I have always wanted to be like a Santa Claus for kids. It would be fun to give out toys at Christmas to children that don't have the luxuries that most of us have. What would be better is to be able to use the opportunity to be a Santa Claus type person, not only to give toys and presents out, but to use that opportunity to present the Gospel. Somehow there has to be a way, and I hope to find it soon!
I have been imprinting toys for the past couple of years. It started with beach balls that have one side imprinted with "What can wash away my sin?", and on the opposite side, the answer is written, "Nothing but the blood of Jesus". Another toy was the maracas (see picture on side). They have the Bible verse, "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus". Then there are the flying discs (Frisbies). They have John 14:6 on them. What is cool is that now that I have some blog pages on the Gospel (www.thegospelconversation.blogspot.com and www.thecolorfulstory.blogspot.com) I can have the url imprinted as well.
I just ordered crayons and they have the QR code for thegospelconversation.blogspot.com, plus the url for the other one. The words say 'God is uncreated. He never had a beginning and has always been in existence."
I have at least 50 assorted toys and I am going to take them to the park in a couple of weeks and we can give them out and use them as springboards to present the Gospel.
I was at a jewelry party the other night, and the lady doing the party asked people to find something in their purses that begin with a certain letter. I had my purse unzipped, so you could see the toys in it. When she announced the letter 't', my friend pulled out a beach ball and it counted for the word 'toy'. Well this went on a couple of times, and I'm sure that the women in the room were beginning to wonder why a middle-aged woman would be carrying toys in her purse. It was kind of funny. Another part of the party, the lady giving the party asked each person if they had a thousand dollars, what would they do with it. For me it was a no brainer. I have always wanted to have a billboard that I could put Bible verses on, or the Gospel message, but I know a billboard would be way out of my range financially, so I am opting for another way. That way is to have toys imprinted and give them out at different occasions. I have even had adults ask for beach balls! When the turn came for me to answer the question, I said I want to buy more toys. Now the women in the room still didn't have a clue what the toys were for. So my friend who pulled the beach ball out of my purse explained what I was doing with the toys. It was like a light came on for the women. They thought that was a great idea. (They were all professing Christians). So, not only do I have the toys for kids (and adults) to enjoy and at the same time receive the message of the Gospel, but it encourages other Christians to be spreading the word.
One more little story on this. The other day, I was getting out of my car and saw a couple of teen age boys going by. I had a flying disc in my purse, and asked them if they wanted a Frisbie. Of course, they said 'yes', so I took it out and flung it to them. I wished I had two of them, but I only had one. That's what I hope to do at the park. I pray that many will receive the toys with gladness, but even more, that God will give them spiritual eyes and they will be ministered to by the words on them.
Let's pray that God will give us creative ways to share the Gospel!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Everyday Evangelism - Just One of Those Days
Today was just 'one of those days'. I had to go out to Park Ave. to get some spices, so I was planning on spending a little time walking down the street giving out tracts. The weather was nice, overcast, and not hot. One thing that would have discouraged me in doing evangelism in the past, is when I go out and see a lot of people and people reject the tracts I give them. I have to say that, when I go to Walmart or places similar to that, most people are very open to hearing the Gospel. I actually give tracts out, and when someone asks me what it is, I tell them it is a Gospel tract, and surprisingly, they take it and are thankful for it. I expect them to hand it back to me.
I did not have that experience today. As I went down the street giving out tracts, I got the same response; "No Thank you". Over and over again, except for one family, the answer was the same. Normally, in my lack of understanding the sovereignty of God, I would have taken it as a sign that God wasn't happy with me or that I was out of His will, etc. But this time, I was ok. It really doesn't matter how people respond, in one sense, because the word of God will enter the hearts of those He has prepared.
On the way back to the car, a couple of people took tracts. There was a girl sitting in a car looking at the tracts, and as I thought about giving her one, I decided to open my purse and pull out a beach ball. After I was finished with that, I turned to the car and noticed the window was rolled up. Here we go again. Perhaps the people had already received tracts that I gave them and have made their decision to reject the Gospel. I don't know, but I pray that God will reach into their hearts and make them soft and tender to the Gospel message, and should they have another opportunity to hear it again, maybe they will be open to it.
I did learn a couple of things though. One of them was that (and I already know this, but understanding it is another thing), people who are wealthy have much less concern about their souls. The Bible is very clear that it is hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. But the Bible also tells us that with God, nothing is impossible. The other thing I realize is that people who are middle aged and older (and even the younger generation that stroll down this street) are very skeptical. They really don't want to take anything from a stranger as many of them have been taken advantage of sometime in their lives. Many of them don't even give a consideration of taking the tract. They just automatically say, 'No Thanks". I can understand. Many people, even Christians, have been manipulative in the past. Cults are pushy, and salespeople have to put food on the table, so there is pressure for them to make the buck. I would probably be the same way. But they do need the Gospel, and there needs to be a way to reach them.
