Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Puritain Prayer
Lord, I am hunted with such temptation, dogged with such a lust; either thou must pardon it, or I am damned; mortify it, or I shall be a slave to it; take me into the bosom of thy love for Christ's sake; castle me in the arms of thy everlasting strength; it is in thy power to save me from, or give me up into, the hands of my enemy: I have no confidence in myself or any other; into thy hands I commit my cause, my life, and rely on thee.
William Gurnall
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Power of the Cross
This is the Getty's singing a song they wrote called the Power of the Cross. I saw them a couple times at Alistair Begg's Pastor's conference. They are actually members of his church. I love the Getty's because they chose to write and sing hymns instead of contemporary Christian music that is all about selling their songs. I love their hymns because they are filled with theology, unlike most of the songs you will hear on K-Love. This song explains the Cross of Christ and what Jesus did for us in our place. Praise God. The Getty's also do something unique. All their songs are first ran by Alistair Begg to make sure they are theologically sound before they ever publicize them. When listening to this song, listen for all the Scripture in it and the profound lyrics about Christ's Atonement. This is unlike the contemporary songs that have no substance at all to them. I recall one song in particular that just says: "Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes Yes Lord" for the entire song! Are you kidding me? You have the entire Bible to pull lyrics and this is all you can come up with? The Getty's are a refreshing change from the worldly garbage you will year on the radio. I'm not saying all contemporary Christian songs are bad, there are several groups that are very good but the majority are not worth listening to.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
State High School Football game
I met Mike P. and Brent at about 4:30 Friday night for another night of sharing the gospel. There was a big High School football game going on so we headed that way. We walked by the movie theater on the way and we talked with two ladies that were Catholic but lost. They thought they had to be good to get to heaven. We went through the commandments and they admitted to breaking them all and would end up in Hell. They were convicted. I shared the good news of Jesus Christ and it seemed to make sense to them. They asked about my testimony so I shared it. It seemed they were genuinely convicted. We left them with an urgency to repent and trust in Jesus.
We moved over to the RB drive-in and talked with some kids there. They were hardened to the gospel. All either Catholic or nothing. We went through the law and gospel but there wasn't much conviction happening. Brent talked with the younger kids and they mocked him as he shared the gospel. We left them with something to think about and moved to the game.
Everyone was trying to get into the game so it was hard to strike up a conversation. There were a lot of people at the game. Brent got into a good conversation with some kids from Missoula that mocked him but stayed and listened. We met up with Crebo and he gave us several hundred of his football gospel tracks so we gave them out to everyone who entered. We must have gave out close to 300 tracks at the game.
I saw one of the same groups of kids we see a lot when out on the street. I asked them if they have thought about what I told them and they said they hadn't.
We talked with another group of kids from Helena that were actually older. I thought they were in high school but they said they already graduated from college. They were lost and confused. I gave them the trivia tract and they went through it. They all believed in evolution and said they came from a monkey. Typical graduates from our public universities. They have this stuff ingrained in them at college and they believe it all without question. I took them through the law and then they left us and went into the game.
After we were out of tracks we went across the street to a park because there was 20 or 30 kids hanging out there. Brent took the group of guys and Peter's and I took a group of girls. All the kids there were lost and clueless about anything that was important. I did some magic tricks and gave them all million dollar bill tracts. I told them I would give $20 to anyone who could pass the good person test. They all volunteered. Doing this brings out all the most prideful, obnoxious people. I usually pick the most prideful and obnoxious person because it draws a bigger crowd to hear the Gospel. I took the volunteer through the law and she saw she was not a good person but a bad person and was going to Hell if she died tonight. She admitted she would and seemed convicted. I gave them the gospel and urged them all to repent and put their trust in Christ. It turned out the girl wasn't too convicted because see asked if she could have $10 for being kind of a good person. I told her she failed miserably and never came close to passing.
At the end of the night we were able, by the grace of God, to share the gospel with around 40 people and gave out over 300 tracts.
We moved over to the RB drive-in and talked with some kids there. They were hardened to the gospel. All either Catholic or nothing. We went through the law and gospel but there wasn't much conviction happening. Brent talked with the younger kids and they mocked him as he shared the gospel. We left them with something to think about and moved to the game.
Everyone was trying to get into the game so it was hard to strike up a conversation. There were a lot of people at the game. Brent got into a good conversation with some kids from Missoula that mocked him but stayed and listened. We met up with Crebo and he gave us several hundred of his football gospel tracks so we gave them out to everyone who entered. We must have gave out close to 300 tracks at the game.
I saw one of the same groups of kids we see a lot when out on the street. I asked them if they have thought about what I told them and they said they hadn't.
