open Air Trivia and met Sonnie and Tim. They answered a couple of the trivia questions and had been through the Good Person Test (GPT) with Tom before. I talked to them a bit to see if they understood it and had made any sort of changes in their lives, and they said that they had.

A couple of older ladies walked by while Tom was doing some Open Air, and they said they really liked what he was doing, in taking a young girl through the Law to show her need of a Savior. They were familiar with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron, so I gave them a tract with the Living Waters website on it, so they could look into more of it.

Some others were talking with some bikers for Jesus and got into a conversation about carnal Christianity and sinning as believers. Even though I wasn't involved in that particular conversation, we discussed the subject later and it made me think about some things. I'm working on a separate post for some of my own thoughts on that one.

We distributed some tracts and talked with a few others. Next week we have a WOTM class, and hopefully even more people to come out on Mill to reach out to the lost (Luke 10:2).

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 07-16-11

2011-07-18T23:28:00.000-07:00

A guy named Lester stopped to check out the sign which has a few verses from Isaiah 53, showing fulfilled prophecy 700 years before Christ was born. He seemed to be a believer, but I took him through some of the Commandments and gave him an "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract. It seemed to make sense to him.

I talked with a homeless guy who called himself "Brother Tom." He agreed to go through the Good Person Test(GPT) and he said that he was a believer and had repented. He said that he does share his faith with other homeless people and can reach people that I cannot. I agreed with him and gave him an "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract so that he might be able to use those principles in speaking with others.

Then Richie from last week stopped by on his bike again, while I was doing some Open Air Trivia. He hung around for a while, saying that he saw "truth" in me, so I tried to give him more truth every time I could. When I saw him looking over my shoulder at women with lust, I'd mention the 7th Commandment to him. He would usually remain quiet and then change the subject, but he remembered a lot of the stuff I had talked with him about last week. I didn't think he was even listening.

He said he liked the song by the Rolling Stones, "Sympathy for the Devil", (kinda random, but a little strange, since I had had a discussion on Facebook about a particular "church" that performed this song on Easter Sunday.)

I was able to talk about the Ten Commandments with him some more, and the fact that none of us are considered good by God's standards. He didn't have much to say on that subject and still wouldn't take any tracts from me, but now I know that he's listening, even if he doesn't like it.

"Boonie" and a friend got a few trivia questions right and went through the GPT. He found that he was not a good person when held to God's standard, and seemed to take it seriously, while his friend, who said he'd been through the test before seemed a bit unstable. He was laughing and a little crazy. He wouldn't take a tract because he said he had a bunch of them, so I gave him a Ten Commandment coin, which he liked. Boonie took an "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract and said he'd read it. He was raised Catholic and had looked into some different religions.

The drummers showed up around 9:30, but they went somewhere else for a while and didn't set up the drums until around 11:00, so we packed up once they got started. Over all, it was a productive night.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 07-09-11

2011-07-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

I headed out to Mill Ave alone this week, but Marcus, Kat and Alex showed up shortly after. It was a little windy, which was actually nice because it cooled the temperature down some from the heat of the day.

A couple wandered by, looking at the "Are You A Good Person?" sign. It seemed that they were curious, but went over to the side to discuss it amongst themselves first. Finally, they asked how to know if they're good or not. I explained that I'd ask them a few questions based on the Ten Commandments, which is where I encountered my first resistance. They said, "You mean your interpretation of the Ten Commandments?" and I said no, just the Commandments themselves, which is God's moral standard in outline form.

I mean, how many different ways can one "interpret" you shall not murder, steal or lie? But TJ and Jessica were unbelievers who liked to debate. When asked what they would call someone who told lies, they said, "a human being." Really? Hey you human being! Not real specific there, is it? They said it would have to be habitual to be a liar, and I told them that would make a person a habitual liar. Or someone with a problem might be called a pathological liar. But we're talking about a regular teller of lies. How many lies do you think one would have to tell in order to be labeled a liar? One lie will transgress God's law, and Rev 21:8 tells us that "all liars will have their part in the lake of fire." All liars. All. But, I guess others may want to "interpret" differently. I would call it lying to themselves.

Anyway, we got a bit sidetracked with all the different objections they had obviously not researched very thoroughly. Misplaced faith in the silly arguments that they'd rather believe, instead of seriously searching for truth. They even brought up the "Jefferson Bible", which I explained was not exactly what they thought it was.
Jefferson Bible Link

A guy named Richie stopped by on a bike. He claimed to have spent some time in a Mexican prison, where someone showed him this one particular verse in the Bible that is supposed to be the "key." In speaking with him further, this apparently meant that he could ignore everything else. The verse was John 3:21, which he said allows him to act righteously, keeping him from watching pornography, fighting or doing drugs, although he continued to lust over women while talking to me. I even asked him what he was doing while he was staring at girls walking by, and he said that he was showing them that he was interested in a couple of them. Yet he held that he was a good person, doing no wrong.

He wanted me to tell him that he passed the Good Person Test, but we didn't even get through it. He seemed to think that he could be good enough on his own, per his "key" verse that he had showed me. He claimed that he had learned in the Mexican prison about not wanting to be harmed, so he harmed no one. Kinda sounds like the old Wiccan saying to me. This guy was extremely lost and not open to the Gospel, I pray that God would work in his heart, convicting him of his sins so that he might repent and believe.

The drummer from last week returned and had a friend with his own drum set, so it was twice as loud. We handed out tracts, but weren't able to get into to many One 2 One conversations or do any Open Air.

Later, Melissa (the woman with the URL's) showed up, blowing bubbles and debating her idea of science with us. I'm not sure why she comes out there. Just as the "atheists" used to come out, she comes to debate because she hates our message. It would seem that people would simply avoid things that they dislike, rather than search them out to argue about them. I guess it's a good sign that she's hearing the Word every time she comes out. Maybe one of these days the Lord will reach down and take away her objections, showing her that none of these things matter in light of eternity.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 07-02-11

2011-07-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't posted anything here in a couple of weeks. I was at Kids Camp for four days the previous weekend, and had a lot of stuff going on when I got back. However, we did make it out to Mill Ave on Saturday for some evangelizing.

Tom and I arrived to find some protesters on the corner. They seemed to be Muslim, as the women were wearing head coverings. We talked to them and found that they were protesting for the freedom of Syria. Apparently, there had been something on 360 with Anderson Cooper that revealed some brutalities going on during protests there.

We set up nearby and Tom took a couple of people through the Good Person Test, giving away glowsticks to anyone willing to participate. We were trying something new, using a splitter for a second mic. I held the second mic for the person going through the test, so that they could be heard.

One of them, Sadie, didn't like the message and held to "her god" who would forgive everyone, without the need to turn from sin (repentance) and trust in Christ alone to pay her penalty. She didn't understand the need of a Savior, and hopefully thought further about how her idolatrous "god" that allows people to continue in their sins (Hebrews 10:26-27) has no power to save and in fact, doesn't even exist. Keep her in prayer that the one true God of the Bible will reveal Himself to her and draw her for salvation.

After the protesters left, a man came by on the other side and set up a drum set. We moved a little further over so that we could be heard. It was pretty hot out, so when he took a break, I offered him an ice cold water bottle and a Gospel tract, which he thanked me for.

Junior and Cassandra were another couple that went through the Good Person Test. Junior looked angry, but was actually very receptive to the Gospel message. Someone else stopped by to interrupt, asking us if we'd ever been to Jerusalem. We said that we had not, and she claimed that she had. I really have no idea what sort of point that was supposed to make. But Junior and Cassandra wanted to hear our message and told her to go away and stop interrupting, which she did.

We went to IHOP afterward to hang out in fellowship before heading home. We had an interesting discussion about whether or not the Law (Ten Commandments) is still relevant today. I believe it is, but that subject is worth a separate post of it's own, which I'm working on. Meanwhile, if anyone has an interest, you can click the tab at the top labeled WOTM.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 06-18-11

2011-06-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

Another Saturday night on Mill Ave. I spoke with Tamara, a woman who had stopped by in the crowd to listen to Brandt doing some Open Air Preaching. She seemed receptive to the message, so I gave her a couple of tracts and showed her the website on the back that she could check out later.

Brandt sent a man named Santi (short for Santiago), over to talk with me while he was doing Open Air. Santi had been drinking a bit, but did seem open to hearing the Gospel. I took him through The Good Person Test and he understood his need for a Savior. I gave him an "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract and then he went back to listen to Brandt for a while.

A man named Matt had come over to stand next to our cross. He had a crown of thorns on his hat, and claimed that he was Jesus Christ. He also said that we're all gods. He seemed to have a warped mixture of humanism, pantheism and a little bit of watered down Christianity as his smorgasbord religion. Before he left, he claimed that he spoke some truth to me, and I told him that I'd spoken some truth to him as well. We didn't agree, but shook hands as he headed down the street. Please pray that the Lord would work in him, showing him the error of attempting to mix Christianity with any other belief system.

We were speaking to a couple of young women that had stopped to read the giant sign that Marcus has. An obnoxious man interupted Brandt, claiming that Mormonism is the same as Christianity. He later admitted that he wasn't even Mormon, but Muslim and he claimed that his religion taught to leave other religions alone to believe what they want. He was drunk, smoking and cursing, so he wasn't even following his own professed beliefs.

Here is another crazy guy that decided to hang out for a while, making these "Satanic" signs with his hands and speaking some occasional gibberish and other times speaking English, yet still making no sense. He was only attempting to be a distraction.

Melissa Tribel, who gave me the URL's previously, was back so I gave her a copy of the response which I had printed from my post here. She took it and came back to argue with me for a while. She gets all excited and paces back and forth, jumps and yells while trying to make her point. After a while of this fruitless activity, Joe came over and she started talking to him so I took the opportunity to go back to passing out tracts. Later on Alan came over to speak with her and then Joe managed to escape.

Sometimes you can tell when you're wasting your time on rabbit trails, keeping you from witnessing to people who would be more open and receptive to the Gospel. Still, seeds planted, it was a good night of carrying out the Great Commission in obedience to our Lord and Savior.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 06-11-11

2011-06-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday night started out kind of slow. We prayed and began handing out some tracts.

Brandt showed up with his sign, and people were already coming and asking about it before we had it completely set up. The sign asks, "Who's Right?" and lists some differnt religions in order to start a discussion.

It works quite well, sometimes people are angry, even though the sign does not imply any religion over another, it just asks the question.

Joe saw a couple of people that he knew, Jose and Jeanine, so he introduced them to Tom, who took them through the Good Person Test. They claimed to be Christians, but were angry at hearing the Law before Grace, claiming their own self-righteousness (see Prov 20:6). Then they asked if Tom had ever heard of the WOTM with Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort, claiming that their church had gone through some of their teachings. They had no idea that Tom has been offering these free seminars every month for years, equipping people to be able to share their faith. It seemed to be their pride that got in the way.

They left, not liking what they heard, even though Tom took them straight through it just like Ray and Kirk do. I’m not sure what they saw in the teaching from their church, because they didn't comprehend the very basic teaching of the WOTM, that none of us are good on our own when held to God's moral standard.

I like the way that I heard John MacArthur once answered the question of whether or not he considered himself to be a good person. He stated that he had an alien righteousness. I like that answer, it sums it up nicely.

I did see the two of them hanging around in the background while Brandt was preaching later, but didn't get a chance to talk to them, so I have no idea what they thought of that.

Brandt did some Open Air Trivia, and drew a crowd pretty quickly. One guy was irritated with the conversation and kicked the stool that Brandt was standing on as he left. We would end up seeing that guy again later.

I spoke with a man named Jess, who was pretty drunk. He was standing near the back of the crowd as Brandt was speaking, and he seemed like he wanted to talk. He asked me what I would say to someone like him, someone who wasn’t sure, but was no longer denying God, either. He said that a few years ago, he would be mocking us like a couple of atheists were, but now that he was older (25), he was reconsidering things. Even in his drunkeness, the Lord was working in this guy.

I explained the difference between Christianity and every religion in the world, that they all teach that you have to do something, while Christianity says there’s nothing you can do, no possible way to earn your way into God's good graces. I told him how it’s already been done for us, that God has actually paid the fine for us, and that the good works which follow are solely out of gratitude, not attempting to earn our way. All that's left for us to do is repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. I gave him a “Why Christianity?” tract, which briefly explains this difference. He said he had a Bible, but I gave him a book of John anyway, since it’s small and easy to carry. I also gave him an “Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?” tract.

He wanted to know more, so I took him through The Good Person Test. He admitted his guilt and could understand his need for a Savior. He shook my hand and gave me a hug, saying that he was glad that I had taken the time to explain it to him. I told him that I’d keep him in prayer, and would ask everyone reading this to do the same.

As Brandt was talking with a crowd of people that had stopped, a man jumped out of the passenger side of a car on the street, ran up and threw his drink on him, splashing many in the crowd as well. Brandt was pretty quick with a response, as he said, “Thank you, sir, but I ordered a diet drink!” Kat said it was the same guy from earlier that had kicked the stool. She got the license number on the car, but we dried off the mic and speaker and let it go.

Later, the same guy came walking up from a different direction and threw a cup of water on Brandt. Marcus and I grabbed the guy and took him down to hold him until the police could get there. Brandt was calling for the policy over the loudspeaker, and Kat called them from her cell phone. The guy was trying to get away, but two other big guys came up. It turns out that Kat had asked them for help, and they had seen the previous encounter with this guy. One of them held his legs, while the other put his leg across the guys shoulder and stretched his arm out in an arm bar, rendering him immobile until the police arrived and arrested him for assault. Brandt is still hoping to get a tract into his hands when they go to court.