I did start to talk to two young men that were from an Islamic background, but they had to go somewhere quickly. They were kind, but it was hard to talk to them because they didn't speak English very well. Here is when it would be handy to learn another language!
Anyway, no need to be discouraged when you get turned down in giving out tracts. There are some people you will give tracts to that are elect. They will receive the Gospel when God makes them ready. Our job is to pray, sow, plant, and water. God is the only One who can give life, and we have to remember that. We can't make salvation happen for anyone. Salvation is of the Lord, not of us. We need to get out there and preach and present the Gospel. God will do the rest.
I did not have that experience today. As I went down the street giving out tracts, I got the same response; "No Thank you". Over and over again, except for one family, the answer was the same. Normally, in my lack of understanding the sovereignty of God, I would have taken it as a sign that God wasn't happy with me or that I was out of His will, etc. But this time, I was ok. It really doesn't matter how people respond, in one sense, because the word of God will enter the hearts of those He has prepared.
On the way back to the car, a couple of people took tracts. There was a girl sitting in a car looking at the tracts, and as I thought about giving her one, I decided to open my purse and pull out a beach ball. After I was finished with that, I turned to the car and noticed the window was rolled up. Here we go again. Perhaps the people had already received tracts that I gave them and have made their decision to reject the Gospel. I don't know, but I pray that God will reach into their hearts and make them soft and tender to the Gospel message, and should they have another opportunity to hear it again, maybe they will be open to it.
I did learn a couple of things though. One of them was that (and I already know this, but understanding it is another thing), people who are wealthy have much less concern about their souls. The Bible is very clear that it is hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. But the Bible also tells us that with God, nothing is impossible. The other thing I realize is that people who are middle aged and older (and even the younger generation that stroll down this street) are very skeptical. They really don't want to take anything from a stranger as many of them have been taken advantage of sometime in their lives. Many of them don't even give a consideration of taking the tract. They just automatically say, 'No Thanks". I can understand. Many people, even Christians, have been manipulative in the past. Cults are pushy, and salespeople have to put food on the table, so there is pressure for them to make the buck. I would probably be the same way. But they do need the Gospel, and there needs to be a way to reach them.
I did start to talk to two young men that were from an Islamic background, but they had to go somewhere quickly. They were kind, but it was hard to talk to them because they didn't speak English very well. Here is when it would be handy to learn another language!
Anyway, no need to be discouraged when you get turned down in giving out tracts. There are some people you will give tracts to that are elect. They will receive the Gospel when God makes them ready. Our job is to pray, sow, plant, and water. God is the only One who can give life, and we have to remember that. We can't make salvation happen for anyone. Salvation is of the Lord, not of us. We need to get out there and preach and present the Gospel. God will do the rest.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Everyday Evangelism - Saturating the World with the Message of the Gospel
We learned in the sermon yesterday (Aron Osborne) http://metrolife.org/sermons#category_2 about the power of God in evangelism. We looked at the book of Acts and learned how the disciples did it. One of the disciples preached a powerful message, yet not too long before that, he turned his back on the Lord out of fear. The other disciples ran away during that time. When Peter was preaching this Gospel message, as recorded in the book of Acts, 3,000 souls came to know the Lord. In another place, the Bible says that the Apostles 'turned the world upside down'.
We learned a couple of weeks ago that the harvest was plentiful, but the laborers were few, and that we are to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers into the fields.
I liked what we heard yesterday, when Aron spoke about saturating the world with the Gospel. But how do we do this? Is this doable? Of course, God is not going to ask us to do something that He won't equip us to do. We need to be prepared. The Gospel needs to be part of our lives so that we can give it out to others.
What are some practical ways to 'saturate the world with the Gospel'? For some, obviously it will be giving out tracts. Some can preach the Gospel to the public. We can get to know our neighbors and love them, and preach the Gospel to them. We can have Bible clubs and meetings in our homes. We can teach classes on apologetics in our homes and churches. We can go to abortion clinics and preach the Gospel. We can go to the malls and movie theaters and preach. The list of ideas is endless. We can even use media (which is now controlled by people with a wicked agenda) in its different forms to communicate the truth of the Gospel. We can reach people on the other side of the world by means of the Internet. If we are lawyers or attorneys, we can use that position to promote the Gospel and stand up for what is right. If we are scientists or astronomers, we can use our knowledge to refute evolution. Standing up for what is right and true has more to do with pressing on with the truth rather than just agreeing that something is wrong. There are tons of places where we can take action and take a stand for the truth. If we fail to do this, we will lose our freedoms that we hold precious, and will be under the slavery of a government that will forbid promoting the Gospel. But when the Gospel truly goes forth, there will be opposition, just because that is the nature of it. So, while we have freedoms, let us take the time to saturate our land with the Gospel! Tomorrow it might not be as easy.
