27 May 2009
26 May 2009
The Law -
Charles Finney said,
“This Law, then, should be arrayed in all its majesty against selfishness and enmity of the sinner. All men know that they have sinned, but all are not convicted of the guilt and ill dessert of sin. But without this they cannot understand or appreciate the gospel method of salvation. Away with this milk-and-water preaching of a love of Christ that has no holiness or moral discrimination in it. Away with preaching a love of God that is not angry with sinners every day.”
*******************************************************************
Grace will never mean a thing until a sinner knows how much his sin (Transgression of God's Law - 1 John 3:4) is exceedingly sinful to a just and holy God.
“This Law, then, should be arrayed in all its majesty against selfishness and enmity of the sinner. All men know that they have sinned, but all are not convicted of the guilt and ill dessert of sin. But without this they cannot understand or appreciate the gospel method of salvation. Away with this milk-and-water preaching of a love of Christ that has no holiness or moral discrimination in it. Away with preaching a love of God that is not angry with sinners every day.”
*******************************************************************
Grace will never mean a thing until a sinner knows how much his sin (Transgression of God's Law - 1 John 3:4) is exceedingly sinful to a just and holy God.
23 May 2009
Sermon on the Mount -
The Sermon on the Mount was read out loud in the public square in Canton, Georgia Saturday afternoon. The weather ended up not becoming a factor and for the first time in my life I loudly read the Bible to a small group of people.
The plan was originally to read in a nearby park but the people of Canton were not in a park mood. A dear brother in Christ suggested I read on Main Street where there was some people gathered and a small band had been playing.
We quickly walked over to square on Main Street where the band was tearing down their set up.
There was maybe a dozen people in all still hanging around when I jumped up on the brick wall and started reading.
By the time I had read through the 5th chapter and was well into the 6th, the people had made their way out of there.
When I had finished reading I was ready to preach on the 'wide road' and the 'narrow path' but there was no one left to preach to. I think the birds even left.
But that's Ok.
This was my first time being the center of attention for the glory of the Lord. I am normally a quiet, behind the scenes kind of person. I just like to hand out tracts and witness 'one to one'; that's more my style...my comfort zone.
Today I took a giant step out of my comfort zone.
I pray that God uses those 15 minutes for His glory and may His Word that was spoken today not return void, but accomplish His perfect will.
Sermon on the Mount reading time and place -
Well, as the old saying goes, it's raining somewhere.
Today is the reading of the Sermon on the Mount in the public square around the world. It looks like rain here in my part of the world, but I plan to read anyway.
The place: The park behind Main Street in Canton, Georgia.
The time: Around 1:00pm.
The weather may be threatening. People may not be in the park. But the Scripture will be read out loud as planned.
Today is the reading of the Sermon on the Mount in the public square around the world. It looks like rain here in my part of the world, but I plan to read anyway.
The place: The park behind Main Street in Canton, Georgia.
The time: Around 1:00pm.
The weather may be threatening. People may not be in the park. But the Scripture will be read out loud as planned.
21 May 2009
Sermon on the Mount Saturday
Tony Miano of the Lawman Chronicles and Ambassadors Alliance issued a challenge back on May 11th for Christians to go somewhere public and get up on a box and read the "Sermon on the Mount" out loud on May 23rd.
Here's the mission from his blog -
Find a public place in your community (street corner, sidewalk, public park, etc). Stand atop a box or other sturdy object. And read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) aloud, in the open air. Depending on how fast you read, it will take you 10-15 minutes to read the Sermon on the Mount, aloud.
You have more than a week to pray and pick a location(s) in your community.
"Mission Good Friday" was our first effort of this kind. More than 170 people from all over the world joined in reading Matthew 26-28 in the open air. Some simply read the text. Others read the text and used it as a springboard to open-air preach.
Please join us in bringing the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.
May 23, 2009
Anytime During the Day or Night
In Any Public Place; In Your Community; In Your Part of the World.
I plan to be somewhere in Canton, Georgia between the hours of 11:00am and 2:00pm participating in the event.
I will post place and time early Saturday morning -
Here's the mission from his blog -
Find a public place in your community (street corner, sidewalk, public park, etc). Stand atop a box or other sturdy object. And read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) aloud, in the open air. Depending on how fast you read, it will take you 10-15 minutes to read the Sermon on the Mount, aloud.
You have more than a week to pray and pick a location(s) in your community.