A couple of other saw Tom's sign and stopped to ask us about the Good Person Test. I took them through it, and when we got to the part about hell, they said they'd be concerned if they believed in it. I told them that their lack of belief does not make something untrue. If they stood out in the middle of the street in complete disbelief of cars, it wouldn't prevent them from being hit by one. We all put our faith into something, some put it into God, others put theirs into man. They were pretty knowledgeable about the Bible, but didn't believe it. I gave them answers to some of their objections, such as the "two different creation accounts" which is pretty common. It's actually a single account: the "first" one is a general overview and then it goes back and gives a more detailed account of the same thing for what people call the "second"one.

I couldn't answer all of their questions and objections, but we had a pretty good discussion. Then one of them got a phone call on his cell and they had to go. I pray that they would consider the subject more, and find some better sources for their information. They stated that they didn't believe that there was any proof that Jesus existed at all, which most unbelievers who have studied will concede is untrue. There is simply too much evidence to say that He never existed, yet many still refuse to believe that He is God. Unless the Lord converts them, they will never believe on their own. Pray for their salvation to God's glory alone.

We packed up and went to Subway around 1:00 in the morning for some fellowship before heading out in our different directions to go home.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 06-04-11

2011-06-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

It was kind of slow on Mill Ave this weekend, as it starts to get hotter, school is out, so there are not as many people around. We had a lot of Christians out to share the Gospel though, and it was a good night.

Shawn and Kayleigh (our atheists from the Skeptic Tank) came out, we haven't seen them in a while. Joe went over and prayed near her, which makes her extremely angry. She set off her siren on the bullhorn and told him to get away from her, yet she was walking towards him as she said this.
They hung around for a little while, but Kayleigh said that the Christian music that I was playing was making her nautious, so they left. I told them to come back later, and she said, "No!" and left us with a profanity. I really don't think it was our music that bothered her so much as the prayers of Joe, rebuking the demonic influence.

Tom talked to a woman who was a Christian and took her through the Good Person Test for a couple of glow sticks.
I gave her a "Save Yourself Some Pain" booklet by Ray Comfort, and she said she liked Ray's stuff.

Tom talked with another guy who came by and went through the Good Person Test. He claimed that he was God, and that God was in everything in the universe - some sort of pantheist view, I guess. Tom gave him the glowstick and he went on his way, refusing any tracts or other information from us.

Brandt did some Open Air Trivia and took a few people through the Good Person Test. He can always gather a pretty good crowd.

A woman stopped by to tell him (as well as the rest of us) that God is all loving and that we need to forgive ourselves instead of projecting our guilt on to others. Brandt explained the Gospel to her, but she just wasn't getting it. Kat talked with her as well, but this woman was unwilling to let go of her view and look at what the Bible actually said. She was an average false convert that we find so many of in America today, due to a watered down Gospel message. I didn't get her name, but God knows who she is, please pray that He will reveal Himself to her that she might realize her only hope and only need is forgiveness by the one true God of the Bible whom she's offended through transgressing His moral Law.

We packed up a little early since it was slow and went to Taco Bell for some food and fellowhip before heading home.

Soli Deo Gloria

First Friday 06-03-11

2011-06-07T22:39:00.000-07:00

We took our 8 year old daughter out with us to First Friday. She loves going, but we don't make it out there very often. She took advantage of the time and handed out tons of tracts. She also got on the box a couple of times to recite the Ten Commandments.

A young kid and his girlfriend stopped by to ask me for proof of God's existence, I gave him the analogy that a building is proof that there is a builder and a painting itself is the proof that there was a painter, so creation is obvious proof that there was a Creator, but he didn't want to accept any "lame analagies." Basically, he had no answer to this simple way of proving God's existence, so he simply rejects it. But he's left without excuse (Rom 1:20). May the Lord work in his heart and bring him to salvation.

A woman named Teresa went through the Good Person Test, after a couple of trivia questions. She was a believer, but explaining the Law and the need for a Savior seemed to make more sense to her.

A couple of our atheists came out and set up a video camera in front of us. They said they were trying out a new camera and hung around for a while before moving on to another location. Interesting that they decided to film us, I'm thinking they want to get their own critique ready for further opposition to the street preaching.
We were only out there for a couple of hours, but it was very busy. We distributed a lot of tracts and talked with a lot of people.

Soli Deo Gloria

URL Response

2011-05-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

I received a couple of urls on strips of paper from a woman on Mill Ave who stated that she is the author of the first one, and believes that everyone should read the second one. According to the article that she says she wrote, her name is Melissa Trible.

http://relijournal.com/christianity/extreme-atheism-and-hypertheism/
http://www.cracked.com/article_15663_10-things-christians-atheists-can-and-must-agree-on.html

So, here’s my response. Both articles are interesting and make some good points, although they seem to lack a full understanding of the core beliefs of Christianity. It’s not about some sort of fight with atheists to determine who is right in the end, or who can debate better. It’s not about us at all, but about the wrath of an eternal, holy, righteous and just Creator upon His rebellious creation . It’s about the danger of hell, whether you believe it or not really makes little difference. Go stand in on the freeway and state that you don’t believe in trucks – your belief or lack of it - is not going to make any difference in the outcome.

As Christians, we care about the atheist, the homosexual, the pagan, the heathen – they are all created in God’s image and all have value. If we didn’t care, we really wouldn’t need to say anything, there would be no “proselytizing” - the clumsy word unbelievers prefer to use. We call it “witnessing” or “evangelism”, but it all means the same thing.

Let’s get a few things straight. First, no Christian is any better than any unbeliever. If there is a self righteous arrogance in a professing Christian, there is a problem and that person is not holding to the Christian belief system that they claim to be holding to and need to check themselves in order to determine if they are truly in the faith or not.

Second, no one goes to hell because they don’t believe in the right thing. God’s moral Law is written on our conscience, and yet there is not a person on the planet who has not broken that Law. Thus every single one of us actually deserves punishment. That is why people go to hell, not because they don’t believe something. They go to hell because that is the punishment God has ascribed to those who break His Law, and it really doesn’t matter at that point what they believe or don’t believe or what lifestyle they choose to live during their short time on this earth.

Third, Christians are commanded to go forth and proclaim the Good News. And that is: Even though we all deserve eternal punishment for breaking God’s Law, He is loving and full of mercy, and He has provided a way to keep us out of the hell that we all deserve. He paid the fine for us, by coming down as a man, living a perfect life and then laying down that life as a sacrifice on our behalf. This leaves us only to repent, forsake and turn away from our sins and trust in Jesus Christ alone for the payment of our eternal fine. There is no other way and no hope other than this one way that has been provided for us.

So, the question arises to all professing Christians: “Do you really believe, that what you believe is really real?” The question may sound silly on the surface, but there is a deeper meaning if you contemplate it. If we truly did believe as we claim, wouldn’t there be more of us out there warning people and sharing the knowledge of eternal life? And doing so in a Biblical manner that glorifies our Lord?

Saturday 05-21-11

2011-05-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

The class went well on Saturday afternoon, with a lot of new people coming to learn how to become equipped to share their faith in a simple, Biblical way. None of the new people were able to come out to Mill Ave tonight, due to different prior commitments, but some expressed interest in coming another time.

So, Norm, Tom, Catherine, Ronnie, Barbara, Brandt, Haleh and I met Alan and Joe out there. It was a busy night of evangelism. As we were setting up, a street preacher named Duane stopped by with a sign and a mic. He said he was familiar with WOTM teaching, but wasn't connected with it in any way. He said that he did use a balance of Law and Grace in his preaching, and seemed to have a pretty Biblical message from my conversation with him. He left and I didn't see him the rest of the night. Maybe we'll see him out there again, I'd like to hear him preach.

Since this was the day the rapture was supposed to happen according to Harold Camping, someone had nailed a shirt and a pair of shorts to a tree nearby, obviously making a joke of this unbiblical date setting.

No one knows the day or the hour (Matt 24:26, Matt 25:13, but we can know the season (Matt 24:32-33), and it sure seems that the season is upon us. Don't let false prophets (Jer 14:14, Jer 23:16) confuse the issue or stop you from going out and proclaiming the true Gospel.

I don't know when the end will be, but I will say that it's closer now than it's ever been before. And tomorrow, it will be closer still. But keep in mind, any individual's end may come at any time. 150,000 people die every day, that's two people every second - off into eternity.

Brandt got up on the box and quickly gathered a crowd of obnoxious drunks. They started out mocking and angry, but he was able to talk with them for a while and they seemed to settle into a good discussion, listening to each others points of view.

I did some Open Air Trivia and a man named Anthony stopped and went through the Good Person Test. He seemed to understand the message and even had a little conviction. He said that I was just trying to lure people in with the $5 prize, and was surprised when I gave it to him anyway, even though he didn't deserve it and couldn't earn it. We do this as a demonstration of God's grace in which He freely gives us salvation that we don't deserve and cannot earn.

Tom called me over to a man he had been talking with for a while. His name was Okechukwu (we had him spell that one for us), it's pronounced Okaychookoo and is a Nigerian name that means "gift of God."
We prayed with him and I asked him if he had a Bible. He said he only had a New World Translation, which is the Jehovah Witness version. I explained that particular version had some changes in it that no other Bibles included in order to implement the Watchtower Society teachings into it. I gave him a regular ESV Bible and we talked for a little bit. It seemed that he had recently been going to a JW Bible study, and some things weren't making sense. I told him that they believe that Jesus is not God, but Michael the Archangel, but there is nothing in the Bible to make a case for this. We talked about the Trinity, the deity of Christ and how He accepted worship, as well as some of the other JW doctrines that don't make sense. He seemed receptive and had been wondering about a lot of this stuff on his own. Please keep him in prayer that the Lord would keep him on a Biblical path and not let him be deceived by the Watchtower Society or any other cults.

I saw a guy nearby on his cell phone and when he finished his call, he came over asking to go through the Good Person Test. I told him I would base it on the Ten Commandments, and he mentioned the tables of Talmud or something, but he agreed to go through the test. (I looked into that later and found that the Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism, in the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history.) He said he thought that we were in hell already, so I explained that there is some pleasure here, but there will be none in hell.

He said his name was Manuel, and I explained what God has done for us to keep us out of the hell that we deserve, that He came down in Jesus Christ, fully man yet fully God at the same time, lived a perfect, sinless life, and then suffered and died, crucified on a cross, to take on the punishment that we deserve. All that we must do is repent of our sins, turn away from them and trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation.

He understood the Gospel message and said that he appreciated what we were doing out here. He said he knows it's hard to see a lot of people walking by ignoring the message. He gave us some encouragement and said to keep it up. It seemed a little odd, but looking back on this with what I've found the Talmud is, I would guess that he was a Messianic Jew who was just checking to see if we were preaching a Biblical message or not.

A man named Clayton stopped to look at the Celebrity Board with a female friend, but she wandered off somewhere else while we talked. I transistioned to the Good Person Test and it seemed to make sense to him. I gave him a Gospel tract and he went on his way.

One of the atheists that hangs around with the Skeptic Tank (my name for our local group of atheists that comes out to oppose us) was looking at the Celebrity Board and asked me about it. This was a little odd, because I have seen him out there off and on for the past 4 years and had never heard him speak. I still don't even know what his name is, but he was giving me some advice on what I should be using to gather people's attention instead of the Celebrity Board. Maybe I should bring my "transitional species" out again.

A drunk guy stopped to look at the Celebrity Board but didn't believe in God because of bad things that have happened in his life. I tried to explain that we live under a curse and that bad things happen due to man's sinfulness. He got a bit loud and angry at times, but he calmed down and we talked for a while, before he shook my hand and left. He wasn't open to spiritual things, but hopefully he will consider these things again on another day.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 05-14-11

2011-05-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

This Saturday night we got a sitter so my wife could join me out on Mill Ave for evangelism. She and Catherine talked with a Christian man from Hungary for a while, and passed out some tracts. It was nice to have her out there with me.

I spoke with a couple of believers named Jordan and Jessica from Michigan, who seemed interested in what we were doing, so I gave them an invitation to the WOTM class we're having this Saturday.

I did some Open Air Trivia, and one woman got 3 questions right, while another guy named Aaron stepped up for the Good Person Test. He failed the test, as we all do when held to God's standard, and he seemed convicted. He was pretty quiet, so it was hard to tell what he was thinking. I gave him a "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract, and he hung around for a bit reading that.

Tom had a group of obnoxious teenagers - Mark and Taylor and about 5 others hanging around. Another young guy was video taping and said he would send Tom a copy. It turns out that they were all Mormons, except the one who was video taping.

A group of drunk women stopped by for the Good Person Test. It almost seemed that they all had heard this before, except one of them, and her friends wanted to subject her to it to see what kind of reaction they would get. I don't think any of them took it very seriously, but we went through it anyway.

We didn't get through the whole test, as she decided that I was judging her. I explained that I was doing no such thing, and asked her how. She said that I had called her a liar, a thief and blasphemer, but I had not. I pointed out that I simply asked some questions and that she had admitted those things herself. Well, she still wasn't happy about that, told me how she goes to church every Sunday and that she would be found innocent because God forgives everyone.
Now, that makes no sense at all, if you think about it. If you say that "God forgives", then you would have to be guilty, otherwise, there is no need for forgiveness. Innocent people do not need to be forgiven. Anyway, she wouldn't listen any more, and left with all her friends.

I've heard it said that just because a mouse gets into a cookie jar, it doesn't make him a cookie. Well, there goes another false convert, thinking that going to church on Sunday gives the right to live it up the rest of the week as the heathens do, trampling the Son of God underfoot (Heb 10:29), never esteeming the sacrifice made to save us from our wretchedness.

These are the saddest encounters that we have. People who think that they are safe, when their actions clearly show that they are not. And they are normally not willing to discuss the issue, either. Atheists, pagans, agnostics and just plain unbelievers are all much more open to discussion. But the false convert, sitting in church every Sunday listening to the "love-only" gospel, never hearing that God is holy, righteous and just, that His wrath abides upon the sinner, that we must turn from our sins in repentance and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, and that we will then be made a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). There are pastors who should be ashamed of themselves for not preaching the full Gospel.