We talked with another group of kids from Helena that were actually older. I thought they were in high school but they said they already graduated from college. They were lost and confused. I gave them the trivia tract and they went through it. They all believed in evolution and said they came from a monkey. Typical graduates from our public universities. They have this stuff ingrained in them at college and they believe it all without question. I took them through the law and then they left us and went into the game.
After we were out of tracks we went across the street to a park because there was 20 or 30 kids hanging out there. Brent took the group of guys and Peter's and I took a group of girls. All the kids there were lost and clueless about anything that was important. I did some magic tricks and gave them all million dollar bill tracts. I told them I would give $20 to anyone who could pass the good person test. They all volunteered. Doing this brings out all the most prideful, obnoxious people. I usually pick the most prideful and obnoxious person because it draws a bigger crowd to hear the Gospel. I took the volunteer through the law and she saw she was not a good person but a bad person and was going to Hell if she died tonight. She admitted she would and seemed convicted. I gave them the gospel and urged them all to repent and put their trust in Christ. It turned out the girl wasn't too convicted because see asked if she could have $10 for being kind of a good person. I told her she failed miserably and never came close to passing.
At the end of the night we were able, by the grace of God, to share the gospel with around 40 people and gave out over 300 tracts.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Helena art walk night
It was cold outside but we had a fire in us to share the gospel tonight. Jeremy R. and I met Peter's and Mike H. for a night of evangelism on Friday. We prayed before we started and moved towards the college by way of the staggering ox.
Magician
I saw the magician that I wrote about in an earlier post. He said he has thought a lot about the gospel and is reading the Bible but doesn't know if it is true. Mike H. invited him to his Bible study and it sounded like he was interested in going. Praise God.
Hardee's guy
We moved over to Hardee's and I saw the ex-gang member who I shared the gospel with before and mailed him a Bible. He said he was reading it and was very grateful. Mike also invited him to his Bible study and he too seemed interested in going.
Carroll College
We moved to the College and ran into a group of about 7 kids going to eat. I did some magic tricks and asked them what their religion was. They were all Catholic with one agnostic and one professing Christian. I asked them what it took to get to heaven and they surprisingly gave some fair answers. The Christian said Jesus and the others said the grace of God. I already forgot the rest of our conversation but it was surprisingly good.
The First Date
Now this had to be awkward. I witnessed to a couple going out on their first date at Carroll. The guy thought he had to be good to get to heaven and the girl thought good looks and charm gets you in. First time I have heard that one. I started taking them through some commandments. They both admitted to be liars, thieves and blasphemers. I told them this conversation was a good way to get to know each other. They said they would be guilty before God if they died but still thought they would go to Heaven because God forgives everyone. I explained justice and then the Gospel but they were not too convicted.
The Football Players
We got into a good conversation with two Carroll football players. They were Catholic and lost. They said they had to be good to get to heaven. I took them through the law and they admitted to breaking them but still thought they would get to heave because they confess sins to a priest. They went on to tell me the Catholic church teaches that all religions can go to heaven and that the Bible can't be taken literally. They were shocked I took the Bible literally and called me a fundamentalist. We argued about the infallibility of Scripture for quite a while. He said the Bible is to be taken figuratively. I asked him what he thought Jesus meant when He said He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through me. After I quoted this verse the kid said he didn't agree with my interpretation. I said I never interpreted it, I just stated the text. The conversation was going no where. The one kid was openly defiant and said he would be Catholic until the day he died. I guess he liked it because he could sin all day long and not have to give an account for it. The only problem is that his beliefs do not negate reality. He will be in Hell without Christ whether he believes it or not.
Downtown
We moved downtown where they were having an art walk. There had to have been over a thousand people downtown. People just wandered from store to store looking at art and drinking wine, a perfect opportunity to share the gospel. We gave out tracts as we moved throughout the crowd.
Angry Parents
Peter's got hammered by some parents. He was sharing the gospel with some kids when an angry mom came up to him and asked what he was doing. He said that he was telling the kids about Jesus. She told him that he better not ever talk to her kids about Jesus, said a few other select words and stormed off with the kids. I saw the family later in the night and gave the dad a million dollar bill gospel tract and the kids and the dad were actually fighting over who got to keep it.
