Advancing the Great Commission

As I mentioned two posts back, recently the Lord has been encouraging me in going out of my way to present the Gospel to the lost. This past Saturday, I was blessed to be a part of an outreach effort with others from my church. We have been going through "The Way of the Master" evangelism course and we had decided to invest in a camcorder to record our evangelism efforts for presentation to the church. So we decided to raise the money by having a garage sale and using the opportunity to reach out to the lost.

The effort went very well. We would approach our customers and offer them half-off their purchases if they would take a "quiz". The material is from a pad of tear-off tracts from Living Waters. We'd lead them through each question and give them the correct answers. For the most part we had very positive responses. People enjoyed the trick questions. But many of them also thanked us for giving them the Gospel by the time it was all done. The negatives were few and while there is always a disappointment here and there, at least we made the effort to reach those people as well.

Let me ask you a question. When was the last time you went out of your way to present the life-saving Gospel of repentance and faith to someone who isn't saved? James says that if our neighbor lacks life's necessities and we don't provide when we can, our faith is dead. Isn't the same true for those who need the "spiritual goods" of the Gospel?

Here's a better, and I think more revealing, question. When is the last time someone approached you with the Gospel? I bet it has been years, if ever. I can tell you, as many of my brothers and sisters here can tell you, that it has never happened to us.

So much for the Body of Christ obeying the Great Commission.

Therefore, I would encourage you -- even as the Lord has been encouraging me -- to obey what the Lord commanded us to do 2000 years ago. You may say "I can't win anyone to Christ". You are right. None of us can. Only God can save the lost. But we proclaim the Gospel to glorify God, who will use what we are faithful enough to share by faith.

In a day when professing Christianity is walking away from Biblical Truth, it isn't enough just to have correct doctrine. We must have correct practice as well.

So, you stand for the truth? Great. You say you speak against error in the contemporary church? Wonderful! But what of going out of our way to reach the lost?

James would say it's a matter of saving faith. Do we really believe that people die and go to a real hell if they don't know Christ? If so, do we care at all?

We will demonstrate what we really believe by what we do.

Fort Lauderdale mayor issues apology, but not to gay community

In a society caught up in tolerating perversion at all costs, still -- sometimes -- you read some good news...

From the Sun-Sentinel:

FORT LAUDERDALE - Mayor Jim Naugle issued a public apology on the steps of City Hall Tuesday afternoon, but it wasn't the apology the gay community was looking for.

Naugle apologized for underestimating the problem of men having sex with each other in public restrooms, and urged people to call police to complain when they come upon it. He also said Broward County leads the nation in the incidence of new AIDS cases involving men having sex with men, and questioned whether the county tourism office should be welcoming them here.

View the video by clicking here.

Chocolate Bar Evangelism

Sometimes you just have to focus on the positive. Yes, we all know Rick Warren is leading many astray. Yes, we all know the Roman Catholic Church is apostate. And as you blog-trot looking for articles which are worthy of repeating, you get tired of all the "preaching to the choir" that goes on. Yes, I agree with marking those who are in error and leading people astray, but after a while it is easy to just focus on what is wrong, instead of doing what is right. Besides, I'd rather focus on what God is doing than what the devil is doing, and the solution is to get the gospel out.

This past week has been a re-emphasis, for me, on personal evangelism. Our town just celebrated the opening of a super walmart. So, out I went with my livingwaters tracts. It was a great day! Every tract I left behind me was picked up. My wife stopped by there after work and saw one (million dollar bill tract) at the Subway sandwich store in the walmart, on top of a register. I hadn't left one there. So, they were still making the rounds! People always enjoy them.

Anyway, while I was there, I got an idea. This might appeal to you as well. When I got home, I designed a wrapper for the smaller 2x5 Hershey bars, which I purchased fairly cheaply. The wrapper goes over the real wrapper. It has a nice picture of chocolate on the front. Of course, make any adjustments you like -- the message is there on the "back" of the wrapper.

And, have fun sharing the gospel!

Report: Christians crucified by terrorists in Iraq

Yes, you read that right. Click here for the report from WorldNetDaily. With the influx of Islam into the U.S., be ready to stand firm.

Warren on "Learn to Laugh"

Ok, I admit it. Part of the reason I selected this as a post is because I wanted an excuse to use my neat "Outer Limits" graphic. But it doesn't invalidate the point I want to underscore: Rick Warren's seeming addiction to the abuse of scripture to make his point...even if perhaps there are valid scriptures he could find to do so.

Case in point. This article from the Christian Post, where Pastor Wannabe uses Psalm 2 to promote his position that God wants us to learn to laugh.

When they were teaching hermeneutics to Rick at seminary, I am convinced he just sat there and said "Herman Who?"

Rick Warren seems to love lifting scripture out of context. Sometimes even a few words. To respond in kind to Warren, I will close this entry with a quote from The Sacred Sandwich:

In keeping with this rather self-serving model of Scripture citation, The Sacred Sandwich wishes to respond to Warren with a phrase from Romans 11:32 (NASB) to make a point of our own: "Shut up..."

Hey Rick? Maybe you should order this DVD!

To Whom Does The Pope Compare Himself?

Want to see them compared as night and day? Ratzinger would have you believe he stands in Christ's place as the "vicar" of Christ...

Confessions of a 'Numbers' Pastor

Seems like Old Truth has consistently good articles. So, I'm shamelessly sharing this good one with you...

