Everyday Evangelism - Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right

"Two wrongs don't make a right" was a quote my mother used a lot when I was a kid. When you think about it, it makes sense. It adds up. It was a good piece of wisdom, even if I didn't get the meaning back then. 
  We have situations in life today where this would apply easily. One such situation is a woman, who is not married, who considers abortion as an option. She may be thinking, 'if I get rid of this baby, no one will know, and I won't have to take care of this child the rest of my life'.' What happens is, we get ourselves into a bad situation (not realizing it's bad) and then the effects start happening. We look at those as bad. We want to get rid of the effects. In this case, an abortion would take care of that.
   Did you know that abortion is murder? A baby human is conceived when a male cell (sperm) unites with a female cell (ovum). A child develops fast from this union, and in about 9 month, a fully formed person usually comes into the world. 
   Early in the pregnancy, the little heart starts beating and brain waves are moving. Organs are developing, and this little person starts taking form. At some point babies can yawn and have hiccups. They can feel pain too. And the baby is either a boy or a girl. That was decided at conception.
   When a mother goes in for a late term pregnancy, if she wants an abortion, the doctor has to go in and basically chop the baby up so it dies inside the womb. If a baby is born, and is still alive, it is not allowed to be killed. But it can be killed if it is inside the womb. Do you think the baby doesn't feel anything inside the womb that he or she would feel outside the womb? Why would a baby not be considered a person while inside the womb, only outside? Do you see why this is murder?
   So, two wrongs do not make a right. One wrong is bad enough. The problem of unwanted pregnancy is not corrected by having an abortion. It only amounts to more wrongdoing. 
   If you are pregnant and trying to decide what to do with your baby, please know that life is not going to be easy for you, but, there is a lot of hope and answers that are waiting for you to discover. There are multitudes of people that want to adopt a child. If you are unable to support your baby, please consider adoption as an option. 
   Abortion is murder. It is cruel. Abortion does not fix the problem of unwanted pregnancy. The first wrong though, is immorality. I do understand that some married women go for abortions, and that is inexcusable. But I am thinking about unmarried women who have ended up pregnant. The first problem here is that you have to be in a marriage context to procreate. Not biologically, of course. 
  Matthew 5:27 and 28 You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shalt not commit adultery:
 But I say unto you, That whoever look ons a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Jesus' words)
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
  You see that if you are not married, and you are having a sexual relationship with another person, it is called fornication. If you are a woman and you have a boyfriend who is sweet talking you into sleeping with him, don't fall for it. Believe me, most probably when he finds out you get pregnant, he will be gone, or he will want you to get an abortion. He doesn't want to be responsible for his sin. 
   So, living in a sexual relationship outside of marriage is sin, but having an abortion is like doing the unthinkable. Two wrongs do not make a right. One wrong is bad enough. If you have questions about the Gospel or salvation, please go to The Gospel Conversation

Everyday Evangelism - Why Be a Friend?

   How does being a friend help in the process of evangelism? You might be thinking, "Oh no, no friendship evangelism for me. It's not the way its supposed to be done". Before I make any more statements here, let me say that I am not for 'friendship evangelism' either. The main reason is that, once we make friends with a person, we rarely share the Gospel with him or her. We become afraid to speak the words of truth to our new friends for fear that we might offend them. I totally believe in doing open air work, giving out tracts, doing one on one evangelism, and whatever other ways to communicate the truth of the Gospel with someone, especially people we don't know.
   But here is my point; If God is working in a person's heart, if that person wants to get more information about the Gospel, he or she is more likely to go to a trusted friend or church to ask questions rather than call a number on a tract or send an email on the back of the tract.
  If you have ever seen the short video called, I got off at George Street (Frank Jenner story) you will understand what I am saying. Frank Jenner was a man who was used mightily by God, by going downtown everyday and giving out tracts to people. Sometimes he would ask them if they were ready for heaven. Some people got angry. Others walked away. But many of them took his words to heart, and when they got back home, they were troubled about their souls and went to a friend or a church they were familiar with to find out more about the Gospel. Many came to Christ. People were affected by this faithful man giving out tracts and asking them the most important question ever. Frank Jenner did his part. But the other people who were friends of the recipients of the tracts were the ones who closed the deal, so to speak. Perhaps they were people who had shared the Gospel with their friend, but the friend was reluctant to respond at the time. The friend remembered though, after he or she got the tract from the man on George Street.
   I give out a lot of tracts and ask people the same kinds of questions as Frank Jenner. Now I am also trying to incorporate building a relationship with these people. I want them to feel comfortable when they talk to me. I don't want them to be afraid to ask me questions. I know they might not be ready to respond to the Gospel now, but I want to be open to them so that when the time comes for that, they would be ok with coming to me and asking for help.
  1 Corinthians 3:6-8
 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that plants any thing, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase. Now he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.
  The good news is that you can both plant and water. God will bless those efforts and they work together. But God is the One who works in the heart.