We stopped at Subway afterwards, and spoke with an employee named David. He said he was a Christian involved in evangelism outreach through Phoenix International Christian Church. I haven't heard of it and haven't had the opportunity to look into the place yet.

Tom is having a class this weekend, which will be your last opportunity to attend if Harold Camping is right in his prediction of the end times (1 John 4:1). He claims that the end times will begin on Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 6:00 pm. We should have finished the class by then and will probably be eating some dinner getting ready to head out to Mill Ave.
Assuming this is a false prophecy, which is pretty safe to say since the Bible tells us that no one knows the day or the hour (Matt 24:36, Mark 13:32), and the fact that this same guy predicted the end in 1994 as well, we'll be out sharing the Gospel with the lost. Hope to see ya out there!

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 05-07-11

2011-05-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Tom and I met Alan, Ronnie, Marcus, Kat, Jennifer, Sean, Norm and Stan out on Mill Ave for witnessing to the lost in obedience to the Great Commission. It was nice to see Norm, we hadn't seen him in a while. He brought a video camera and recorded some Open Air preaching.
We had a few good conversations, Tom gave away a lot of glow sticks to people for going through the Good Person Test.

We talked with a guy who said he was a believer and gave him an invitation to the WOTM class Tom is having on Saturday, May 21st. Tom talked with a Muslim who was interested in coming as well. It should be an interesting class.

An atheist named John was hanging around looking at my celebrity board. I talked with him for a while, but he remained unconvinced. Surprisingly, most atheists will admit to one of the three main reasons for their lack of belief:

1. Pride - they consider themselves to be the top of the food chain, accountable to no one. They are too proud to submit to a holy and righteous Creator.

2. Sin - they have some sort of pet sin in their lives that they're unwilling to even consider giving up, so they deny God in an attempt to sear their own conscience and live in that sin guilt-free.

3. This one is least likely, but occasionally someone will feel that they have committed a sin so great that God could never forgive them, but this is simply untrue. God is able to forgive anyone who is repentant and trusting in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation.

Usually it's the first or second, or some combination of the two. But this guy would not admit to any of the three. I don't believe he was being completely honest with me, but he held to his unbelief.

He thought that God was unjust in judging people with an eternal punishment for a finite transgression. This reveals his pride, thinking that he knows better than God, that the Creator is somehow not as just as his creation is.
I believe that he also has some sin in his life, but he would not admit to what it might be. We talked for a while, and Sean spoke with him as well. He was not hostile, and we had a good discussion. Please keep him in prayer, that God would reveal Himself to him in a way that would convict him of his sin and draw him for salvation to the glory of God.

We handed out a lot of tracts and seeds were planted.

Afterward, we stopped at Taco Bell, and saw this guy in a bathrobe with a newspaper and coffee cup in his hand. You never know what you're going to see out there.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 04-30-11

2011-05-02T23:24:00.000-07:00

It was a nice cool night out in the streets of Tempe tonight - probably the last cool evening that we'll have since the AZ desert starts to heat up this time of year. Our atheists from the Skeptic Tank didn't show up at all tonight.

Tom and I met Alan and Ronnie on Mill Ave to find Eric, or "Flips" as he likes to be called, hanging out at the Post Office. If you've been following the blog, you might remember the last encounter we had with him, back on 08-07-10. Check it out HERE.

He was pretty obnoxious the last time we spoke, but appears to be reconsidering his position. Alan had given him a Bible and he said he was going to read it. Eric was still a bit off in some of his beliefs, but I pray that he will have an open mind as he reads through the Bible and learns of the one true God, who will lead him in understanding.
He thought that Jesus died so that he could continue in his sins. I explained that was definitely not the case, and quoted Heb 10:26-27 to him. He was unconvinced, but we had a good conversation and I asked him if I could pray for him. He said, "Right now? Here?" I said yes, and he agreed. So I prayed that the Lord would reveal Himself to him through his reading of the Bible, that the Spirit would guide him to understanding and knowledge. He hung around for a little while after that, and then headed out. Please keep him in prayer.

A big guy named Michael stopped by to say, "Praise Jesus" and told us that he was a believer. Tom questioned him some to get an idea of his beliefs, since there are so many professing "Christians" that are false converts or following heretics, that you cannot just take someone by their word. So, we ask some questions to see what they truly believe. He didn't like that much, and I've found that those are often the ones who are not truly born again. They have a little bit of intellectual knowledge of God's love, but no idea of His holiness, His righteousness and His justness. They tend to get uncomfortable when we talk about His wrath against sinners, and that we all fall short of His perfect standard. All of this points to our NEED for a Savior. When they get offended by this, I find that often, we are dealing with a false convert who doesn't truly understand the Gospel or why Jesus would die for us. They feel convicted and they lash out, telling us that we're being "judgmental." He left before we were able to explain the full Gospel to him.

After that three drunks stopped by to take their pictures by our cross, mocking the crucifixion. We talked to them briefly as they were taking their pictures, but they wouldn't take any tracts. Pray that the Lord would convict them of their sin and draw them to Him.

I did some Open Air Trivia, and a guy named Ron got all my trivia questions correct and stepped up for the Good Person Test. We found that he was a self proclaimed lying thief and a blaspheming adulterer at heart. I took him through the Gospel and explained the requirements of repenting (turning away from sin, forsaking it) and trusting in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. I explained that he didn't pass the Good Person Test and didn't deserve the prize, but offered it to him anyway, as a demonstration of God's grace. Just as we don't deserve salvation, can do nothing to earn it, but only accept it as a free gift, I offered him the cash. At first, he refused and I asked him why. He said it was because he didn't earn it and I explained that we cannot earn salvation either, but must simply humble ourselves and accept the gift (Eph 2:8-9). Finally he relented and took it, and I gave him a "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract as well.

Soli Deo Gloria

Witnessing

2011-04-25T23:09:00.000-07:00

Alright, I've been trying to get people interested in evangelism for a while, to understand that all Christians are commanded to obey the Great Commission. To understand that we have the knowledge for eternal life and are commanded to share this information with every creature, yet very few do. Maybe I need to contact this guy.

Is it important to evangelize? We've got to understand that everyone without Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Acts 4:12) goes straight to eternal torment in hell (Rom 2:5, Col 3:6, Eph 2:3), and every one of us deserves that because we've broken God's Law (Psalm 53:3, Rom 3:23), which is found in outline form in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), explained more fully by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:17-48). We Christians have the knowledge that people need to keep them from that eternal torment (Acts 17:30-31), yet most still refuse to warn others (Ezekiel 33:8-9). Test yourself (2 Cor 13:5, 1 John 2:3), and pray for more workers in the harvest field (Luke 10:2).

There's a variety of excuses given, but when a completely free class comes up that will equip people to be able to share their faith, Biblically, effectively and easily, they're not interested. A few will actually go through the class, but never put the principles into action (James 2:22).

What is wrong with us? Is this the apostasy, the falling away, mentioned in Matt 24:10-11? When love grows cold, and apathy rules our selfish hearts?
Oh, the end is certainly closer than ever before. We cannot know the day or the hour (Matt 24:36), but the season is obviously upon us (Matt 24:32-33).

How can we possibly expect to hear, "Well done good and faithful servant" (Matt 25:14-30) when we haven't bothered to do what we're commanded (Mark 16:15, Matt 28:19-20, Acts 10:42)? Can we truly know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior if we refuse to obey Him (Luke 6:46)?

Saturday 04-16-11

2011-04-19T13:46:00.001-07:00

A couple of women stopped to check out our verse from Isaiah on the board. It says:

"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

I asked if they knew who this was talking about, and of course, they said, "Jesus." I then explained that they were correct, and that this verse was written 750 years before Christ was born (Isaiah 53:4-6). This is an amazing fulfilled prophecy!

They said their names were Aboba and Annalisa. They didn't really like going through the law, but wanted to stick with the "love only gospel", fortetting that God is also holy, righteous and just. I explained that it only makes sense when we understand our NEED for a Savior. I didn't see much change in them, but hopefully gave them something to consider later.

I did some Open Air Trivia, and Shawn (from the Skeptic Tank) answered a couple of the trivia questions. He claimed he hadn't heard the answers before, but I know he's heard the questions many times in the past. It really doesn't matter who answers the questions, as long as people can see what's going on and stop by to hear the rest.

A self proclaimed hippy guy stopped to go through the Good Person Test. He went through most of it, but walked away before the end, forfeiting his prize. However, there were others in the crowd who stayed and listened, so the Gospel was proclaimed and the Lord says that His Word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

Tom talked to a big mean looking guy named Damon who wanted a glow stick. He went through about half of the Good Person Test, before just grabbing the glow stick and walking off. People are quite bold in just taking what they want these days, with their conscience seared, reminding me of the verse in Judges 17:6, when Israel had no king and everyone did whatever they wanted.

We stopped at Taco Bell after that, where we met Marcus and Kat. We were talking about baptism, and three guys sitting nearby wanted to discuss the subject. We found that they were Catholic and debated with them for a while, going into infant baptistm, prayers to Mary, the Immaculate Conception, transubstantiation, and other Catholic doctrine.
A couple of Muslims stopped by to listen in, and I talked with them for a while. I didn't have much progress with them. They had been drinking, which they admitted was against their own religious belief system that they still held tightly to.

Another girl came and sat down to see what was going on, but her friend came and told her they had to go. I looked around and there were a lot of people standing around listening to this discussion. There were only a few other people sitting further away, most had come near our table to listen, debate, or just add their opinion into the matter. Who says people don't like to discuss their religious beliefs?

Tom has had a Catholic background, so he was able to talk with the three guys for a while, but with no success. They were very passionate young men in their religion. I pray that they would see their error in following tradition and man, worshipping Mary and holding to many pagan practices and come to Jesus Christ alone as the only mediator between God and man.

Soli Deo Gloria

Darwinian Evolution - A New Religion

2011-04-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

The problem with Darwin's theory, is that it has been scientifically disproven. Yet, so many within the scientific community are unwilling to let it go. Thus, it has become a religion for atheists, and these so called "scientists" that hold to it have become preachers, holding to their own belief system by blind faith - the same leap into the darkness in which they claim that Christians do. But we don't, do we? There is plenty of archaeological evidence, manuscript evidence, fulfilled prophecy and scientific fact. Just as we know that there could not be a building without a builder, or a painting without a painter, there could be no creation without a Creator.

The funny thing is, no one ever assumes that Mt Rushmore just happened by random chance. Yet a living thing that is so much more complex than Mt Rushmore, they will say was just random chance. That is so foolish that it can be seen as nothing less than willful rebellion against the Creator that we all know exists.

Life does not come from non-life. It never happens, it's never been observed or recreated in a lab. Never.
----------------------------------------------------------------
a·bi·o·gen·e·sis
[ey-bahy-oh-jen-uh-sis, ab-ee-oh-] –noun
Biology . the now discredited theory that living organisms can arise spontaneously from inanimate matter; spontaneous generation.
----------------------------------------------------------------
So, they state that evolution does not go into the origins of life, just the changes that happen later. Do they forget the name of their prophet's book? On The Origin of Species.

Micro-evolution, or adaptation, is indeed true. There are small changes within a kind, in order to adapt to changes in their environment. This has been seen in nature and recreated in the lab, it is a fact. But to take that fact and add to it the magical ingredient of millions of years in order to make the claim that it will change into another kind is pure fantasy, with no proof of any kind. That is the blind leap of faith into the darkness that Darwinists make.

These small changes never create anything new and actually tend to go back to the way they were before, when the changes that caused them disappear. Take Darwin's finches for example. Their beaks changed when the environment changed, yet they changed back when the environment changed back. And all along they were still finches! Nothing new was created.
What an awesome creation our God has made, with built in abilities to adapt to survive changes that will occur in their environment. Yet still remaining the same animal and preserving itself and continuing to reproduce after it's own kind, exactly as the Bible tells us.

In Darwin's time, it was thought that the cell was the smallest building block of life. However, know we know that within a cell, there are tiny machines working, putting things together in a certain way. Had he known this, his theory would have been discarded, yet there are still those who are attempting to hold to it.

DNA is a code, have you ever known a code to just randomly happen without some sort of intelligence behind it? I haven't. Life is way too complex to have randomly appeared.
For example, if you have an earthworm, a computer, a 747 jet airplane and a watch, which one would you say is the most complex? The worm is - the digestive system, reproduction - just living - how could we believe that a watch, a computer and a jet airliner were created, but something that is actually alive and much more complex just happened by accident?

Darwinian Evolution is simply ridiculous if you dig into it and use some common sense. It's just an attempt to deny the fact that there is a Creator who will hold us accountable one day. It's a crutch for those who are afraid, yet unwilling to give up their sinful and selfish lifestyles. But it will do them no good, because our belief (or lack of it) is not what makes something true. If you don't believe in trucks, and go stand in front of one coming down the road at 60mph, your unbelief is not going to save you.

Neither will your unbelief save you from the coming wrath of a holy, righteous and just God. Only that Creator's mercy and grace can save you, and He gave us that in Jesus Christ. Repent and trust in Him, lest you perish.

Saturday 04-09-11

2011-04-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

There was a lot of opposition to the Gospel tonight. I met Marcus and Brandt out there, and we distributed a few tracts while Brandt did some open air.