The Apostate church
We walked past some guys handing out some kind of flier, so I traded him for one of my tracts. It turned out they were from a new church starting up in town. They invited us to come and explained that it was not "churchy" and they canceled worship every 4th Sunday to do stuff. As he talked a thousand red flags went up in my mind so I asked him what the gospel was. He looked like a deer in the headlights. He stumbled around and tried to get his friend to answer the question and then confessed that he himself was the pastor! He asked if this was a loaded question and said he should know the answer to the question of what the gospel was. I agreed and said that I gave him an easy question for a pastor to answer. He stumbled around and gave me all kinds of junk that had nothing to do with the gospel. He finally concluded with, "the gospel is what makes your life better." Wow, a pastor that doesn't know what the gospel is. I explained the gospel to him. He said he didn't know I wanted "churchy" language or he could of gave it. I asked what he thought it took to get to heaven. He tried to quote Romans 10:9 but messed it up and said in was Romans 10:10. I corrected him and he was frustrated. I explained it and we moved on. I wish now that we would have stayed and rebuked them more but there were still plenty of lost souls to share the truth with. His church is called Headwaters church, avoid it like the plague.
We finally found a soundly saved man. Praise God!!!
I asked a kid standing on the street what he thought it took to get to heaven. He said, "do you really want to know the answer to that question?" I said yes. He repeated, "do you really want to know?" I said yes, but was suspicious that he was going to start talking about aliens or something. He never. He started talking about the Holiness of God and then moved into the sinfulness of man and the fall. He proceeded into the Cross of Christ and the call for repentance and faith. I was so happy I started smiling. He thought I was mocking him and started getting even more passionate and said if you don't receive Christ you will be in Hell. Praise God. We explained to him we were Christians. He asked what we were doing at the art show and we told him we were sharing the gospel and he was happy. We had a good talk. In a world that hates Jesus Christ, it is refreshing to find another brother.
Atheists again
We saw our atheist friends again, the guys we debated at Hill park for half the night. They mocked us a little, I did a magic trick for them, then they mocked us some more and left. They said they didn't know about God and haven't changed since the last time we talked.
Group of Catholics
I did some tricks for a group of Catholics. I guess there were about 5 Catholics and one proclaiming Christian. I asked them if they could name the ten commandments. They started to and got most of them but wouldn't name the second one and split the tenth in two. This is because the Catholic church taught them this. The Catholic church actually changed the ten commandments, if you can even fathom that. They removed the 2nd commandment, which is do not make for yourself a graven image of anything. This makes since because the Catholic church has many graven images that some worship. Countless statues of saints and Mary. To keep ten commandments they had to split the tenth into two. So in the Catholic Bible the 9th commandment is: do not covet your neighbors wife and the 10th is: do not covet your neighbors house. After we talked about this I took them through them and they broke them all anyway. I explained the gospel to them, but as soon as I started talking about Jesus their whole demeanor changed and they wanted out of there. I let them go and we moved on.
Another Catholic
I witnessed to an older man who was a Catholic who was proud to go to the Cathedral. He fell into the usual wrong answer to the question of what it takes to get to heaven. He, like almost all Catholics, even the priest I witnessed to, said you have to be good. I took him through the law and the gospel. Seed planted.
The three stooges
I witnessed to three girls who said they were Christians, as they were drinking plenty on the street. One said she was a Christian but didn't believe in what Jesus did anymore. What??? As I tried to explain they gospel they bolted.
What a great night of sharing the gospel. Praise God!
Magician
I saw the magician that I wrote about in an earlier post. He said he has thought a lot about the gospel and is reading the Bible but doesn't know if it is true. Mike H. invited him to his Bible study and it sounded like he was interested in going. Praise God.
Hardee's guy
We moved over to Hardee's and I saw the ex-gang member who I shared the gospel with before and mailed him a Bible. He said he was reading it and was very grateful. Mike also invited him to his Bible study and he too seemed interested in going.
Carroll College
We moved to the College and ran into a group of about 7 kids going to eat. I did some magic tricks and asked them what their religion was. They were all Catholic with one agnostic and one professing Christian. I asked them what it took to get to heaven and they surprisingly gave some fair answers. The Christian said Jesus and the others said the grace of God. I already forgot the rest of our conversation but it was surprisingly good.
The First Date
Now this had to be awkward. I witnessed to a couple going out on their first date at Carroll. The guy thought he had to be good to get to heaven and the girl thought good looks and charm gets you in. First time I have heard that one. I started taking them through some commandments. They both admitted to be liars, thieves and blasphemers. I told them this conversation was a good way to get to know each other. They said they would be guilty before God if they died but still thought they would go to Heaven because God forgives everyone. I explained justice and then the Gospel but they were not too convicted.