"Mission Good Friday" was our first effort of this kind. More than 170 people from all over the world joined in reading Matthew 26-28 in the open air. Some simply read the text. Others read the text and used it as a springboard to open-air preach.
Please join us in bringing the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.
May 23, 2009
Anytime During the Day or Night
In Any Public Place; In Your Community; In Your Part of the World.
I plan to be somewhere in Canton, Georgia between the hours of 11:00am and 2:00pm participating in the event.
I will post place and time early Saturday morning -
20 May 2009
How to witness to someone who has a pot leaf headdress
How do you witness to someone who has a pot leaf on his head?
19 May 2009
Stop Light Preaching
From Evangelize Your City
This evening one of our team members Bill Colmer and I went downtown and stood across the street from the RSA tower in downtown Montgomery. Between 4:30 and 5:30PM, individuals from the massive office building flock to the parking garage across the street to their vehicles and head home.
We prayed for an opportunity to witness and we got one. Bill and I stood across from each other as the workers made an attempt to their cars. We politely and respectfully handed out as many tracts as we could. We had the opportunity to use our new portable PA again and preach to those that were waiting to cross as the street. Many heard the word today. I read the Sermon on the Mount again and touched based with some of them on where will they spend eternity and the law or 10 commandments.
You don’t have much time. 2 or 3 minutes maybe to say what you need to say. But it was good. We had the pleasure of praying for one individual on bike and gave him some water.
I saw a policeman watching from a nearby parking lot. After we packed up, I went and spoke to him and he was a policeman that our group had witnessed to a few weeks back at a Third Day concert her in town. We talked about witnessing a little and I told him we were praying for him.
One lady puled up and thanked us for what we were doing. But no glory to us. I encouraged her to as a Christian as well to do the same. I pray she does. Please pray for us as we continue this part of our ministry.
We asked for a place to witness and we got it.
Be encouraged. Now go light the Darkness!
*************************************************************************
This evening one of our team members Bill Colmer and I went downtown and stood across the street from the RSA tower in downtown Montgomery. Between 4:30 and 5:30PM, individuals from the massive office building flock to the parking garage across the street to their vehicles and head home.
We prayed for an opportunity to witness and we got one. Bill and I stood across from each other as the workers made an attempt to their cars. We politely and respectfully handed out as many tracts as we could. We had the opportunity to use our new portable PA again and preach to those that were waiting to cross as the street. Many heard the word today. I read the Sermon on the Mount again and touched based with some of them on where will they spend eternity and the law or 10 commandments.
You don’t have much time. 2 or 3 minutes maybe to say what you need to say. But it was good. We had the pleasure of praying for one individual on bike and gave him some water.
I saw a policeman watching from a nearby parking lot. After we packed up, I went and spoke to him and he was a policeman that our group had witnessed to a few weeks back at a Third Day concert her in town. We talked about witnessing a little and I told him we were praying for him.
One lady puled up and thanked us for what we were doing. But no glory to us. I encouraged her to as a Christian as well to do the same. I pray she does. Please pray for us as we continue this part of our ministry.
We asked for a place to witness and we got it.
Be encouraged. Now go light the Darkness!
*************************************************************************
14 May 2009
The Parable of the Fishless Fishermen Fellowship
The fishermen were surrounded by streams and lakes full of hungry fish. They met regularly to discuss the call to fish, the abundance of fish, and the thrill of catching fish. They got excited about fishing!
Someone suggested that they needed a philosophy of fishing, so they carefully defined and redefined fishing, and the purpose of fishing. They developed fishing strategies and tactics. Then they realized that they had been going at it backwards. They had approached fishing from the point of view of the fisherman, and not from the point of view of the fish.
How do fish view the world?
How does the fisherman appear to the fish?
What do fish eat, and when?
These are all good things to know. So they began research studies, and attended conferences on fishing. Some traveled to faraway places to study different kinds of fish with different habits. Some got doctorates in fishology.
But no one had yet gone fishing.
So a committee was formed to send out fishermen. As prospective fishing places outnumbered fishermen, the committee needed to determine priorities. A priority list of fishing places was posted on bulletin boards in all of the fellowship halls.
But still, no one was fishing.
A survey was launched to find out why. Most did not answer the survey, but from those who did, it was discovered that some felt called to study fish, a few to furnish fishing equipment, and several to go around encouraging the fishermen. What with meetings, conferences, and seminars, they just simply didn’t have time to fish.
Now, Jake was a newcomer to the Fisherman’s Fellowship.