Marcus and I talked with an atheist named James for quite a while. He actually stated that you couldn't know if there was a God or not, but didn't like the word "agnostic." We had a pretty good discussion, explaining some of the evidence for Christianity - archaeological, fulfilled prophecy, manuscript evidence as well as scientific fact found in the Bible, but he held fast to his rejection of the Gospel. We offered him a Science and the Bible tract to check out and maybe even research more later, but he wasn't interested. No amount of intellectual knowledge will ever convince anyone anyway, they'll just look past it and find a new objection. Only through the Holy Spirit will anyone ever be converted. We just remain obedient to the Lord in proclaiming it and offering reason for our belief (1 Pet 3:15 ).

A guy stopped by that wanted to talk on the mic,saying he was a Christian and wanted to talk about the Ten Commandments. I was playing some Apologetix music through the speaker at the time, and since I didn't know this guy, I would not allow him to use the mic. You never know what people are going to say on there. He seemed sincere, though. He said he was from southern California and stuck out here for a while. He said his name was Al (cool name) and asked where I went to church. I told him and gave him general directions, which he seemed interested in, so maybe he'll come and visit sometime. I'm not sure what part of town he's currently staying in.

Our atheists (the small "think tank" of skeptics that I like to refer to as The Skeptic Tank) were out, even in the rain. I really didn't think they'd show up tonight. But, apparently, word got out that Brandt would be preaching, and he tends to attract a crowd and stirs up the Skeptic Tank. I let Brandt use a couple of the "transitional species" I had created to show how ridiculous Darwinian evolution is.
The Skeptic Tank has no sense of humor about those at all.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 04-02-11

2011-04-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

There were a couple of skaters on Mill Ave named Shawn and Zach - one of them rolled up near the post office and jumped up onto the window ledge with his board and back down again. He was shirtless and covered in tattoos. We complimented him on his skating abilities and gave him a million dollar bill. We then asked if he thought he was good enough to get into heaven. He stated that everyone was good enough, and we were able to go through the Good Person Test to clarify God's standard. He claimed to be a believer, but seemed to pick and choose what he liked and what felt right to him. We left them with some more in depth tracts to read through later. Seeds planted.

Tom was talking with a young woman on a bike and called me over. The last couple of weeks we had been talking among ourselves about tattoos, and whether or not a born again believer should get one. We all agree that having tats from previously is not an issue, but to get one after becoming a Christian has been an interesting discussion. Most Christians answer that they feel that it is permissible, but they themselves wouldn't want to get one. So, that was what made Arielle interesting. She said that she'd gotten her tattoo after she had become a believer.

Now, I'm not sure that her theology was sound, and I'm not sure that she wasn't a false convert - I wasn't able to talk with her long enough to determine these things. She didn't like the new sign that Marcus had brought out, full of Bible verses, and she seemed to be into the "love alone" gospel, not really understanding God is holy, righteous and just, and that He is not ONLY love to the exclusion of everything else. She wouldn't take any tracts, but we talked with her for a while. She had gotten her tattoos of her own artwork, and felt that if her body is a temple, she is free to decorate it.

I guess I agree for the most part. The only problem with that is, are you glorifying yourself or God? We are to glorify God in everything we do, we're called to be separate from the world, putting God first, rather than ourselves. It is those in the world who prefer to bring attention to themselves, so in the end I remain unsure. I will have to find more people who have gotten tattoos after becoming believers to discuss the subject further.

David (the conspiracy guy) was out there. He has some issues, but is a nice enough guy most of the time. He's always talking about aliens, the CIA and various conspiracies that he thinks he sees. Today he was being a bit obnoxious, claiming that Marcus's sign was offending him. He ranted about that for a while, but then Stan talked with him and calmed him down. He actually made David come over and apologize to each of us for his actions, and he remained pretty calm the rest of the night.

Here are a couple of pics of Marcus's sign. It's a little reflective, so I took pics from two different angles.

We were approached by a couple of guys who gave us a card for a new church that was opening on Mill. Tom asked what they believed and if anyone could come. They said it was a non-denominational Bible believing church and that anyone could come. Another guy who seemed to be more in charge came up. Tom asked if unbelievers with questions would be welcome, and they guy said, "Of course" and that they wanted people to come and ask questions. Then Tom asked him about the Law and if he knew the Ten Commandments or not. To which, the guy stated that they were just trying to be nice and tell us about the new church and that he felt attacked by all of these questions. Excuse me? Did you just read where he told us that they actually wanted people to ask questions, and then he's offended by the questions we're asking?
We pointed that out to him and he apologized. He was able to name 7 or 8 of the Ten Commandments (which is actually pretty good - most people can't get past 4).

I explained to them that we were asking questions in order to determine what their beliefs were in this new church and that you cannot gather that information without asking some in depth questions. There are countless heretical "churches" out there that would claim to be "Bible believing." You have to really dig into their theology in order to discover what they really believe. They seem like they might be a good place, but I'd have to go there and ask more questions to know for sure.

There was another group of evangelists that went by when we first got there. They were young, but knew Scripture pretty well. Tom spoke with one of them for a while, but they were in a hurry to go and preach elsewhere and felt that they were wasting their time speaking with other believers. The thing is, there are so many false converts out there that it's difficult to determine if you're talking to a true believer or not. So, I gave a couple of them my card with this blog on it so they could check out our beliefs when they have more time. I'd really like to talk to them more, they seemed to have a pretty good grasp of the Gospel and evangelism. Maybe we'll see them out there again, and be able to listen to some of their street preaching.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 03-26-11

2011-03-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

Mill Ave was nice this past Saturday, no traffic because the roads were closed off for the Art Festival, with tents in the streets. The Festival is shut down at night, but the tents were still there, and people are still wandering around, so we gave out a few tracts.

There was a strange guy, preaching in front of Starbucks. He had a hand written sign listing the 12 tribes of Israel and who he thought they represented today. He seemed to be a bit racist against white people, and mixed some Jewish mysticism with Hindu beliefs, as well as some other heresies.

Jordan stopped by. We hadn't seen him in quite a while. He used to come out when the atheists had a bigger crowd, although he would consider himself agnostic rather than atheist. We've had some good discussions with him, he likes to debate and I think we've given him a lot of good answers. But no one is ever saved by intellectual debate. Pray that the Lord would work in his heart, convicting him of his sins and drawing him near for salvation.

There was another interesting character out there. I saw this guy wandering around a while, looking like he wanted to get into a discussion, but not wanting to interrupt. He was near the strange preacher by Starbucks for a while, and a Pentecostal preacher we see sometimes was attempting to cast a demon out of him. The guy didn't seem real impressed with any of their antics.

Later, he came over to check out the Celebrity Board and Marcus and I were able to talk with him for a while. I found out his name was Thomas, and he was not a believer. He had some interesting questions and objections, and we had a pretty good conversation.
He later said that he appreciated the discussion. Hopefully we’ll see him out there more often.

Soli Deo Gloria

Pastor belief changes, loses job

2011-03-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

DURHAM, N.C. — When Chad Holtz lost his old belief in hell, he also lost his job. Check out the story here. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42248810/ns/us_news-life/

This quote from the pastor really explains the problem:

"We do these somersaults to justify the monster god we believe in," he said. "But confronting my own sinfulness, that's when things started to topple for me. Am I really going to be saved just because I believe something, when all these good people in the world aren't?"

This quote, from a pastor? This sounds more like the atheists that come out to Mill Ave. He calls God a “monster”, claims that “good” people go to hell because they don’t believe the right thing. He has no understanding of the Gospel at all.

Saturday 03-19-11

2011-03-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

We didn't make it out to Mill this past weekend. Tom was moving, Marcus was out of town and I went to Luis Palau's CityFest.

Alan and Ronnie were still planning on going out, so I hope they reached a lot of people with tracts and one 2 ones.

CityFest was fun, but I wouldn't really call it an "evangelism" outreach. I did not hear a clear Gospel message in it. I heard some of the watered down, sugar coated stuff, which was mixed in with some good stuff at the same time.

The classic misuse of Rev 3:20, as "Jesus knocking on the door to your heart" which is not the case at all. In context, that verse is talking about the church in Laodicea - you know the one, the lukewarm church that Jesus had nothing good to say about. Nowhere does it say anything about Jesus coming into your heart.

We also heard that Jesus is your friend, but I really have a problem with that. I know that Scripture says that Jesus lays down His life for His friends (John 15:13), but I could never consider Him a friend. He's so much more than that, as Creator, Sustainer and Savior. He's not like some buddy that you can punch in the arm and joke with, He is the Lord and Judge of the universe, all-knowing, all-powerful, and I find it almost blasphemous to say that He is just a friend.

We heard about the "wonderful" plan that God has for us, and how much better our lives will be on this earth when we accept Him. There's so much wrong with this. First, define "wonderful." God's plan for you might not seem so wonderful to us in this life. Where was Paul's wonderful plan? He was beaten, jailed, shipwrecked and eventually killed for his faith. All the apostles faced martyrdom for their belief. Does this make sense? We are not promised health and proserity in this life, but are promised persecution, trials and tribulation. Jesus said that if the world hated Him, it will hate us as well (John 15:18-20).

So, why would anyone ever want to sign up for that? I guess that's why the modern gospel changes from the Biblical message. What happens then, when someone comes to Jesus for a better life, but instead, they get the promised trial and tribulation? They would feel angry and deceived, and probably reject Christianity completely, since they felt lied to.

Could you preach to the persecuted Christians in Pakistan that God has a wonderful, prosperous plan for our lives? The real Gospel is not about your prosperity in this life, but about submitting to the Lord in obedience based on the gratitude that He saved us from the wrath that we deserve. It's not about rewards in this life, but in the next. That is the true Gospel.

We did hear that none of us are found good, that all have sinned, but nothing to make that sin personal for people to really understand it.

Luis Palau is a good Christian speaker and I enjoy listening to him. Over all, we had a good time, I just cannot call it evangelism. In order to be Biblical evangelism, we must witness the way that Jesus did, the way that Paul did, the way that James and Peter and John and Jude did. There's a book out there that explains this, you can check it out for free online

http://www.calvarychapelfreegift.com/download/what_DID_Jesus_do.pdf

or buy the book here. I would highly recommend reading it.

http://www.livingwaters.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=44&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=199&lang=en

Basically, Biblical evangelism is always Law to the proud, grace to the humble. We first must determine if a person is proud or humble. An easy way to do this is simply to ask if someone would consider themselves to be a good person or not. Most will say that they do (per Prov 20:6), even though the Bible clearly teaches that there are none found good (Psalm 14:3, Psalm 53:2-3, Romans 3:10-12)

Many people consider themselves good because they are comparing themselves to other people. We tend to overlook our own faults, but see them more clearly in others. But if we are held to God's moral standard of the Ten Commandments (which most people cannot even name), we find that we fall short. Perfection is required (Matt 5:48) and we know that no one is perfect, but that's still not good enough. We must make it personal. If we've ever lied, stolen, lusted or blasphemed, we've broken 4 of the Ten Commandments right there. When people are made aware of their own specific sin, they can begin to understand the need for a Savior. We need to repent, turn away from our sins, forsake them, and then trust in Jesus Christ alone for the payment of the punishment that we all deserve.

This is what was lacking in the message that I heard, and this is what makes a whole lot of false converts in the Church with no change in their lives, no difference from what they were before, how could they be considered a new creation (2 Cor 5:17)?

Saturday 03-12-11

2011-03-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

I had this all written up to post early this week, but sent it through email and it disappeared! I hate it when that happens! So, here’s take 2.

I met Alan and Ronnie on the street, and Stan, Marcus, Catherine and Tom showed up a little later. It was a busy night on Mill Ave, and we distributed a lot of tracts.
We spoke with a guy named Chad for a while. He said he was agnostic and was waiting around for the atheists to show up. He said he wanted to look into both sides of the issue and make up his own mind, but didn’t want to take any of our tracts. I explained to him that he couldn’t really look into our side of it without taking any of the info that we had to offer. He agreed and took a couple of tracts to look over later. Her ended up leaving before our atheists got there. In the end, he said he respected what we were doing, but still wasn’t sure of his beliefs at this point. Please keep him in prayer, that the Lord would open his eyes to understand the truth.

Marcus and I talked to three people that stopped by to check out the Celebrity Board. They seemed to be Catholic, speaking of Lent and confession. They didn’t really like talking about the Law so much, seeming to be almost universalist in their beliefs. We were able to give them some “Are You Good Enough To Get Into Heaven?” tracts, before being interrupted by the arrival of some of their friends. They seemed happy to get away. I didn’t see any conviction as they headed out, thinking themselves secure even in their sins due to hearing too much of an errant Gospel, not understanding their need to turn from sin and submit to the Savior. It’s sad that there are so many misled in this way today.

A lady stopped by to give me a couple of websites on pieces of paper. I think we’ve met her before and I don’t think she likes us much, but I’ll look at her websites to see what she has to say.

Hyla (sp?), Jess and Kevin stopped to check out our “transitional species” that I made. Hyla and Jess seemed to have a pretty good understanding of the Gospel, but Kevin believed that he had his own morals somehow.

A guy named Jacob joined in and had some good questions that we answered as best we could.

I gave them some tracts, a CD of “Hells Best Kept Secret” and “True and False Conversion” and a couple of business cards that include my testimony and the blog site on it. (Leave me a comment if one of you is reading this)

Near the end of the night, a guy came up to Marcus and I to see what we had to say. He was from ND, out here on spring break and had been drinking a bit. He didn’t like the idea that God sees lust as adultery and will hold us all accountable to His Moral Law. He said he was a “hard-core Catholic” and that he would never change.

He liked to argue some, and stated that there was no evidence of God, so I pointed to the building that we were standing next to and asked him who built it. He said, “God didn’t build that, man did, just like all the cars and other buildings and these bricks…” he kind of went on a bit of a rant with this, but I agreed with him. I explained that we know there was a builder for all these things because we have the building as proof, just as a painting is proof that there was a painter, none of this stuff can just happen on its own. Then I told him that we have creation which proves there is a Creator. I pointed him to a tree in front of us and how that was more complex, as a living thing than a building was, and that there had to be a Creator.

