Frightening Friday 7/31

This week, we (Greg and I) went to a skatepark in a neighboring city in an effort to engage a few people in conversation about the gospel.

I had conversations with several very pleasant young men. I was able to present the gospel a couple times and hand out a few gospel tracts. Please pray for these young men as they consider the information they heard this evening.

I was about 10 minutes into a conversation with a very inquisitive young man when I noticed he had a couple tattoos. The tattoo on his neck showed the words "God's child". There was also a large tattoo of a cross on the inside of his arm that read "only God can judge". And judge He will. In fact, most of our conversation this evening was about that subject. It started with this question, "When you stand before God on the day of judgment, will He find you innocent or guilty of breaking His laws?" We went through a few of the 10 commandments to identify God's standard of goodness and to determine if these young men had kept the commandments. When we established they had broken God's laws and that the punishment for that is an eternity in Hell, I then shared the good news of the gospel. I was able to share that God in His mercy sent His Son (fully God, fully man) to die on a cross for our sins. Jesus took the punishment for us. It was a legal transaction. We broke the laws, Jesus paid our fine. The proper response to this amazingly kind offer would be to repent of your sins (turn from them) and believe (put your trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation). I pray they will do just that.

If you are on this blog for the first time because you received a gospel tract from me, please check out the "My Testimony" post under the blog archives for May and "My Favorite Links" on the right side of this page for other resources.

Frightening Friday 7/24

This evening Greg and I spent some time at the local county fair. We set a goal, before we left home for the evening, of handing out 20 gospel tracts before we left the fair. The goal was met and lessons were learned. We even had an unexpected opportunity to give gospel tracts to our niece and her friends hanging out at the fair. Interesting.

We thank God for opportunities to spread the gospel.

If you are on this blog because you received a gospel tract this evening, welcome! Please check out the My Testimony post (under the May Archives) and My Favorite Links on the right side of the page.

Go Into All The World

Each week as we get closer to Friday, my mind starts moving toward the subject of evangelism. Though I find it difficult to approach total strangers and talk to them about the gospel, I think it is needed. I have approached many people over the past few months who do not attend church and have no plans to do so in the future, but they listen to the gospel and they engage in conversation about it. They think about it simply because the subject was brought up to them. I have found that the question "What do you think happens to a person when they die?" is a good conversation starter about eternal things (when I'm brave enought to actually ask the question).

I also think about friends and relatives who might not listen to the gospel coming from me but might listen to a friendly stranger at the mall who engages them in a thoughtful intelligent way.

Are you out there proclaiming the gospel?

Cookie Baking Night 7/20

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night. Carissa and Ethan were the two participants this evening. It is our tradition that when a child has a birthday (on a Cookie Baking Night near their birthday) they get to choose the meal for that evening and choose the cookie we make. Carissa's birthday was in the beginning of July (she's 4 years old now), so tonight was her choice. The menu was pizza, french fries, and strawberries (french fries always seem to show up on the birthday dinners, pizza and french fries, spaghetti and french fries, tacos and french fries.....). The cookie choice was "the one with the prenzel (pretzel) and the M&M".

Recipe:

Small pretzel twists

Hershey Hugs

M&Ms

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Place waxed paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Line the pretzels up in rows on the cookie sheet. Place an unwrapped hug (candy) on top of each pretzel. Melt the candy in the oven (200 degrees) for 4 minutes. Remove the pretzels from the oven and promptly place an M&M on top of each candy covered pretzel. Chill for about 30 minutes (until candy hardens). Remove from pan and eat.

Frightening Fridays 7/17

This week I went to the local mall for some evangelism encounters. I had one idea on how to approach people, and I wanted to try it out. My idea was to ask people with tattoos about their tattoos and if the picture or word they chose had any significance. I was then going to springboard off of the topic of significance into the gospel. It was brilliant (in my head). I forgot one thing, though. Oh yeah, I'm a big chicken! (still). I walked around the mall for two hours before I worked up the courage to talk to someone with a tattoo. I will say this, it wasn't hard to move from the tattoo conversation to the gospel. That part went quite smoothly. The hardest part was approaching a total stranger (tattoo or no tattoo).

Next week, maybe two people!

Evangelism Training

After God saved me and regenerated me, I found myself with a passion to share the gospel. I wanted to do it but didn't know how to do it. I felt a passion for it in my heart and had lots of ideas but no boldness to go along with it.

In the past 6 years, I have sought to educate myself on evangelism, so as to be equipped to share the gospel with others. I have completed courses/attended training from several organizations, including Evangelism Explosion (http://www.eeinternational.org/), Way of the Master (http://www.livingwaters.com/) and, most recently, You Can Tell it! (http://www.evantell.org/). I have found all to be beneficial.

Evangelism Explosion did a great job of taking people out on the streets to practice what they were learning every week (12-week course). Way of the Master uses the 10 commandments (the law) before sharing the gospel to show people their sin and their need for a savior. You can tell it! did a good job of breaking down the message of the gospel (Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead). If you don't know the gospel, you can't share it with others.

My favorite course, and the one I found myself using immediately, was Way of the Master. I have found that when you are sharing the gospel with others, it is necessary to show the reasonableness of punishment for sins against a righteous and holy God, and the best way to do that (in my opinion) is by using the law. It is biblical, and I really needed no training to understand it and start using it immediately. I highly recommend it.