After one stirring meeting of the Fellowship, he went fishing and caught a large fish. At the next meeting, he told his story and was honored for his catch. He was told that he had a special “gift of fishing.” He was then scheduled to speak at all the Fellowship chapters and tell how he did it.
With all the speaking invitations and his election to the board of directors of the Fisherman’s Fellowship, Jake no longer had time to go fishing. But soon he began to feel restless and empty. He longed to feel the tug on the line once again.
So he canceled the speaking, he resigned from the board, and he said to a friend, “Let’s go fishing.”
They did, just the two of them, and they caught fish.
The members of the Fisherman’s Fellowship were many, the fish were plentiful, but the fishers were few!
—Anonymous
Someone suggested that they needed a philosophy of fishing, so they carefully defined and redefined fishing, and the purpose of fishing. They developed fishing strategies and tactics. Then they realized that they had been going at it backwards. They had approached fishing from the point of view of the fisherman, and not from the point of view of the fish.
How do fish view the world?
How does the fisherman appear to the fish?
What do fish eat, and when?
These are all good things to know. So they began research studies, and attended conferences on fishing. Some traveled to faraway places to study different kinds of fish with different habits. Some got doctorates in fishology.
But no one had yet gone fishing.
So a committee was formed to send out fishermen. As prospective fishing places outnumbered fishermen, the committee needed to determine priorities. A priority list of fishing places was posted on bulletin boards in all of the fellowship halls.
But still, no one was fishing.
A survey was launched to find out why. Most did not answer the survey, but from those who did, it was discovered that some felt called to study fish, a few to furnish fishing equipment, and several to go around encouraging the fishermen. What with meetings, conferences, and seminars, they just simply didn’t have time to fish.
Now, Jake was a newcomer to the Fisherman’s Fellowship.
After one stirring meeting of the Fellowship, he went fishing and caught a large fish. At the next meeting, he told his story and was honored for his catch. He was told that he had a special “gift of fishing.” He was then scheduled to speak at all the Fellowship chapters and tell how he did it.
With all the speaking invitations and his election to the board of directors of the Fisherman’s Fellowship, Jake no longer had time to go fishing. But soon he began to feel restless and empty. He longed to feel the tug on the line once again.
So he canceled the speaking, he resigned from the board, and he said to a friend, “Let’s go fishing.”
They did, just the two of them, and they caught fish.
The members of the Fisherman’s Fellowship were many, the fish were plentiful, but the fishers were few!
—Anonymous
13 May 2009
Why witness?
6 reasons to witness the Gospel -
First, because Jesus commands you to: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," (Matt. 28:19). Also, Ezek. 3:11 says, "and go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not..."
Second, you must witness because you love the unsaved (if you don't, you should). The most loving thing you can do is present the gospel in hopes of bringing others to salvation. Galatians 5:22 lists love as one of the fruit of the Spirit. It is love's nature to give. Take for example John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." Love gives, and if you have only a small portion of His love, you will want to give to others.
Third, witness because it is a wise thing to do. Prov. 11:30 says, "...he who is wise wins souls." Now, I know I am not a very wise person. But, since God says I'll be wise to win souls, or try to, then great, let me at it. I want to be wise in God's sight.
Fourth, witness to keep people out of hell. Hell is a terrifying place of utter anguish and eternal separation from God. Those who are not saved go there. Witnessing is an attempt to keep them out of hell.
Fifth, witness because it pleases God and brings glory to His name.
Sixth, witness so they may find the love and fellowship of God (1 John 1:3), the greatest of all treasures. I can think of no greater gift than salvation. It frees the sinner from sin, it delivers the lost from damnation, and it reveals the true and living God to those who don't know Him.
The angels of heaven rejoice greatly when anyone passes from judgment into salvation (Luke 15:10). Shouldn't we as Christians rejoice too? Shouldn't we weep over the lost? Shouldn't we ask the Lord of the field to send laborers into His harvest (Luke 10:2)? Certainly! The salvation of others is the goal of your efforts. The love of God is your motive. Is there anything greater? So, give.
Read this excerpt of an email to Ray Comfort from an atheist.
Ray,
You are really convinced that you've got all the answers. You've really got yourself tricked into believing that you're 100% right. Well, let me tell you just one thing. Do you consider yourself to be compassionate of other humans? If you're right, as you say you are, and believe that, then how can you sleep at night? When you speak with me you are speaking with someone who you believe is walking directly into eternal damnation into an endless onslaught of horrendous pain which your 'loving' god created, yet you stand by and do nothing.