We learned a couple of weeks ago that the harvest was plentiful, but the laborers were few, and that we are to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers into the fields.
I liked what we heard yesterday, when Aron spoke about saturating the world with the Gospel. But how do we do this? Is this doable? Of course, God is not going to ask us to do something that He won't equip us to do. We need to be prepared. The Gospel needs to be part of our lives so that we can give it out to others.
What are some practical ways to 'saturate the world with the Gospel'? For some, obviously it will be giving out tracts. Some can preach the Gospel to the public. We can get to know our neighbors and love them, and preach the Gospel to them. We can have Bible clubs and meetings in our homes. We can teach classes on apologetics in our homes and churches. We can go to abortion clinics and preach the Gospel. We can go to the malls and movie theaters and preach. The list of ideas is endless. We can even use media (which is now controlled by people with a wicked agenda) in its different forms to communicate the truth of the Gospel. We can reach people on the other side of the world by means of the Internet. If we are lawyers or attorneys, we can use that position to promote the Gospel and stand up for what is right. If we are scientists or astronomers, we can use our knowledge to refute evolution. Standing up for what is right and true has more to do with pressing on with the truth rather than just agreeing that something is wrong. There are tons of places where we can take action and take a stand for the truth. If we fail to do this, we will lose our freedoms that we hold precious, and will be under the slavery of a government that will forbid promoting the Gospel. But when the Gospel truly goes forth, there will be opposition, just because that is the nature of it. So, while we have freedoms, let us take the time to saturate our land with the Gospel! Tomorrow it might not be as easy.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Everyday Evangelism - What is Wrong with Using John 3:16 in Evangelism?
The favorite verse for people in the world is John 3:16. In John 3:16,
it says "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but will have everlasting
life." You see this verse on tracts, shirts, bumper stickers and billboards.
Why do people like this verse so much, and what is wrong with using this
verse in evangelism?
First, let's try to understand how the world thinks. Left to himself (or herself),
people enjoy being in darkness because they love evil deeds. This doesn't
necessarily mean that people are all overtly wicked. Some people just have
pride and they are unwilling to part with that. Others are involved in adulterous
relationships and don't want to let them go. Some people don't see anything
wrong with telling small lies, or being deceptive. They reason that as long as
they are not killing anyone, they are ok before God.
These people will take this verse and stop at the part that says 'For God
so loved the World'. Others will take it further and say, 'For God so loved
the world that He gave His only Son..', but some will go the rest of the way
with the whole verse. They will reason with themselves and others that they
believe in Jesus. They believe He is the Son of God, and that He died for
our sins. That is not even an issue for them. The problem that is created
has to do with the word 'believe'. The understanding of this verse hinges
on our understanding of what the word 'believe' means. If the word 'believe'
means to believe about something, then we are in the same class as the
devil. He believes that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for people's
sins. But the word believe has a different connotation. It really has to do with
trusting in something vs. believing about something. There is a difference. If
I say I believe in Jesus, yet am really relying on how good I am, (or how
bad I am not) for my salvation, even in part, I missed the Gospel. Jesus
died to pay for everything for our sin.
Here is another problem that people misunderstand when they are
quoting this verse; some people assume that because Jesus died
for all our sins, that means everything is ok now between God and
that person. They think that Jesus' death provides automatic salvation
for everyone and that there is no response needed from us. Then there
is the large group of people that think that if they 'ask Jesus into their
heart' or 'make a decision for Christ' that they have properly responded
to the Gospel. That is a misunderstanding also. Although a person
could be responding to God in that way, if God is truly working in his
or her heart, salvation can take place, but most of the time, it could
be a replacement to the response of God working in the heart, and
it will provide a false sense of security.
So what is wrong with using John 3:16 in evangelism? Nothing at
all. As long as the Gospel is preached, and people understand the
meaning of the whole verse in its context, there is nothing wrong with
it. So, we can use this verse, (and it is a good one to use) and expound
on it with other verses, and God will use it to bring people to repentance
and faith in Christ, and a true salvation experience. If God is at work in
a heart, nothing will stop His will from being done. We have to remember
that when we evangelize. Let's believe in faith that God will ordain our
steps and He will prepare the hearts of the people we talk to when we
share the Gospel. The rest is up to God. We sow and pray and God
gives the increase.
"The fields are ripe and ready for harvest. Pray that the Lord of the
Harvest will send forth laborers..."