He admitted that he just wanted to debate a bit, and knew that there was a God, so I thought I’d point out our atheists to him, explaining that we already had people who came out to argue against the existence of God with us. He couldn’t believe that people would actually do that, even though that’s pretty much what he was just doing himself.

So he felt that he had to go to talk to them. A few minutes later I saw him bring Shawn over to the tree and was pointing at it, apparently using the same example I had just given when I was talking to him.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 03-05-11

2011-03-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Out on Mill Ave again to proclaim the Gospel to the lost, following the command of our Lord and Savior to preach the Words of eternal life.

An older couple saw Ronnie holding a handful of Million Dollar Bill tracts and were remarking about it amongst themselves, as they walked by, "What is that, it looks like that guy's holding a handful of money." I walked over to them and gave them a couple and explained that they were Gospel tracts. They thanked me and continued on their way.

I set up the Celebrity Board, which contains 50 playing cards glued onto a poster, containing caricatures of different celebrities. A guy named Kyle and a couple of friends stopped by and looked at it. I asked him if any of them knew what the second row of celebrities had in common (the second row are all deceased). They figured that out after a while, and I asked if they knew what we have in common with all the rest of the celebrities on the board. Every one of us will die one day. Then I asked if they would consider themselves to be good people. Kyle said he was very good, so I took him through the "Good Person Test." We found out that he wasn't nearly as good as he had thought when held to God's moral standard of the Ten Commandments. He was a self admitted lying, coveting thief, and a blaspheming adulterer-at-heart. I explained the Gospel and our need for a Savior, and left them with a "Are You Good Enough To Get Into Heaven?" tract.

After that, three others stopped by. Ryan was interested in finding out if he was a good person or not, as our sign asked. He is in the Army reserves and considers himself to be a Christian. The girl with them had questions regarding homosexuality, and his other friend wasn't really interested in any sort of discussion. I anwered the girl that we must repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation or we cannot be saved. The two friends took off, but Ryan stayed and we went through the Good Person Test and left him a tract before he had to go. He said he appreciated us being out there and proclaiming the Gospel, but I'm not sure that he understands completely. Please keep him in prayer, he seems to feel that he can be good enough by not sinning, rather than relying completely on Christ. Many people struggle with this.

We packed up after a while and stopped at Taco Bell for a bit. The manager there remembered us from previous times. He and one of his employees seem very interested in what we're doing and the tracts that we use. They always greet us warmly and he even gave us each a coupon for a free combo meal. Tom talked to them about a class he has coming up, but they both work every Saturday. So, I gave them each a couple of CD's of "Hell's Best Kept Secret" and "True & False Conversions" and the website to Living Waters and Way of the Master. We'll see what they think of it the next time we go back.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 02-26-11

2011-03-02T21:39:00.000-08:00

Tom and I met Jennifer, Marcus and Stan at 5th St and Mill Ave. We set up Tom's new sign to give away more free glow sticks for anyone who was willing to take the Good Person Test. We had a few people stop by. I talked to a couple calling themselves Giggles and the Jolly Green Giant. Interesting street names. Anyway, they went through the Good Person Test for a couple of glow sticks. They didn’t seem real convicted, but they did hear the Gospel, so pray that the Lord would work in their hearts.

It was a pretty typical night on Mill, it didn’t start raining on us until around 11:30, and we packed up around 12:30 to go for some food and fellowship afterwards. There was a guy named James hanging around and he seemed a little off in his theology. Stan brought him with for a sandwich, and talked with him more there.

If you’re in the Phoenix area, come join us some Saturday night for witnessing and fellowship.

Soli Deo Gloria

Couple Banned from Foster Care due to Christian Beliefs

2011-02-28T21:49:00.000-08:00

LINK
This couple has been barred from foster care due to their refusal to compromise their Christian beliefs regarding homosexuality in Britain. Seriously? Now Christian values are making people unfit to raise children?

Wow, this stuff is getting out of hand. How long before we have a similar situation here in the States?

Million Dollar Bill Tract

2011-02-25T23:02:00.000-08:00

The Million Dollar Bill has got to be the easiest tract to give out to people. Anytime I buy something, I ask if the cashier can break a million. Then I tell them they can keep the million and I pay for whatever I'm buying, telling them that it's a Gospel tract and to read the back when they get the chance.

The other day, while we were at Chuck E Cheese, one of the kids left a Million Dollar Bill on the table while they were off playing. I was watching the table, waiting for our pizza, and some other kid came by and stopped to look at it. He said, "Wow" and got up to leave, so I asked him if he wanted one. He took a Million Dollar Bill and asked for another for his friend. Later, he came back with two other friends to get more.

You've got to be a little bit careful witnessing at work, especially to customers. I deal with people in other states, usually through email or phone calls, but we recently got a new agency and they sent out a couple of representatives to meet us. I always carry around some Million Dollar Bill tracts in my shirt pocket, but don't actively share at work unless someone asks. If anyone comments on the Million Dollar Bill, I give them one and explain to them that it's a Gospel tract.

The other day, my boss brought a couple of new customers around to meet everyone. They commented on my Million Dollar Bills and my boss said, "Yeah, give them one." So I did. It's always good to have a few interesting tracts with you, as you never know when the opportunity will arise. These two will have the opportunity to read through the Gospel message on the airplane ride home. I don't know what they believe, I didn't have time and couldn't really witness to new customers at work, but they have a good representation of the Gospel on the back of that Million Dollar Bill.

Saturday 02-19-11

2011-02-22T20:30:00.000-08:00

Leigh, Tom, Marcus, Alan, Ronnie, Stan, Sean, Norm, Phil and I, all braved the weather to witness to the lost out on Mill Ave.

One of the girls who was out last weekend playing guitar was out again with some other friends tonight. She’d been drinking and told us again that she was in the Army (not yet been through basic training, though), and would be defending our right to free speech on the streets. She first claimed that she was fine with us exercising those rights, but she later revealed that she really didn’t like the conviction of God's Law on her life (John 3:20). She felt that she should go out and get drunk without consequence (1 Cor 6:10) because of her future military record. We explained that this is like attempting to bribe God with our "good works" which are nothing more than filthy rags in God's eyes (Isaiah 64:6).

There was a guy who came over as we were getting set up to tell us that our “religion sucked.” Ronnie tried to talk with him, but the guy had no intention of any sort of intelligent dialogue to back up anything he said, he just wanted to complain and mock us (Prov 1:22) to see what sort of reaction he could get.

We set up Tom’s new sign and were giving away glow sticks to anyone willing to take the test to see if they were a good person or not (Prov 20:6). This drew quite a few people and he had some good conversations. I didn’t. I got a guy who wanted to take the test, but when I told him we were going to base it on God’s standard, he said that he didn’t accept that standard (2 Tim 4:3), so he went on his way.

It started pouring down rain a little later, and we had a small patch of shelter under an overhang at the post office. A bunch of people piled in there to escape the rain, so we talked with them for a bit before they went back out into the rain.

While Norm was doing some Open Air preaching, our atheists showed up to argue with their bull horn. Then a couple of Oneness Pentacostals stopped to condemn us for sharing the Gospel and claimed that we should be displaying signs and wonders. Marcus quoted Jesus as saying, “A wicked and adulterous nation asks for signs" (Matt 16:4). They decided that they’d rather hang out with the atheists than with us, proving a couple more Bible verses, "They went out from us because they were never of us" (1 John 2:19) and "They will know that you are My disciples by your love for one another" (John 13:35).

I talked to Rocco for a while on what “born again” might mean and how he sees it as judging others when we use the Good Person Test in witnessing. I tried to explain that we are not judging them, but asking them to judge themselves by God’s standard, but he still considered that to be judging. The Bible tells us to "judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24), and people use their judgment all the time in every day life. Come to think of it, he was actually judging us by saying that. Hmmm. He also stated that he thought we’d gotten the Bible so wrong, that if it really were true, we’d all be in hell with him as an unbeliever. 1 John 5:13 comes to mind. Rocco says some crazy stuff sometimes.

He thought that if we were “born again” that we would no longer sin. I explained that that was not the case (1 John 1:8), but that we struggle with sin. We won’t be completely sinless this side of heaven, but we do not sin purposefully (Hebrews 10:26-27) - the difference being between slipping into sin and diving in. Of course, he disagreed (what else can you do as a self-proclaimed atheist?) Please continue to keep Rocco in prayer. I don't see any hope of him ever turning to Christ, but with God all things are possible. None of us could come to Christ without the Father first drawing us (John 6:44), so pray for his salvation to the glory of the Lord.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 02-12-11

2011-02-14T22:34:00.000-08:00

Kind of a weird night on Mill Ave (but I guess that's pretty much normal). It was pretty slow early in the night, but there were more people out and about as the night went on.

I brought out the celebrity board - a posterboard that I pasted 50 of the celebrity caricature cards on, to see if people could tell who they were and what we all have in common with them (we will all face death one day). A few people showed some interest, but most took off when I attempted to speak with them. We'll have to try it again another night.

There were a couple of girls playing guitar for tips in our usual spot, so we set up nearby and handed out tracts for a while. Jeremiah and Rudy came out, and it was nice to see them. Since Jeremiah moved up north, we haven't seen much of him out on Mill. He can always gather a crowd pretty quickly, and our atheists love to argue with him. Unfortunately, they didn't show up until much later when he was about ready to leave for the long drive home.

Meanwhile, Jeremiah preached to the crowd across the street that was waiting to get into bars over there, and also answered some hostile questions from some people who disagreed with the idea of street preaching.

Later there were a couple of guys who were flaunting their homosexuality, lifting their shirts and dancing around, trying to annoy us, and another guy who was mocking the Bible with sarcasm by claiming that God didn't like "sex with dudes." Amidst all of this craziness going on, there was another guy named Jessie who was sitting on the window ledge of the post office.

I was standing nearby as we were talking to another guy who claimed that homosexuals were born that way. I agreed with him, explaining that we're all born sinful, and that my sins might manifest differently than his, but we are all born sinful and we need to repent of that sin rather than embrace it. He didn't like that explanation much and went back to his friends for reinforcement.

Jessie said that he'd seen something on TV that suggested that homosexuality was almost a disease, a mental imbalance of some sort. I told him that I didn't think so, that it was merely the sinful nature of mankind in general, and we talked for a bit about that and what the Word of God says about it. He said he'd read some of the Bible, but not all of it, so I gave him a Book of John and asked him to read that to start with. He hung around for a while after this, so I felt that I should talk with him more, asking him if he considered himself to be a good person. He did, and we went through a couple of the Commandments to show that, by God's standard, he wasn't good, so that he could understand the need for a Savior. I explained the Gospel and how the punishment was paid by Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and what is required of us is repentance and trust in Him for our salvation. We had a pretty good conversation, please keep Jessie in prayer, that the Lord would water the seed planted, bring him to true conviction and salvation.

Another guy came by with a skate board and tried to unplug the mic while Ed was preaching. He came back a little later with some insults, then came right out and told us that he was trying to provoke us to anger. He told us that we couldn't read, didn't understand our own Bible and some other silliness that I don't even remember. He was pretty ineffective in his attempts. It was a bit strange though, he didn't seem angry, but there was a controlled hatred of the things of God within him.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 01-29-11

2011-02-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

We talked with Rocco (one of the atheists) for a while. I really enjoy talking with him. He brings up some good points, although we (obviously) disagree on the basics. He says that he has really tried to believe, but it simply doesn't make sense to him. This just proves that, no matter how hard we try to convince someone, no amount of facts or information is going to do it. Only God Himself can make a conversion. We do nothing but be obedient and are granted the great privilege of being used by God for His purpose. Please keep Rocco in prayer, that the Lord would open his eyes and convert him to salvation. With God, all things are possible.

Three girls stopped to take the Good Person Test for a free prize (a glow stick bracelet). Marcus took them through the law and explained the Gospel to them. One of them said she had a Catholic background, and Marcus told them that it is only through Jesus Christ that we are saved. This is contrary to Catholic teaching, but she didn't seem to realize that. I gave them each a "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract, and they seemed very receptive.

Tom talked to a young couple named Luke and his fiance Maddie for a long time. You'll have to check out his Blog for details on that conversation, as I was passing out tracts and didn't hear it.

Stan said he had spoken with a guy that he had known before, but that the man was very angry and said he was going to go get a gun. We didn't think he would be back, but you never know on Mill Ave. We were getting ready to pack up anyway, and Stan headed out, as we were planning on meeting at a local Taco Bell afterward.

Then a man who was pretty drunk showed up asking if we were the preachers out here on the street. Marcus said yes, and the guy said, "Alright, preach to me." Marcus explained that we preach the Law and the Gospel per the Bible. We were wondering if this was the guy that had threatened Stan, as he was acting a little strange. Then the guy pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to Marcus saying that he wanted to give this to him for the ministry and to keep up the good work. Marcus tried to refuse, but the man insisted. We counted it up later, and it was a pretty good sum. Marcus decided that we should split it, so we did and bought a bunch of tracts to continue to hand out on Mill Ave. The Lord provides.

Soli Deo Gloria

Voddie Baucham

2011-01-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

First, you'll have to press the pause button on the music player over to your right, so you can hear this video.

Ask the question correctly.

Saturday 01-22-11

2011-01-25T17:51:00.000-08:00

A few of us headed out to Mill Ave to share the Gospel on Saturday night. Tom and I walked through the drum circle area, and a guy ran over to us, attracted by the cross that asks the question, "Are You Ready?" on it. He said he was ready and considered himself to be a good person, so we took him through four of the Commandments. But then he wandered away, but was soon back again, asking for money. He seemed drunk or high and only thought we would be easy marks for a few bucks.