The Roman Catholic Church Never Changes

The Berean Beacon has an informative video on the Inquisition and the Roman Catholic Church's war against Bible Believers. They may not be torturing people today...or do they?

Chinese Pastor Needs Help

"Open Doors USA is urging Christians to advocate on behalf of prominent Chinese house church pastor Zhang Rongliang.

Zhang, who was arrested December 1, 2004, is currently serving a seven-and-a-half year prison term on charges of obtaining illegal travel documents and illegal border crossings. Due to consistent refusal of the Chinese government to issue documentation to top leaders in the Chinese house church networks, Zhang obtained a falsified passport in order to attend mission conferences abroad.

Of primary concern is Zhang’s health as he suffers from five chronic conditions, including severe diabetes and high blood pressure. In early 2006, while in pretrial detention, Zhang’s condition deteriorated, requiring authorities to transfer him to a hospital for emergency care. According to Chinese law, he is qualified to ask for medical parole based on his health problems, according to Compass Direct News."

More here.

Cheap Religion Through an Easy Profession

From OldTruth:

"Genuine readiness to suffer thins out the number of true Christians from the ranks of professing believers; it eliminates those whose walk goes no further than a cheap profession. A person who looks into the crowded sanctuaries of Christendom today and finds multitudes who flock after the Word might wonder why ministers say that this company of Christians is such a small one, and he might think that they who say such things cannot see the forest through the trees. This situation made one of the disciples question Christ: "Lord, are there few that shall be saved?" (Luke 13:23)."

The rest is here.

Proud but Ashamed

Excuse me for an entry or two. I generally don't get political because I believe that the Kingdom of God is infinitely more important than anything on this temporary little planet. Although I don't do enough of it, personal evangelism comes incalculably far ahead of national loyalty. But sometimes, you have just had enough.

I love America. I love the Biblical ideals and beliefs our country was founded on. I am proud of those who gained and have fought for our freedom. I am the proud son of my late father who risked his life at Normandy and other places to maintain our freedom.

But I am ashamed. Tonight my wife, mother and I watched the fireworks in New York on television. As I sat there, I couldn't help but think of George H. W. Bush (for whom I voted twice, as did my dad) laughing at what we are celebrating. He is, after all, ramming the "New America" down our throats.
Seems that he can't get enough of the idea of erasing our borders and turning us all into one big CanAmeriCo. I'm ashamed of him and his ilk, including Trent Lott, who recently came out in the open about the voice of the average American.

It was back in the early 70's that I remember a bumper sticker that said "America: My Country. Love It Or Leave It". I thought that was kind of arrogant and pushy back then. Now, I wonder if it isn't kind of appropriate to dig those up and dust them off.

What is behind this? As I am sure many would agree, God is doing precisely what we, as a nation, have told Him to do; leave us alone. It's like the video on the school shootings I found on YouTube. God is letting us go. He (the One True God) is no longer welcome here.

Yeah, I voted for President Bush. Twice. So did my dad -- the second time was four days before his death, via absentee ballot while he lay dying in the hospital. My main reason was that he is pro-life, which I obviously support. But I'm starting to suspect that this was just a short-term issue for him. His long term goal is to dissolve our nation. Once that occurs, everything else will follow.

It's how dictatorships work, you know.

Yeah, I'm upset. And I'm sorry to say that this is a bittersweet Fourth of July. Tonight what I saw I considered a facade; a cover -- an appeasement to the American people as our own "representatives" sell us down the river.

I'll close with the words my own 83 year old mother spoke this evening. "All we can do is pray. Pray for our country."

I couldn't agree more.

Mike Corley on True and False Conversions

Mike shares Todd Friel's 13 Evangelistic Phrases that Produce False Conversions, and why it is so important that we are clear with the presentation of the Gospel.

Ten Ways to Grow Your Church Without God

Want to draw a crowd just like the world does? You say you don't care about doing it God's way? Well, Ray Baumann over at Christian Worldview network has just the article for you!

Let God Bring the Results

I write this with an understandably thankful heart.

Yesterday we had a visitor at our church. He was from another town in the northern part of the state. Well, it turns out this person came to our "Way of the Master" class last evening. He had seen the program and wondered what all the talk was about.

Remember, I recently started attending this church myself...maybe three months ago. I had been frustrated in trying to get a local church to see WOTM material as something other than "entertainment". It is (biblically) what we are to be doing. Not three weeks after arriving at this church, I had met another person very interested in this material. We got a class started. It's been going great!

Anyway, our visitor was there last evening. When he left, he grabbed some tracts and went back to the campground he is staying at. Turns out that he witnessed to a young man there, using the WOTM (biblical) model and the guy gave his life to Christ!

I give thanks to God for what He has done and how he has put all this together. Secondly, I'm thankful for the Lord leading me to an assembly of redeemed people who care enough for the lost to risk sharing the message of repentance and faith with them. This is my new family and I am thankful for them. Very thankful.

It was a number of years ago during his term as President of Moody Bible Institute that Dr. Joseph M. Stowell said in one of his messages that "The world isn't listening any more." Well, Dr. Stowell is wrong. They will listen when they hear the truth. And their conscience will tell them they are hearing it. They can't be tired of "hearing the message". They haven't really heard it.

Finally, I'm also thankful that God's Word is sufficient and we don't need to rely on human wisdom and "take lots of time to make a buddy" human marketing techniques in order to see a soul converted. We plant seeds.

May every one of us plant more seeds.