Could that be open air I smell?

Last Saturday at the Indian Festival we were able to hand out hundreds of tracts and talk to quite a few people in the time we were there.

I personally was able to talk to people who, believed in evolution, believed in reincarnation, believed all religions were basically the same, and believed they were going to Heaven because they were good people.

There was only one couple who agreed to let us videotape our conversation (In New Orleans it was the other way around). But this couple was very nice and friendly and we had a 10-15 minute chat about their spiritual beliefs. My oldest son and I were handing out tracts to folks on their way into the Festival when we came across this couple who we engaged in some conversation with.

When I asked about their spiritual beliefs, she told me she was a Shaman and he told me he was a Christian. I asked if I could video the conversation and they agreed. I hope to post that video Friday evening or Saturday morning.

One conversation I had was with an elderly woman who had just graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in Religious Studies. I had been handing out tracts like a madman when a lady approached me and asked what I was giving out (I love it when that happens). I told her I was handing out Trillion Dollar Bills. She was delighted to take one. I told her there was a gospel tract on the back and asked her if she had a spiritual background of any kind. She said she did but insisted I talked to her mother who had just graduated from college.

Ok –

So we walk over to where mom was sitting and the daughter tells me that mom is kind of hard of hearing so I would need to make sure I talked very loudly when speaking to her .

I asked some basic starting point questions and just let her talk for a while. She talked about college some and then starting telling about all the different religions she had studied. I asked her what was different about the Christian religion from all other religions in the world? She thought about it for a few minutes and said that Jesus said he was the way, the truth, and the life and that no one went to the Father except through Him.

Very good.

Me: Do you believe that to be true? That the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ?

Her: Well, I don’t know.

Me: Is there any other differences that you can think of between Christianity and all other religions?

Her: mmmm

Me: All the other religions in the world there is a work system. You have to earn your way into Heaven and even then, you’re not guaranteed to get there. Christianity is faith based. Faith alone in Christ alone for salvation.

The conversation goes on for a little while now and I notice that there are quite a few people gathering around where we are talking. In fact, I notice one man with his back to us slowly taking steps backwards toward us to be able to hear us better. It was then that I remembered that we were talking in the area where the shuttle came by to pick people up and drop them off for the Festival.

By now there are easily 10 or more people standing all around us and they’re hearing every word we are saying. By now I’m going through God’s Law and explaining that one Day we will all stand before God.

As I’m going through the Law the daughter tells mom that she sees the shuttle coming and to go ahead and get her things together. I look around and realize that I have about a minute to present the gospel whether she was ready for it or not.

So, with an even louder voice (just to be sure everyone near us will hear), I proclaim the good news of the gospel for the mother, her daughter and everyone standing around.

The shuttle pulls up after I finish and people start getting on board. I shook the mothers hand and thanked her for listening to me and told her and her daughter to have a nice day.

God is so good.

He gently led me into a situation where I could loudly proclaim the good news to several folks at once. My fears of open air were not even an issue even after I found myself right in the middle of it.

Very cool!

Thank you to those who came out Saturday to bring the good news of the gospel to the lost folks at the Festival!!

God bless you -