If you believe one bit that thousands every day were falling into an eternal and unreachable fate, you should be running the streets mad with rage at their blindness. That's equivalent to standing on a street corner and watching every person that passes you walk blindly directly into the path of a bus and die, yet you stand idly by and do nothing. You're just twiddling your thumbs, happy in the knowledge that one day that 'walk' signal will shine your way across the road.
Think about it. Imagine the horrors Hell must have in store if the bible is true. You're just going to allow that to happen and not care about saving anyone but yourself? If you're right then you're an uncaring, unemotional and purely selfish (expletive) that has no right to talk about subjects such as love and caring.
James Franz
******************************************************************
Everyday there are approximately 150,000 worldwide who pass from this life into another. If you are a Christian, you have been given a mandate from the Lord Himself to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
In the letter above, James makes a valid point; "If you believe one bit that thousands every day were falling into an eternal and unreachable fate, you should be running the streets mad with rage at their blindness. That's equivalent to standing on a street corner and watching every person that passes you walk blindly directly into the path of a bus and die, yet you stand idly by and do nothing. "
James is right - If we believe one bit that people are dying and going to hell we should make it a priority to witness to as many people as we can while we still have a breath.
First, because Jesus commands you to: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," (Matt. 28:19). Also, Ezek. 3:11 says, "and go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not..."
Second, you must witness because you love the unsaved (if you don't, you should). The most loving thing you can do is present the gospel in hopes of bringing others to salvation. Galatians 5:22 lists love as one of the fruit of the Spirit. It is love's nature to give. Take for example John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." Love gives, and if you have only a small portion of His love, you will want to give to others.
Third, witness because it is a wise thing to do. Prov. 11:30 says, "...he who is wise wins souls." Now, I know I am not a very wise person. But, since God says I'll be wise to win souls, or try to, then great, let me at it. I want to be wise in God's sight.
Fourth, witness to keep people out of hell. Hell is a terrifying place of utter anguish and eternal separation from God. Those who are not saved go there. Witnessing is an attempt to keep them out of hell.
Fifth, witness because it pleases God and brings glory to His name.
Sixth, witness so they may find the love and fellowship of God (1 John 1:3), the greatest of all treasures. I can think of no greater gift than salvation. It frees the sinner from sin, it delivers the lost from damnation, and it reveals the true and living God to those who don't know Him.
The angels of heaven rejoice greatly when anyone passes from judgment into salvation (Luke 15:10). Shouldn't we as Christians rejoice too? Shouldn't we weep over the lost? Shouldn't we ask the Lord of the field to send laborers into His harvest (Luke 10:2)? Certainly! The salvation of others is the goal of your efforts. The love of God is your motive. Is there anything greater? So, give.
Read this excerpt of an email to Ray Comfort from an atheist.
Ray,
You are really convinced that you've got all the answers. You've really got yourself tricked into believing that you're 100% right. Well, let me tell you just one thing. Do you consider yourself to be compassionate of other humans? If you're right, as you say you are, and believe that, then how can you sleep at night? When you speak with me you are speaking with someone who you believe is walking directly into eternal damnation into an endless onslaught of horrendous pain which your 'loving' god created, yet you stand by and do nothing.
If you believe one bit that thousands every day were falling into an eternal and unreachable fate, you should be running the streets mad with rage at their blindness. That's equivalent to standing on a street corner and watching every person that passes you walk blindly directly into the path of a bus and die, yet you stand idly by and do nothing. You're just twiddling your thumbs, happy in the knowledge that one day that 'walk' signal will shine your way across the road.
Think about it. Imagine the horrors Hell must have in store if the bible is true. You're just going to allow that to happen and not care about saving anyone but yourself? If you're right then you're an uncaring, unemotional and purely selfish (expletive) that has no right to talk about subjects such as love and caring.
James Franz
******************************************************************
Everyday there are approximately 150,000 worldwide who pass from this life into another. If you are a Christian, you have been given a mandate from the Lord Himself to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
In the letter above, James makes a valid point; "If you believe one bit that thousands every day were falling into an eternal and unreachable fate, you should be running the streets mad with rage at their blindness. That's equivalent to standing on a street corner and watching every person that passes you walk blindly directly into the path of a bus and die, yet you stand idly by and do nothing. "
James is right - If we believe one bit that people are dying and going to hell we should make it a priority to witness to as many people as we can while we still have a breath.