So, in conclusion, there is nothing wrong with using John 3:16 in
evangelism. In fact, the Gospel is in that verse. The problems people
are encountering have to do with the modern concept of what the word
'love' means, and what the word 'believe' means. People assume that
because God 'loves' us, that we automatically won't go to hell. We don't
have to be concerned anymore. They also believe that that word 'believe'
has to do with acknowledging that something is true, when in reality it
means to 'trust'. And again it is not just trusting the facts to be true
(Jesus died for my sins) but to trust that Jesus provided the sacrifice
that was necessary for us to be saved, which requires us to respond
to it (trust in Jesus).
The people in Jesus' day were familiar with the Law and had some
understanding of why He came and died. Today, especially in America,
we don't understand the Law (10 Commandments) so the Gospel doesn't
make sense to the average person. We need to lay the foundation of the
Law once again, not to try to get people to obey the Law as best as they
can, but to show them that they can't keep the Law (10 Commandments).
The point of the Law is to show us just that. We can't get into heaven on
our own score. We have to get in on Someone else's score. It has to be
a person who has a perfect score though. Only one person did that and
we have to get in on His score if we will get in at all.
it says "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but will have everlasting
life." You see this verse on tracts, shirts, bumper stickers and billboards.
Why do people like this verse so much, and what is wrong with using this
verse in evangelism?
First, let's try to understand how the world thinks. Left to himself (or herself),
people enjoy being in darkness because they love evil deeds. This doesn't
necessarily mean that people are all overtly wicked. Some people just have
pride and they are unwilling to part with that. Others are involved in adulterous
relationships and don't want to let them go. Some people don't see anything
wrong with telling small lies, or being deceptive. They reason that as long as
they are not killing anyone, they are ok before God.
These people will take this verse and stop at the part that says 'For God
so loved the World'. Others will take it further and say, 'For God so loved
the world that He gave His only Son..', but some will go the rest of the way
with the whole verse. They will reason with themselves and others that they
believe in Jesus. They believe He is the Son of God, and that He died for
our sins. That is not even an issue for them. The problem that is created
has to do with the word 'believe'. The understanding of this verse hinges
on our understanding of what the word 'believe' means. If the word 'believe'
means to believe about something, then we are in the same class as the
devil. He believes that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for people's
sins. But the word believe has a different connotation. It really has to do with
trusting in something vs. believing about something. There is a difference. If
I say I believe in Jesus, yet am really relying on how good I am, (or how
bad I am not) for my salvation, even in part, I missed the Gospel. Jesus
died to pay for everything for our sin.
Here is another problem that people misunderstand when they are
quoting this verse; some people assume that because Jesus died
for all our sins, that means everything is ok now between God and
that person. They think that Jesus' death provides automatic salvation
for everyone and that there is no response needed from us. Then there
is the large group of people that think that if they 'ask Jesus into their
heart' or 'make a decision for Christ' that they have properly responded
to the Gospel. That is a misunderstanding also. Although a person
could be responding to God in that way, if God is truly working in his
or her heart, salvation can take place, but most of the time, it could
be a replacement to the response of God working in the heart, and
it will provide a false sense of security.
So what is wrong with using John 3:16 in evangelism? Nothing at
all. As long as the Gospel is preached, and people understand the
meaning of the whole verse in its context, there is nothing wrong with
it. So, we can use this verse, (and it is a good one to use) and expound
on it with other verses, and God will use it to bring people to repentance
and faith in Christ, and a true salvation experience. If God is at work in
a heart, nothing will stop His will from being done. We have to remember
that when we evangelize. Let's believe in faith that God will ordain our
steps and He will prepare the hearts of the people we talk to when we
share the Gospel. The rest is up to God. We sow and pray and God
gives the increase.
"The fields are ripe and ready for harvest. Pray that the Lord of the
Harvest will send forth laborers..."
So, in conclusion, there is nothing wrong with using John 3:16 in
evangelism. In fact, the Gospel is in that verse. The problems people
are encountering have to do with the modern concept of what the word
'love' means, and what the word 'believe' means. People assume that
because God 'loves' us, that we automatically won't go to hell. We don't
have to be concerned anymore. They also believe that that word 'believe'
has to do with acknowledging that something is true, when in reality it
means to 'trust'. And again it is not just trusting the facts to be true
(Jesus died for my sins) but to trust that Jesus provided the sacrifice
that was necessary for us to be saved, which requires us to respond
to it (trust in Jesus).
The people in Jesus' day were familiar with the Law and had some
understanding of why He came and died. Today, especially in America,
we don't understand the Law (10 Commandments) so the Gospel doesn't
make sense to the average person. We need to lay the foundation of the
Law once again, not to try to get people to obey the Law as best as they
can, but to show them that they can't keep the Law (10 Commandments).
The point of the Law is to show us just that. We can't get into heaven on
our own score. We have to get in on Someone else's score. It has to be
a person who has a perfect score though. Only one person did that and
we have to get in on His score if we will get in at all.
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