As we arrived at the post office, there was a band set up there. They seemed to be playing Christian music and they hung around until around 10:30 or so, before they packed up. We listened to the music and handed out tracts and had a few one to one conversations until the band left.

After that I did some open air trivia. There were a couple of guys dressed up like members of the band Insane Clown Posse, with make up on their faces. One of them, Drew, stayed and went through the Good Person Test. He seemed convicted and understood the message of the Gospel. I left him with a "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?" tract. This was the only good conversation of the night. But just one is worthwhile, praise God. Then another guy approached us.

He had spoken with a couple of others in our group before. He stated that he was 2,000 years old and that he was Judas. I guess he forgot that he told us his real name was Fernando earlier.

He said that Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior, yet he also claimed that he was one of the one third of the angels that fell from heaven.
He said that Jesus came to seek that which is lost, and according to him, that is those fallen angels. Sometimes he said he was saved, sometimes he claimed he was a "dishonorable vessel", unable to be saved.
He continued to blaspheme and speak nonsense to Marcus and myself, telling us that we did not understand. That was one thing he was right about.

After a while, he went over and talked with Shawn, the atheist who was set up nearby. He was the only one there at that time. Fernando talked with him for a long time, but when he started getting a little intense and stepping forward, causing Shawn to take a step back, we decided to go over and offer some support. Fernando finally headed out and we didn't see him the rest of the night.

It was an odd night, but we had at least one good conversation, and distributed a lot of tracts. Keep the lost in prayer, that they my be saved and the Lord glorified.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 01-15-11

2011-01-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

Tom and I met Alan, Joe and Jennifer out on Mill Ave.

As soon as we got there, a man named Gary came up to talk to us. We had seen him out there before, he has a Jamaican background and believes all religions are basically the same and lead to the same place. He tends to take up a lot of time, keeping us from talking to others who are more open to hearing the Gospel. This guy just wants to argue his own point, even though he claims not to. He says he’ll come out every week, so maybe we’ll see him again.

After that, two girls came by and were interested in the glow sticks that Tom was giving away. He took them through four of the Commandments, but then Rocco came up with a few objections and they used that as an excuse to get away. I gave them a “Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven?” tract as they left.

Tom was talking to a guy who seemed to be high on something. He claimed to be a Christian, but thought that all paths lead to the same place and that we cannot know for sure what the correct one is. He went off on a lot of “relative truth” kind of stuff that we heard a lot tonight. His name is John and he’s trying to get back to OR. I left him with a small booklet of the Gospel of John.

Our atheists were there, and argued with us during the Open Air preaching. After they had packed up to leave, and we were getting ready to go, Tom told Rocco to be careful that he doesn’t talk too much or he might end up with a sore throat. Rocco mentioned that he does actually have a problem with his throat, as well as with his leg and shoulder. Tom then asked if we could pray for him, and he said he didn’t care. I’m not sure if he realized that we were going to do it right there on the street or not, but we were able to put our hands on him and pray right there on the street.

We prayed that he would come to realize God’s Truth and also for his health and healing. Please keep Rocco in prayer, both for his health issues and, more importantly, for his spiritual health and coming to know the Lord.

Soli Deo Gloria

Westboro

2011-01-12T21:25:00.000-08:00

I cannot bring myself to call them "baptists" for they are not. Any group that is held together by their hatred of others is not Christian in any way. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. The Fred Phelps family in Topeka, KS that calls itself a church, made infamous for their attention-craving protests at funerals and their "God hates....." (well, pretty much everything) signs. A few loud folks who's only joy seems to be from claiming that people are being tormented in hell.
They say it with the same sort of smirk on their face as the mugshot of the man arrested for shooting all those people in Tucson.

Our Lord and Savior does not rejoice in the death of anyone (Ezekiel 18:32), but wants all to repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-5 and 2 Peter 3:9).

What fruit of the Spirit are they displaying (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, per Gal 5:22-23) in their protests? I don't see any of those with the Phelps group.

What I do see is hatred, along with fits of rage, discord, dissensions and factions, which are acts of the flesh and those who practice them will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:19-21).

The Bible teaches that we are not to hate our brothers and sisters (1 John 4:20) and we will be held accountable, even subject to judgment (Matt 5:21-22). Who are our brothers and sisters? Well, if we believe the Bible, all mankind descended from Adam and Eve, so that would make a good argument for all mankind being our brothers and sisters.

Yet, even if you consider someone an enemy, you are not to rejoice at their misfortune (Prov 24:17). You are to love them and pray for them (Matt 5:43-44, Luke 6:27). Because we were once just like them, prior to being saved by God's sovereign will (Titus 3:3, Ephesians 2:3, Col 1:21, 1 Cor 6:9-11).

We are to preach the Word, per the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Acts 10:42), and always be prepared to explain the hope within us with gentleness and respect (1 Pet 3:15).

God wants all to be saved, so how could we rejoice in the death of anyone when God does not (Ezekiel 18:23)?
We will be held accountable for every careless word we've spoken (Matt 12:36).

So, don't anyone be confused by a hate group such as this that call themselves "Christian".

Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. -Matthew 7:20

Saturday 01-08-11

2011-01-10T21:56:00.000-08:00

I hadn’t been out to share the Gospel in a while due to the holidays, so it was nice to get back out there. Tom, Catherine, Ronnie, Joe, Marcus, Jennifer and I met out on Mill Ave to hand out tracts and preach the Word as we’re commanded in the Great Commission. It was a pretty good night, not real busy, but there were more people out later on. Tom kept busy talking to small groups of people and I did some open air preaching. You can catch more of Tom's experiences at his Blog.

A man named Chris stopped by and went through Good Person Test after some trivia questions. He seemed to have a pretty good grasp of the Gospel, but I took him through the whole thing anyway, so that others could hear it as well.

Next, a woman named Misty came and asked if we were giving away money for trivia, so I did some trivia and then took her through the Good Person Test. She seemed to have a general knowledge of Christianity, but she hadn’t heard it explained quite like this before, and she said it made a lot of sense. She seemed convicted, and much more serious after I had quoted Hebrews 10:26-27 to her.

Our atheists showed up later on, and Rocco got on the mic for a while, talking about all the “transitional fossils” that have been found…. and I hadn’t brought the turtle duck.
He also went on about how evolution has been proven and how looking into the eyes of animals, you can tell that there is some ancient ancestor there. He talked about how monkeys can learn sign language and their feelings and all that, but still, no group of animals have ever set up a court system to uphold their morality. And speaking of morals, I don’t know how those could ever evolve, they have to borrow those from Christianity, while still attempting to deny the God who gave them.

Then I asked if they had any idea why pretty much everywhere in the world uses a 7 day week, since 7 does not divide evenly into any natural cycles. There is absolutely no reason for a 7 day week at all except for the creation account in the Bible, where God created everything in 6 days and rested on the 7th. It serves as a constant reminder of our God and creation, every single week that goes by. Of course, our atheists attempted to argue about that, but they had nothing that made any sense. I bet they’re looking into that right now.

Soli Deo Gloria

Religion of Peace?

2011-01-06T21:27:00.001-08:00

Ok, press pause on the music player over on the right so you can listen to this:

Col Allen West answers a question on Muslim terror.

Remember

2010-12-27T12:05:00.000-08:00

Remember as you walk by that person on the sidewalk and your eyes meet, you smile and say, "How are you?" without really meaning it.

When you walk by that person on the street, or step into the elevator with a coworker.

When you are standing in line at the grocery store with people in front of you and behind you, and when you step up to the cashier to pay.

Remember when you go through the drive thru to pick up your lunch, when you wave to your neighbor as you pull into your driveway.

As you wait in line at the DMV or sit in a restaurant waiting for your dinner, on the bus, on a plane, or anywhere else you come into contact with other human beings.

Remember that the gate is small and the way is narrow for those who find eternal life (Matt 7:13-15 ). That most people you will come in contact with throughout the day are likely on the wide road to destruction.

So, just remember these three little words. Say them out loud, whisper them under your breath or say them silently in your mind as you glance into the eyes of other people. These words aren't really meant for them anyway, they're meant as a reminder for you, to convict, to remember and remind yourself to say something else, rather than what is said by your silence or your meaningless small talk or greetings that you don't really mean.

Quietly say to them, "go to hell" if you're not going to share the words of eternal life with them as you are commanded by the Lord. And be ready to explain to God one day, why you called Him Lord but refused to follow His commands (Luke 6:46, Rom 14:12 ).

It's been said that there are sins of commission and sins of omission. We're pretty familiar with the sins of commission - the things you do which you shouldn't, but the sins of omission are the things that you don't do which you should, such as obediently sharing the Gospel as every Christian is commanded (Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Acts 10:42 ).

If you consider yourself to be a Christian, you need to learn to share your faith. At least carry around a few Gospel tracts, learn to quickly share the hope within you (1 Peter 3:15 ). Get yourself equipped to share the Good News with others, Biblically.

Go to Way of the Master.com and learn what you need to do. If what you find there is unbiblical, then walk away from it. But if you find it backed up by Scripture, then you need to get into the battle.

If you are afraid to witness to others because they might be offended, try this. See if it is less offensive to go ahead and say to them, "go to hell" because that's what you're saying by keeping the knowledge of eternal life from them.

Saturday 12-18-10

2010-12-21T22:54:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was a busy night. There weren't any more people than normal and it seemed like it would be pretty slow. But our "Are You A Good Person" sign brought a lot of curious people by on this particular night.

Alan even did some Open Air preaching (see photo).

First, a homeless guy named Robert or "Roach" as he preferred to be called, stopped to prove that he was indeed a good person. He said he lived at some sort of church shelter and read his Bible every day. We went through the Good Person test in order to show that, by God's standard (the Ten Commandments), none of us are good. If we were, or could somehow work our way into God's favor, then we would have no need of Jesus Christ as our Savior. I gave him a tract, but he didn't seem to be convicted or take our conversation too seriously, still holding to his own self-righteousness.
Later on, he walked by again, bragging that he was going to go sin. So much for being "good" I guess.

As Robert was leaving, another homeless guy named Rodney came up to take the test. He seemed to feel that he was a good person as well, and did not believe that the Bible commands us to obey our government leaders (Rom 13:1-3), even after I read it to him out of his own Bible. He seemed to have a lot of bad theology and held to it very stubbornly. But we had a good discussion anyway, and I hope some of it will sink in. I gave him a tract to look through later as well, that will take him through the Ten Commandments very thoroughly.

Another man named Dave also stopped because he saw our sign, and wanted to find out if he was a good person. He found that he wasn't, and that God requires perfection, but that He has provided a way through Jesus Christ.

Later a group of girls were looking at the sign and we asked if they would like to go through the test. They agreed and we went through four of the Ten Commandments (concerning lying, stealing, blasphemy and lust). Two of them didn't like the conviction they were feeling and quickly left, but Katrina and Leslie stayed to hear the full Gospel and seemed to be seriously considering the things they heard.

The wooden cross that we carry out with us also generated a lot of questions or comments as we carried it through the street. It's a little over six feet tall, made out of 4x4's with the words, "Are You Ready?" printed on the cross bar.
People will ask, "Ready for what?" and I'll tell them, "Ready to stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and give an account for your life." Some will say yes, and then I ask if they've kept the Ten Commandments. Others read it and say they were born ready, and I tell them they were not, but most of those are not willing to stop and discuss, they just make their comments as they continue on their way.

There was a Mormon that Marcus knows and has spoken with before who was hanging around. He even went through the Trivia questions and the Good Person Test with Tom, and when we were leaving, he wanted to carry the cross. This was very interesting, as I know that Mormons do not like the cross as a symbol (I learned that when I went to a Mormon friend's wedding wearing an earring with a small cross on it). I asked him about this, and he said they considered it idolatry, but he insisted on carrying the big wooden cross through all of the crowded areas on Mill about halfway to the car.

I'm not sure why drunks seem to want to steal the cross when I set it somewhere. As I've mentioned, it's over six feet tall and weighs 22 pounds. But I set it down and a group of drunks walked by, and sure enough, one of them had to stop and pick it up. I told him that was probably less than half the size of the real one, and he decided to leave rather than be preached at.

After that, Marcus, Tom and I went to Taco Bell for fellowship and to discuss the conversations we'd had over the night.

Soli Deo Gloria

Merry Christmas

2010-12-16T17:23:00.000-08:00

You'll have to press pause on the media player to the right to listen to this song and watch the awesome video below.

Saturday 12-11-10

2010-12-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

Dan, Tom and I met out on Mill Ave and found a DJ set up at our usual spot. They were doing some break dancing on a large tarp they had set out on the sidewalk. No matter, they gathered a crowd, and we gave them tracts.
Joe, Alan, Sean, Courtney, Marcus and Jennifer met us out there a little later.

Our atheists set up nearby, but didn't hang around long when they realized that no one could hear their speaker and there was no preaching going on. We were mostly handing out tracts and having one 2 one conversations until later. Every time the DJ took a break and restarted with more break dancing, they had a new crowd to give tracts to, so this worked out well. They hung around for 3 hours or so, then packed up.

Then Tom was able to do some Open Air preaching, starting with some trivia questions. Angelica and JJ stopped and went through the Good Person Test.

Meanwhile, a guy named "Sideshow" (who I mentioned in an earlier post) came up to talk with Marcus. He looked different from the last time I had seen him, and he said that he was clean and sober, and had been going to church. That was a huge change from the last time I had seen him, and he even took a tract to read through later. Praise God and please keep him in prayer that the Lord will continue working in him and remove the bad influences that are still in his life.

I talked with a man named Lorenzo, who stopped when I handed him a tract. He knew he'd been doing some things wrong, but still considered himself to be good overall, so I took him through the Good Person Test.
He really seemed a bit convicted, even before I spoke with him. He said that he was a Christian, but was straying from the faith, and he asked for prayer for himself regarding that, and for his girlfriend Amanda, who is pregnant. I explained the Gospel and the need to turn from his sins in repentance and told him I would keep them both in prayer.