God Never Tires

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJV)

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary. And the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Witnessing

No Frightening Friday encounter this evening. I'll be hitting the streets tomorrow instead. In keeping with that, I thought I would share a video (from the Living Waters University series) of Ray Comfort witnessing to a man named Undrick in California.

Ohh, To Pray Like This

King Hezekiah had just received several threats from King Sennacherib of Assyria. King Sennacherib urged Hezekiah to surrender or he would surely lose the battle, his city would be destroyed, and his people would be taken captive. King Sennacherib's threat was a valid one because he had done this very thing in many other cities.

King Hezekiah's first response was prayer to God, the one true God:

Isaiah 37: 14-20 (NKJV)

And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it, and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. Then Hezekiah prayed to the LORD, saying: "O LORD of hosts, God of Isreal, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. you have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reporach the living God. Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations of their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands--wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD, You alone."

There is a Fountain

We sang this song in church on Sunday and I was moved to tears as I sang the words. I was particularly struck by the lines "and there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away" and "redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die" (each from different stanzas). I've included the words of this song for your reflection:

There is a Fountain

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Women's Bible Study

The monthly women's Bible study at our church meets this evening. As I prepare for it, I am reminded again of how much I am enjoying the study this year. We are reading through the book What Do I Know About My God? by Mardi Collier. Part of this study is to prepare a notebook (three-ring binder) titled the same as the book. The notebook is split into headings that describe God's character and nature. Each heading contains verses (that you write in yourself) that correspond with the heading. Some sample headings are: "My God is Holy", "My God is in Control", "My God Hates Pride", etc. For the purpose of our monthly study, we are working through the book of Psalms and placing the verses under the appropriate headings. Greg and I are also reading through the Bible this year, so I am using my notebook as I do that as well.

This is more than a Bible study for me. It is allowing me to solidify my Biblical worldview as I write the verses under categories that describe God's character and nature and His expectations of me. I know I will use this notebook as I continue studying God's Word throughout my life.

I highly recommend checking into the book What Do I Know About My God? by Mardi Collier for more information about this notebook system.

Cookie Baking Night 7/6/09

Tonight was cookie baking night, and we learned the value of hard work. Emily, Ethan, and Carissa helped me pick the rhubarb in our yard. We then washed it, cut it, and made strawberry rhubarb crisp (2 pans). Fun was had by all.

To God Be the Glory

I recently finished reading the book of Revelation. I'm going to quote a few verses and share a few thoughts.

Revelation 21:1-4 (ESV)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

Revelation 21:22-25 (ESV)

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day-- and there will be no night there.

How often, as Christians, do we read (or listen to) these verses and hear "someday there will be no pain and no crying" and we camp there, while missing the part that says "Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God." I believe that is the point of heaven; we will be with God. He will dwell among us. We will not need the sun and moon because God's glory will provide that light.

God is the supreme point of it all.

It is thoughts like these, six years ago, that caused me to examine myself to see if I was truly in the faith. I wanted heaven and I wanted pain to go away but I didn't want God above all else.

Do you treasure Him above all things?

Freedom Friday (and Saturday)

For the 4th of July holiday, I will be combining my Friday and Saturday posts.

I didn't engage in my usual (for the last 5 weeks anyway) Friday night routine this evening (of going out and seeking to intentionally share the gospel with others). Our town sets off fireworks the day before the holiday each year. It was my desire to hand out gospel tracts as we made our way to and from that event. I handed out a few gospel tracts (very few), and learned a few things as well.

* It's good to set a goal. Decide ahead of time how many tracts you will hand out and aim for that goal (with the idea of engaging people in a conversation about the gospel if the opportunity presents itself, as well).

* I've attended a couple of events this summer with the goal of evangelizing and engaging in conversations about the gospel (fairs, festivals, carnivals, and the like). I'm finding that it is better (with my personality anyway) to attend the event for the sole purpose of evangelism or attend the event with the sole purpose of attending the event. When I split my attention between the two, neither one is done well.

In closing I will say, I know I want to spend some time over this 4th of July/Indepedence Day holiday sharing the good news of the gospel with those who may not have heard it, because I can. God has allowed me that freedom in America, and I don't want to take it for granted. There is no guarantee of how long that freedom will last.

Happy 4th of July! Don't neglect the opportunity to exercise your freedom, and may the Lord use you greatly!

Intense Girl

When I was considering starting this blog, I wanted to call the name of it Intense Girl (if I were a superhero, that would be my name). I really, really wanted to call it that. Greg reasoned with me and talked me out of it. In hindsight, that was wise (not every idea I have is a good one--godly counsel is much needed in my life).

I'm intense, and I know it (pretty sure those close to me know it as well). God has designed me that way. It's not a fun quality to have at dinner parties, but it is the quality that puts blinders on the side of my head and gives me a tunnel-vision focus toward evangelism. It is the quality that drives me to learn more about the persecuted church and to weep (literally) with each new story of sacrifice and devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ. It is also the quality that hinders me in exhibiting mercy and compassion in all situations (and not just those I find interesting and worthy).

It is the quality that keeps me in constant prayer to God and aware of my utter dependence upon Him. For that, I am grateful.

Psalm 119:1-16

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole haeart, who also do no wrong, but walk in His ways! You have commanded Your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping Your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all Your commandments. I will praise You with an upright heart, when I learn Your righteous rules. I will keep Your satutes; do not utterly forsake me.

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word. With my whole heart I seek You; let me not wander from Your commandments! I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of Your mouth. In the way of Your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in Your statutes, I will not forget Your word.

Psalm 119:1-16 (ESV)

May it be so.