11 May 2009
First Outing
His Feet on the Street (HFOTS) evangelism team had it's first outing Saturday afternoon at a major movie complex in Cumming, Georgia. We passed out close to two hundred tracts and had conversations with about 16 folks ranging from teenagers to the elderly.
My main goal for the group during the time period we had was to get as many tracts as possible into hands and share Law and Gospel with as many folks who would listen.
My main goal for the group during the time period we had was to get as many tracts as possible into hands and share Law and Gospel with as many folks who would listen.
The most popular tract we handed out was the Million Dollar Bill tract. Whether just handing out the tract as you walk by people or using it to intentionally start a conversation, it's as easy as this;
"Hey, how are you? Did you get one of these?"
Almost 100% of the time people will gladly take the MDB and some even say, "Thanks".
I arrived a little earlier than the rest of the group so I took out a 100/pack of MDB's and set off walking around the complex just handing out tracts without starting any conversations. I quickly ran out of tracts and headed back to the car to get more when the rest of the gang arrived.
Our small group of five prayed together and then broke up into a team of two and a team of three and set off in opposite directions to cover the large complex.
My team (The team of three) quickly spotted a group of four teenagers sitting and hanging out in front of the movie theater. I gave each one of them a MDB and asked the million dollar question; "If you all were to die today, do you know for sure where you would spend eternity?"
It seems each one of them had a different answer.
"I hope Heaven"
"I don't know"
"I believe in reincarnation"
"I'm not sure"
I took them through the Law and made sure they understood what sin was. They all admitted to breaking God's Law. After telling them that it is appointed man once to die and then the Judgment, I asked them what they would say to God when standing before Him. One girl said that she would ask for forgiveness. I told her it would be too late for that. I gave her the analogy of standing before a judge after she had committed serious crimes and then asking the judge for forgiveness. I told her that the judge would say that she should be sorry, but he would have to sentence her based on the crimes she committed and give her what she deserved; justice.
After explaining to them that the just consequence of sinning against a holy and righteous God was hell, I told them that they did not have to go there. I magnified God's amazing grace through the Gospel and asked them what kept them from repenting of their sins and putting their trust in Jesus Christ today?
After I was finished talking one of the boy's innocently asked me, "What if I don't believe in hell?"
I told him just because someone doesn't believe in something it doesn't make it untrue. I told him that if I were to jump off that building across the street proclaiming I didn't believe in the law of gravity, my disbelief of the law of gravity would have no effect on the law itself; I would still hit the ground no matter how much I protested gravity didn't exist.
We left that group after giving them all another tract called, "Are you good enough to go to Heaven" and looked for some more folks to talk to.
The next conversation found us with a couple elderly gentlemen who were waiting on a bench for their wives to finish shopping. After handing them a MDB and asking the million dollar question, one of the men told me point blank that he was going to hell when he died.
After handing out thousands of tracts and having hundreds of conversations over the last five years, that was the first time anyone ever said that to me and meant it.
I was dumb struck for a moment but recovered and asked why? Why did he think he was going to hell when he died?
He said he was going to hell because he had done a lot of bad things in his life. I asked him if it concerned him that he would spend eternity in hell? He kind of blew it off as if he didn't care, so I described hell to him based on what God's Word has to say about it. He told me he knew all that and he's been through all this before. I asked him what had he been through before?
Basically he told me that he had went to several churches over the years when his wife was sick. He said in a round about way that he blamed God for letting his first wife die.
This man was hurting inside and God was an easy target for his pain. I touched briefly on sin and laid out God's marvelous grace through His Son Jesus Christ. I told him he didn't have to go to hell and asked him to fully consider what we talked about today. We shook hands and went on our way.
I can't remember all the details during that conversation but the Holy Spirit helped me through it. It had to be the toughest witnessing encounter I have ever had.
Our other team witnessed to groups of teenagers and found them to be totally receptive to Law and grace. I hope to be able to get their conversations accounts posted here this week.
Please pray for those we talked to and those who received the Gospel tracts. May God use the witnessing and the tracts to accomplish his perfect will.
BTW - I brought a camera to take some pic's of us witnessing but left the camera in the car...D'oh!
05 May 2009
His Feet on the Street
This blog will be the future home of His Feet on the Street (HFOTS) evangelism team. HFOTS will be a local evangelism ministry which will bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the streets/jails/retirement homes/events, etc to the Cherokee and Pickens county areas.
More information will be available soon.
More information will be available soon.
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