Tom talked with Chris and Tyler, a couple of young guys who had heard the street preaching before and had stopped by to offer encouragement. They were possibly interested in going to one of Tom’s classes later on. Praise God, and we continue to pray for more workers (Luke 10:2).

We all stopped off at Taco Bell afterwards for some fellowship before heading our separate ways home. The people working the late shift there remember us and always ask for more tracts. Courtney took the opportunity to talk with a few guys that were seated at a table next to us - I love this guy, he never stops!

We got home pretty late, but well worth the time in being out sharing the Gospel.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 12-04-10

2010-12-06T21:33:00.000-08:00

It was kind of slow on Saturday night on Mill, with the tents from the Festival of Arts still set up in the streets, but we still distributed a few tracts and had some good conversations with people.

Tom, Dan and I were playing with the light illusion, throwing lights back and forth and it caught the eye of a group of teens. They stopped to see how it was done and Tom started talking to them. Meanwhile, a couple of security guards also stopped, because they had seen it from a distance, so I talked with them. The guy didn’t seem real interested in the Gospel, he was too busy trying to be funny, or give strange, mystical type answers to the questions, while the girl with him seemed much more receptive. However, when they had to go, I offered them each a tract with more in-depth information, and she refused, saying she was already good, but the guy took one and said he would read it. It’s not always obvious how God is working in a person’s heart as we’re talking to them.

Tom also talked with two guys named Christopher and Andre, who allowed us to film them going through the Good Person Test. You can view that at Tom’s blog soon. tillthenetsrful

On the right is our new guy – Courtney, who’s not really new to evangelism, as he has been sharing his faith with tracts and talking to people on the light rail, but he is new to coming out on Mill with us.

He was handing out tracts and talking with people all night. When our atheists showed up, he talked with them for a long time. When we left, he stayed to talk with them longer.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 11-27-10

2010-11-30T20:32:00.001-08:00

There were a lot of people out on the streets to share the Gospel this past Saturday night. The Festival of Lights parade came down Mill Ave, and after that there were still quite a few people hanging around, but they disappeared over time as it gets "cold" here at night.

Tom and I met up with Jean, Leigh, Joe, Luke, Anne, Marcus, Jennifer and Dan. We distributed a few tracts and did some Open Air preaching.

There was a Christian woman there who used to have an evangelical cable TV show, and who witnesses to a lot of homeless and hurting people on the streets. She and a friend (husband maybe?) didn't agree with the "Law to the proud, Grace to the humble" concept that we were using. They thought that we should be telling everyone how much Jesus loved them and that they could be forgiven. That's a great idea, and exactly what we do, AFTER we explain the NEED for a Savior, otherwise it makes no sense. It would be like giving someone the cure for cancer who had no idea that they actually had cancer. But if you describe the symptoms, give the details of what can be expected and then explain the results, then it will make sense and they will be ready for the cure. These people wanted to do it backwards, which would just seem confusing to me. There are far too many luke-warm, "carnal Christians" in the world today that are going to be in for a rude awakening per Matt 7:22-23. I think we'll stick to the Biblical way of witnessing.

We decided to call it a night early, since there weren't too many people out and headed to a nearby Taco Bell for some fellowship together.
Luke was witnessing to an unbeliever, and when we decided to take off, we invited the man to come with us.
He wasn't really interested in discussing spiritual things or taking any tracts, but decided to meet us there anyway. He said that he was surprised that we'd hang out with the likes of himself, but I told him that's exactly what we come out there for. I didn't catch his name, but God knows who he is. Please pray that the Lord would work in his heart. We'll probably see him out on Mill again.

Soli Deo Gloria

Wednesday 11-17-10

2010-11-19T21:34:00.000-08:00

Tom, Heather, Linda, Sherry, Chad, Cole, Jean, Anne, Jennifer, Jill and I met a few others to evangelize on the local college campus on Wednesday. We had 2,000 tracts to give out and had some good one 2 one conversations with some of the students at ASU.

As I was setting up my white board, a guy named Anthony stopped by to talk about the trillion dollar bill tract. He felt that everyone had already heard the message on there and would like to have seen something from the Bible that he didn't already know. I challenged him on this, and asked if he knew the Ten Commandments. Of course, he stated that he did, and actually did pretty well, getting five of the ten on the spot. Most people can't remember more than about three. I gave him a coin with the Ten Commandments on it, and explained that the message on the tracts was the Gospel - the message of hope and what people needed to know in order to understand their need for a Savior. I told him there are many interesting stories within the Bible, and if people would read it, they would find those other things that he was looking for.

Garan saw my sign asking people if they considered themselves to be good, and really liked what we were doing. He had heard of WOTM a couple of years before in LA, and had been looking for more information. I gave him the website (http://WayoftheMaster.com) and a couple of CDs to check out.

Tom talked to a few people, and the campus atheists set up nearby. We didn't have an opportunity to do any Open Air, but we distributed tracts and had quite a few conversations.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 11-13-10

2010-11-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

Interesting night on Mill Ave. Brandt was talking to one guy – Ryan was his name, I think. But the man got mad when he wasn’t allowed to hold the mic, so he gave the PA a good kick and walked away. Later he stopped by the corner in a car to mock us, then got stuck in traffic so we were able to get his license number.

One of our friendly neighborhood atheists called out on their bullhorn that it was a “divine appointment” that our PA was kicked. Isn’t that awesome? They have finally admitted belief in the divine, they are no longer professed atheists, but simply agnostic, not knowing whether there is a Creator or not. Just like the person who would look at a building and wonder whether or not there was a builder.

We brought the turtle duck out, the replica of a transitional species. The Skeptic Tank is not impressed with our sense of humor.

Another guy, who generally hangs out with the skeptics, talked with us for a while. He thought that all religions are basically the same, teaching “play nice.” I don’t think that’s necessarily true. He says it’s just the extremists who commit violent acts against others. However, when someone who professes to be a Christian, commits some violent act against someone else, the Christian community condemns that action and that so called believer, because that is not what the Bible teaches. Under the New Covenant, we are told to love our neighbor and pray for our enemies.

But when a terrorist attack is committed by a professing Muslim, there is one of two reactions. Some are dancing in the street, rejoicing in the destruction of their enemies, and the other reaction is complete silence. I have not heard of anyone standing up and condemning terrorist actions, and that’s because that is exactly what their religious book commands.
When Marcus got out a Qur’an to show this, the guy decided to walk away, not wanting to hear it or see the proof (try Surah 9:5, if you’re interested).

There were some other “street preachers” down the road from us. I hear they were from New Orleans, traveling around the country with signs and preaching fire and brimstone in front of the bars. As I understand it, they were telling people that they were fornicators and whores and that they were going to hell.

Nowhere that I could find in the Bible does it tell us to mock and call people names. This doesn’t sound like caring or love to me, but simply hatred, much like the Westboro “Baptists.” This gives a bad name to others who are attempting to share the Gospel Biblically, through dialogue and preaching the full Gospel.
You see, fire and brimstone by itself is not the full Gospel. And neither is the warm, fuzzy love only Gospel. God is loving, but He is also full of wrath at law breakers. We are to warn people, and to ask them to judge themselves by God’s standards, not condemn them and call them names.

As Tom was doing some Open Air Trivia, one of our atheists was shouting out the answer to the question on his bullhorn. Interestingly, no one seemed to notice. Not that we care if they give the answers, we want people to get them. But it was interesting that he shouted out the answer multiple times and no one took advantage of that.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 11-06-10

2010-11-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

Saturday night on Mill Ave wasn't real busy, especially compared to last week. Still we got some tracts out there. We set up our sign asking, "Are You A Good Person?" which seemed to attract a few people (you can see a pic in the Photo tab).

Brandt has a good sign asking which religion is correct, giving a list for people to choose from (there's a pic of that one, too). This tends to get some good conversations started.

Pastor BJ came out with a few people from his church. Tom and I had a class there a few weeks ago, it was good to see them out there again.

I did some Open Air trivia and had a young woman come up for the Good Person Test, to find that she wasn't as good as she thought when judged by God's standard, and I explained the Gospel and the need for a Savior. We gave her a couple of tracts and it seemed to make sense to her, better than it had before.

We talked with a guy named Adam, who seemed to have some Christian background, and just discussed some theology and different belief systems. We left him with a few tracts to look over later as well.

The atheists came out later to proclaim their lack of belief, which still just amazes me. That people would have such a hatred that they would come out to oppose something that they claim doesn't even exist. That sounds really close to insanity to me.

A man named Dwayne came up as we were getting ready to leave, to give an encouraging word and thank us for being out there preaching the Gospel.

Soli Deo Gloria

First Friday 11-05-10

2010-11-07T20:35:00.000-08:00

You'll have to push the pause button on the music player on the right in order to listen to the Ten Commandments being given by 8-year old McKayla in the video below.

We passed out tons of tracts and had some great conversations with people who were walking by. McKayla handed out tracts faster than I could keep up. May the Lord be glorified in all that we do.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 10-30-10

2010-11-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

I helped Tom out with a WOTM Crash Course on evangelism on Saturday. We do these about once a month to get more people equipped to witness per the Great Commission, so if you know of anyone that will be in the Phoenix area that would like to check it out, let us know. It's a free class and every Christian should know how to share the hope within them (1 Peter 3:15).

Mill Ave was interesting, being Homecoming and the Saturday night before Halloween. I brought out the turtle duck (a replica of an evolutionary transitional life form). This is actual PROOF of macro evolution. I don't mean proof as in actual evidence, but rather, it's an acronym that stands for Pathetic Reaching Onto Obvious Fraud.

Our local atheists were not impressed with my creative teasing of their Darwinistic religion. Shawn said it was stupid and I agreed with him completely. He didn't have any sense of humor at all tonight. They seem to be able to dish it out but don't really like us dishing it back. We love those guys though, please keep them in prayer.

I talked to a guy named Bradley for a while. He claimed to be a Christian, but had a lot of arguments and questions that would suggest that maybe he wasn't. He said he'd be back with more question, so hopefully we'll see him again. Pray that the Lord would work in his heart this week, convicting him of his sins and drawing him to repentence.

There were tons of people and some wild costumes. One guy was dressed as Jesus and heckling the street preaching, so I dragged my cross over near him and asked if anyone had a hammer and some nails.
He didn't really want to talk with me. I suppose that's about the last thing a guy making fun of Jesus wants to see is a big wooden cross brought over to him. Maybe it starts to feel too real at that point, maybe he begins to realize a small part of what Christ went through in providing us a way to avoid the hell that we deserve, while he is out there mocking Him.

We didn't have too many one 2 one conversations this night, but we handed out a lot of tracts. As Tom and I were leaving, a woman ran up asking if the cross we were carrying really worked. I explained to her that it was just a sign (it says "Are You Ready?" on the cross beam) and that it asks the question, are you ready to stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and give an account for your life. Apparently, she had seen a cross on some sort of paranormal TV show and thought it was some sort of good luck charm. She said she'd had some bad things happen in her life recently, and we explained the Gospel to her. I'm not sure if there were drugs involved or if she'd just been having a hard time in general, but she took off after a little while. I think she was looking for a quick change in luck, rather than a true change of heart and lifestyle. May the Lord work in her and draw her to Himself.

Then I met a guy I used to work with. I hadn't seen him in a while, and he asked what I was doing out there. When I said I was doing some street evangelism, he looked as though he were suddenly caught in a trap and would like to be anywhere else but there. We spoke briefly and he went on his way before any spiritual matters could be brought up. Tom and I left Mill Ave around 12:30 or so.

Soli Deo Gloria

Love and Seduction

2010-10-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

"The language of love and the language of seduction are the same. The one who wishes a girl for a wife and the one who wishes her for only a night both say the words "I love you." Jesus has told us to discern between the language of seduction and the language of love, and to know the wolves clad in sheepskin from the real sheep."
- Richard Wurmbrand in the book "Tortured for Christ"

I found these words powerful as I'm reading through this book. This was written 30 years ago, but we deal with the same thing in different forms in the church today.

We have the emergent church, the prosperity gospel, charismatic chaos and all sorts of heretical doctrines being taught be false teachers. Satan doesn't care who or what you worship, as long as it's not the one true God of the Bible. Read it every day, so that you don't find yourself deceived.

Saturday 10-16-10

2010-10-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

Tom, Catherine, Ronnie and I met Joe, Marcus and Jennifer out on Mill Ave for some Saturday night evangelism. We handed out a few tracts and Tom did some Open Air Trivia. A guy who had been sitting near by in Renaissance Festival clothes, had the correct answer for Tom's trivia question for a dollar, and decided to take the Good Person Test for $5.

His name is Andrew, and it turned out that he wasn't as good as he had thought, once he was compared to God's standard rather than man's.
Tom took him through the Gospel and spent some time explaining it to him. Although Andrew claimed to be a Christian, this explanation made it more clear of his need for a Savior, and we left him with a few more tracts to look through later.

I talked to a guy named Shane, who was homeless and trying to find his way back to Seattle. He claimed that he'd had an argument with a friend, and thought things had gone so badly that he could lose his life through all of this. I don't know all the details, but please keep him in prayer. He seemed to have some background in Christianity, but still considered himself to be a good person. So I took him through the test, explained the Gospel and told him that he has to be made right with God before he leaves this world.

Tom had been talking to a homeless woman named Jessica, and we prayed for her there on the street. She had recently become homeless and is trying to keep custody of her son.