The Football Players
We got into a good conversation with two Carroll football players. They were Catholic and lost. They said they had to be good to get to heaven. I took them through the law and they admitted to breaking them but still thought they would get to heave because they confess sins to a priest. They went on to tell me the Catholic church teaches that all religions can go to heaven and that the Bible can't be taken literally. They were shocked I took the Bible literally and called me a fundamentalist. We argued about the infallibility of Scripture for quite a while. He said the Bible is to be taken figuratively. I asked him what he thought Jesus meant when He said He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through me. After I quoted this verse the kid said he didn't agree with my interpretation. I said I never interpreted it, I just stated the text. The conversation was going no where. The one kid was openly defiant and said he would be Catholic until the day he died. I guess he liked it because he could sin all day long and not have to give an account for it. The only problem is that his beliefs do not negate reality. He will be in Hell without Christ whether he believes it or not.
Downtown
We moved downtown where they were having an art walk. There had to have been over a thousand people downtown. People just wandered from store to store looking at art and drinking wine, a perfect opportunity to share the gospel. We gave out tracts as we moved throughout the crowd.
Angry Parents
Peter's got hammered by some parents. He was sharing the gospel with some kids when an angry mom came up to him and asked what he was doing. He said that he was telling the kids about Jesus. She told him that he better not ever talk to her kids about Jesus, said a few other select words and stormed off with the kids. I saw the family later in the night and gave the dad a million dollar bill gospel tract and the kids and the dad were actually fighting over who got to keep it.
The Apostate church
We walked past some guys handing out some kind of flier, so I traded him for one of my tracts. It turned out they were from a new church starting up in town. They invited us to come and explained that it was not "churchy" and they canceled worship every 4th Sunday to do stuff. As he talked a thousand red flags went up in my mind so I asked him what the gospel was. He looked like a deer in the headlights. He stumbled around and tried to get his friend to answer the question and then confessed that he himself was the pastor! He asked if this was a loaded question and said he should know the answer to the question of what the gospel was. I agreed and said that I gave him an easy question for a pastor to answer. He stumbled around and gave me all kinds of junk that had nothing to do with the gospel. He finally concluded with, "the gospel is what makes your life better." Wow, a pastor that doesn't know what the gospel is. I explained the gospel to him. He said he didn't know I wanted "churchy" language or he could of gave it. I asked what he thought it took to get to heaven. He tried to quote Romans 10:9 but messed it up and said in was Romans 10:10. I corrected him and he was frustrated. I explained it and we moved on. I wish now that we would have stayed and rebuked them more but there were still plenty of lost souls to share the truth with. His church is called Headwaters church, avoid it like the plague.
We finally found a soundly saved man. Praise God!!!
I asked a kid standing on the street what he thought it took to get to heaven. He said, "do you really want to know the answer to that question?" I said yes. He repeated, "do you really want to know?" I said yes, but was suspicious that he was going to start talking about aliens or something. He never. He started talking about the Holiness of God and then moved into the sinfulness of man and the fall. He proceeded into the Cross of Christ and the call for repentance and faith. I was so happy I started smiling. He thought I was mocking him and started getting even more passionate and said if you don't receive Christ you will be in Hell. Praise God. We explained to him we were Christians. He asked what we were doing at the art show and we told him we were sharing the gospel and he was happy. We had a good talk. In a world that hates Jesus Christ, it is refreshing to find another brother.
Atheists again
We saw our atheist friends again, the guys we debated at Hill park for half the night. They mocked us a little, I did a magic trick for them, then they mocked us some more and left. They said they didn't know about God and haven't changed since the last time we talked.
Group of Catholics
I did some tricks for a group of Catholics. I guess there were about 5 Catholics and one proclaiming Christian. I asked them if they could name the ten commandments. They started to and got most of them but wouldn't name the second one and split the tenth in two. This is because the Catholic church taught them this. The Catholic church actually changed the ten commandments, if you can even fathom that. They removed the 2nd commandment, which is do not make for yourself a graven image of anything. This makes since because the Catholic church has many graven images that some worship. Countless statues of saints and Mary. To keep ten commandments they had to split the tenth into two. So in the Catholic Bible the 9th commandment is: do not covet your neighbors wife and the 10th is: do not covet your neighbors house. After we talked about this I took them through them and they broke them all anyway. I explained the gospel to them, but as soon as I started talking about Jesus their whole demeanor changed and they wanted out of there. I let them go and we moved on.
Another Catholic
I witnessed to an older man who was a Catholic who was proud to go to the Cathedral. He fell into the usual wrong answer to the question of what it takes to get to heaven. He, like almost all Catholics, even the priest I witnessed to, said you have to be good. I took him through the law and the gospel. Seed planted.
The three stooges
I witnessed to three girls who said they were Christians, as they were drinking plenty on the street. One said she was a Christian but didn't believe in what Jesus did anymore. What??? As I tried to explain they gospel they bolted.
What a great night of sharing the gospel. Praise God!
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