A woman with multiple piercings in her face came over to talk to me for a while. She claimed to have had a Christian background, but now believes in all kinds of religions and pagan stuff. She thinks she can keep from being deceived by Satan, yet she is very lost. I'm not really sure why she wanted to talk to me, as she really wasn't interested in making any changes in her life. Just wanted to tell me about herself, so I listened and explained that there are false teachers within the church, but that doesn't invalidate the truth. She mentioned her tattoos of a pentagram and an inverted cross, and I told her that anyone can be forgiven and saved, but she really wasn't very receptive.

Our atheists had brought out their free clothes for those in need, and also brought some sandwiches from Jersey Mike's for anyone who was hungry. This goes to show that, while feeding and caring for the homeless are good works to be done, it is NOT evangelizing. We had some good discussions with Rocco and Shawn, as well as a few other atheists that stopped by.

I talked with a guy named Brad. He'd been drinking, but had some good knowledge of the Gospel. However, we know that believing isn't enough (even the demons believe), and I talked with him for a while. I explained the need to repent, turning away from sins, forsaking them and trusting fully in Jesus Christ. Then we talked about the fact that we do good works - not in an attempt to earn our way into Heaven - but out of gratitude for what God has already done for us, in His love and sacrifice to pay the punishment for our sins because we are unable to.

It was a pretty good night of evangelizing.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 10-09-10

2010-10-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday night on Mill was interesting. A man named Tracy stopped to answer some of the trivia questions we were asking, and agreed to take the Good Person Test, even though he said that he wouldn't consider himself to be a good person. There are very few who don't (Prov 20:6). I took him through the questions anyway, and gave him a more specific understanding of the Gospel. When we had finished, he said that he was a Gospel singer and asked if he could sing a song. I held the mic for him so he could play guitar and he was pretty good. Here's a picture of Tracy.

Later on, while Tom was Open Air preaching, a group of zombies went by. They had bloodied faces and shirts, and one of them laid on the ground so the others could drag him through the crowd and past the front of our stool. I guess they were out a little early for Halloween.

While we were playing with the light illusion, tossing red lights back and forth, people stopped to see how we did it. Twice people said that they would sell their eyes for $500,000. Sane people won't normally state such a thing, I asked them what they would do then, see the world? One of them said he'd go buy some other eyes. Money really is an idol that enslaves mankind, especially young people who've had too much to drink.

Tom talked with Shawn, one of the skeptics who likes to come out and oppose our preaching, and we spoke with Rocco for a while as well.
Most of the atheists we find on Mill Ave actually enjoy having these type of discussions. Even though they disagree with us, they are willing to debate, ask questions and give their own perspective for why they don't believe. I've found that many of them have a background in some sort of religion. Whether it's a false religion such as Mormonism, Catholic tradition, or just some entertainment based church, they've had just enough to become an innoculated backslider.

I've often heard the complaint that they've been reprimanded for questioning the belief system, most likely because those they asked didn't have the answers and didn't want to take the time to look for them. But there are answers out there, and we shouldn't just disregard the questions. I've actually had my own faith strengthened while looking up answers to some of the questions or statements posed by our atheists on the streets.

I hope to see our friends from Tree of Life Community Church out again in the future. Tom and I have recently taken them through the WOTM Crash Course and they came out to see these principles in action on the streets, even handing out a few tracts while they were there. Thanks to Pastor BJ Drebert for opening up his church and allowing us to teach there.
We continue to pray for more workers (Luke 10:2)

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 10-02-10

2010-10-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Tom and I met Alan and Ronnie out on Mill for some witnessing.

A few kids stopped by for the Open Air Trivia questions. I was able to take Alex through the Good Person Test, while his sister and a couple of others listened in.

After that a blond woman walked over to see what was going on and to ask more about what we were doing. I talked to her a bit about what we were doing out there and she asked what church we went to. I explained that we all go to different churches and come out to share the Gospel according to the Bible. I took her through the Good Person Test and gave her a "Are You Good Enough to Get into Heaven" tract. Then she mentioned that she was Mormon and seemed to think that we believe the same things. I was talking to her a bit about the differences, when some other guys came up to ask some questions. I talked to them and the lady I had been speaking with disappeared. At least she had a tract before she left.

The three guys seemed to be unbelievers, but were open to discussion. They had some good questions and I answered the best I could. I didn’t catch their names, but I’ve seen them out there before, and will probably see them again.

A guy named Larry, who seemed a little tipsy, claimed to have had some sort of prison experience and said he knew God and lived for Him. I was able to share the Gospel briefly with him and he went on his way.

Over all it was very busy on Mill Ave this Saturday with people celebrating Oktoberfest. We distributed a lot of tracts and had quite a few conversations.

Soli Deo Gloria

Saturday 09-25-10

2010-09-28T21:39:00.001-07:00

It was pretty busy on Mill Ave tonight, and we distributed a lot of tracts.

A man named Alec and a couple of friends stopped, and Phil and I talked to them for a while. I took Alec through part of the Good Person Test and it seemed to make sense to him. They asked some questions and we had a good discussion.
I found out later that they were LDS, which I didn’t discern from the conversation. I guess that’s because they weren’t saying too much about what they thought or believed, but were asking questions and listening to what we were telling them. Seeds planted, I pray that they will go home and search the Scriptures as the Bereans did to find out the truth and not be caught up in something that is not true.

Three Native Americans stopped while I was doing some OA Trivia. They had been out drinking and wanted to know what the answer to the trivia question was. I gave it to them and we went through a couple of other ones. Two of them were laughing and having a good time, while the third, a big guy who seemed pretty drunk, stood close and stared at me as if he wanted to knock me off of the stool.

When I went into the Good Person Test, Mileno and Sharon admitted to lying, but after that Sharon wouldn’t admit to anything else. Mileno also admitted to stealing and using the Lord’s name in vain, while the third guy seemed to continue waiting for the opportunity to smack me. He made a couple of incoherent statements that sounded like he was trying to start a fight, but I wasn’t really sure what he was talking about, so I continued through the GPT.

Sharon asked what if they didn’t believe in an afterlife, and I explained that our belief isn’t what makes something true, but the object of our faith is what needs to be considered. She didn’t really want to get into a serious conversation, but Mileno said that he agreed with what I was saying.
They decided to head off to get something to eat, but the third guy stayed. I talked to him for a bit and found that his name is Bernard. (I heard Mileno call him “Junior” once as well).

Bernard seemed to be relaxing a bit and I found that he had been in the Marines. He said that he had done some “bad things to people” and I explained to him that there is forgiveness available through Jesus Christ. I never found out exactly what he had done, but a couple of times in our conversations, I noticed a tear in his eye. I took him through the Gospel and told him he needed to pray to God for forgiveness, after repenting and trusting in Christ alone. I told him that I would keep him in prayer and he asked me to pray with him there on the street, so I did.

He still hung around for a while more, and seemed to want to talk, so I went through it again with him, unsure of how much had penetrated the influence of alcohol. His friends finally came back and I gave them some tracts before they headed out. Please keep Bernard and his two friends in prayer.

Christopher Hitchens

2010-09-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

I wasn't aware of this, but a friend sent me a news story on Christopher Hitchens having cancer and a prayer day for him. Check out the article here: Christopher Hitchens Skipping Prayer Day In His Honor

A couple of thoughts from the article.

"For some of his critics, it might be satisfying to see a man who has made a career of skewering organized religion switch sides near the end of his life and pray silently for help fighting a ravaging disease."

Satisfying? Well, maybe, but not for the reasons that the world might think. As Christians, we know there is no hope apart from Jesus Christ, and that there is still hope through Him, even for an outspoken atheist. Hitchens will probably never come to faith - it becomes a pride issue now, how would that look to all of his loyal atheist fans? But then again, nothing is impossible with God. A Christian should not see a change of heart as a "win" for our side, but rather, the salvation of a man who deserves eternal punishment just like the rest of us, to the glory of the Lord who saves.

Hitchens may not know it or want to believe it, but he will glorify God at the end of his life in one way or another. Either as a demonstration of God's holy righteousness as justice is done through eternal punishment, or as a demonstration of God's holy grace and mercy in salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Those are the only two options, and God is glorified either way.

"The way the English-born Hitchens sees it, the people praying for him break down into three basic groups: those who seem genuinely glad he's suffering and dying from cancer; those who want him to become a believer in their religious faith; and those who are asking God to heal him."

His first group couldn't be Christians. Any group that is held together by their hatred of another group simply cannot have the love of Christ in them. If these are professed believers, they are hypocrites, false teachers and deceivers.

The last group, asking God to heal him, would buy him more time but that in itself would not change his eternal fate. Paul asked to be healed from the thorn in his flesh and the Lord told him no. All the disciples, and many others faced martyrdom for their beliefs. This is part of living under the curse of sin. I wouldn't be a part of this group.

The middle group, those who "want him to become a believer in their religious faith" could probably be better defined. Why do they want him to become a believer? Is it because they want a big hit against the other side, that when it really comes down to it, even atheists will turn? The "no atheists in foxholes" sort of argument? That would only strengthen the stubbornness of the rest of them.

Or is it because they know his fate without Jesus Christ in his life, and know that we all deserve eternal punishment in hell because we've all sinned against an eternal God? Is it because God has provided a way out of this fate that we deserve and it is available to any who would call on His name? Is it for this man's salvation and the glory of God alone that we'd like to see him come to faith? That's the group I would fit into.

Saturday 09-18-10

2010-09-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

Another Saturday night of sharing the Gospel on Mill Ave in Tempe. We handed out a lot of tracts and had a few interesting conversations. Chris and Fernando stopped by. They had talked to us on a previous occasion, but I didn't remember them. They are both Christians and stopped to offer encouragement, so Tom gave them some tracts to distribute.

Later on Jordan (one of our atheists who used to come out to oppose the preaching) stopped by. We hadn't seen him in a couple of years, since he'd moved around a bit. I had some good conversations with him in the past and he's a very likeable kid, but still holds to his unbelief. We talked for a while and then Fernando got into a conversation with him, bringing up some good points to make him think.

Marcus and I talked to a guy with a Jamacian accent who seemed to think that all religions were basically the same. He asked if we were "religious racists." I asked him what that meant, and he explained that it was thinking that only your particular religion is correct. I wouldn't call Christianity a religion, but yes, Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through Me."
It is exclusive in that only the true Christians will have salvation, but it's also inclusive in that anyone can come to Christ. Repent of your sins, forsake them, and trust in Jesus Christ alone, submitting to Him as Lord and Savior.

After a while our atheists from the Skeptic Tank showed up and set up their free clothes and speakers right next to us as they like to do. There were some others sitting near the corner, giving away free roses made from palm fronds. I was taking a few random pictures out there, and one guy that was hanging out with them came over to inform me that he didn't like his picture taken. So I put my camera away and went over to talk to this guy. I explained that I wasn't taking pictures of him specifically, but just wondered if we could discuss the issue. He got up and walked quickly away, so I guess not.

I'll be helping Tom out with a WOTM class for the next two Thursdays at a church in Tempe, so pray that we will gain more workers for the harvest field in that (Luke 10:2).

Science in the Bible 10

2010-09-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

Alright, one more, then you'll have to go and get your own copy. The Evidence Bible is full of great info like this and also includes a lot of great witnessing tools. You can view a lot of it in the online version at the link above, but it's nice to have a hard copy as well. So, here ya go, the last one I'll post here.

Evolutionary Fraud.

“Charles Dawson, a British lawyer and amateur geologist, announced in 1912 his discovery of pieces of a human skull and apelike jaw in a gravel pit near the town of Piltdown, England… Dawson’s announcement stopped the scorn cold. Experts instantly declared Piltdown Man (estimated to be 300,000 to one million years old ) the evolutionary find of the century. Darwin’s missing link had been identified.
“Or so it seemed for the next 40 or so years. Then , in the early fifties … scientists began to suspect misattribution. In 1953, that suspicion gave way to a full-blown scandal; Piltdown Man was a hoax. Radiocarbon tests proved that its skull belonged to a 600-year old woman, and its jaw to a 500-year old orangutan from the East Indies.” -Our Times: The Illustrated History of the 20th Century

The Piltdown Man fraud wasn’t an isolated incident. The famed Nebraska Man was derived from a single tooth, which was later found to be from an extinct pig. Java Man, found in the early 20th century, was nothing more than a piece of skull, a fragment of a thigh bone, and three molar teeth.

The rest came from the deeply fertile imaginations of plaster of Paris workers. Java Man is now regarded as fully human. Heidelberg Man came from a jawbone, a large chin section, and a few teeth. Most scientists reject the jawbone because it’s similar to that of modern man. Still many evolutionists believe that he’s 250,000 years old. No doubt they pinpointed his birthday with carbon dating.

However, Time magazine (June 11, 1990 ) published a science article subtitled, “Geologitst show that carbon dating can be way off.” And don’t look to Neanderthal Man for any evidence of evolution. He died of exposure. His skull was exposed as being fully human, not ape. Not only was his stooped posture found to be caused by disease, but he spoke and was artistic and religious.

Science in the Bible 9

2010-09-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

Still more from the Evidence Bible. Who says Christianity is based on "blind faith?" There's tons of evidence!

Archaeology confirms the Bible.

The Scriptures make more than 40 references to the great Hittite Empire. However, until one hundred years ago there was no archaeological evidence to substantiate the Biblical claim that the Hittites existed. Skeptics claimed that the Bible was in error, until their mouths were suddenly stopped. In 1906, Hugo Winckler uncovered a huge library of 10,000 clay tablets, which completely documented the lost Hittite Empire. We now know that at its height, the Hittite civilization rivaled Egypt and Assyria in its glory and power.

“It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries.” -Dr Nelson Glueck

“Archaeology has confirmed countless passages which have been rejected by critics as unhistorical or contradictory to known facts… Yet archaeological discoveries have shown that these critical charges .. are wrong and that the Bible is trustworthy in the very statements which have been set aside as untrustworthy… We do not know of any cases where the Bible has been proved wrong.” -Dr Joseph P Free