Will It Happen The First Time, Second Time, Fifth Time, Twenty-seventh Time or Some Other Time?

  Long time ago, I heard from someone that a person has to hear the Gospel six times before he or she comes to know the Lord. I heard more recently that the number jumped up to Seventeen, I think. It seems silly to assume that a person has to hear the Gospel message a certain amount of times before that person can come to know the Lord. But there is some truth to this concept, and I think it would be wise to pay attention to it.
   When I was growing up, everyone went to church, or at least some kind of church. People were familiar with some Bible lingo. Many people knew John 3:16. But many of those churches did not grasp the Gospel message. In some ways, it was harder to reach people with the Gospel because many of them already had a form of Godliness, but the heart of the Gospel was missing. Today, we have people who have never stepped into a church building. Many have left the denominations they were brought up in. So we basically have today, a culture of people that are very unfamiliar with the meaning of the Gospel.
   A person may receive a tract, and it could seem like Greek to him or her, because they are unfamiliar with the context of the message of the Bible. But each time that person hears the Gospel message, whether it be through a tract, or a friend sharing Scriptures, the person becomes more acquainted with the Gospel. By the time he or she hears the Gospel for the sixth time, that person might be ready to respond.
  Sowing seeds, like giving out tracts or doing open air, helps prepare the person for salvation. Since the message of the Gospel is so distant from people in our culture today, we need to be sowing many seeds. When we communicate God's truth to someone, God gives the person understanding. God will convict the person of sin. He will help the person to repent and turn to Christ. God opens the heart and mind to the scriptures. We must be faithful in giving the Scriptures out and proclaiming the Gospel message.
   The man you gave a tract to, this afternoon, may have thrown it away. Maybe a Christian neighbor or friend will share the Gospel message with him. He may remember the tract you gave him and the message he wasn't ready to hear. Perhaps you will be the twenty-seventh person to talk to someone, and that may be that person's day to comprehend the Gospel. Maybe that cashier you see every week will be ready to respond when you give her the tract. Maybe four other people talked to her about her relationship with God this month, and she sees Him working in her heart.
   Don't be afraid to sow seeds. There is no 'one and only' way to do this. Some people give out tracts. Some leave them in library books. Some put them in trick or treat bags. Others preach the Gospel to groups of people in a park or on the street. Another idea is to create a blog and write the Gospel in your blog. Just be careful of setting up a standard that you think you have to meet or if you don't (or if others don't) then you have failed at evangelism. Also, be careful of other people's standards when it comes to statistics. Some people tell themselves that they have to give out 10 tracts every day. Or that they have to talk to a person every day. Those goals are fine as long as they are motivated by love and are not set in stone for you and others to keep. Otherwise, they could lead to legalism.

Everyday Evangelism - Does Christianity Cause Wars?

Does Christianity cause wars? A lot of people use this as an excuse for staying in their sins. It sounds like a lame excuse because God is not a God of destruction. There must be another force behind wars.

         

Everyday Evangelism - Dealing with the Homosexual

I have been hearing a lot of talk about homosexualism lately, which brings to my attention the fact that at some point in our evangelizing, we will come in contact with a homosexual or lesbian. Don't panic when this happens. I have not run into too many of them, or if I did, the issue didn't come up. There is some wisdom I would like to have when dealing with homosexuals, and I would like to communicate a few things that would help to know beforehand.
   I have been taking mental notes of the situation of the Gay community that is evolving. I also think that 20-30 years ago, I would have found these people repulsive, and probably would have not looked at them as sinful people who need to be saved from their sins, just like we do. I might have thought that their sin was too great for God to deal with or care about. I don't know, but I see now, looking back, that I was not a compassionate person toward other people who are in darkness. I had not yet heard the phrase (which makes really good sense) "I am just one beggar, telling other beggars where to find bread". Now that I can see the depth of my sin more clearly, I can help other people to get help for their sin.
   There are groups of professing Christians (I think) who are preaching something (not sure what it is yet), but in their messages, they tell the Gay person that 'God hates fags'. I really don't understand what the purpose of their message is, for if God hates fags, as they say, what good is it to tell them? It doesn't make sense, unless it caters to their pride. It is similar to racial strife. In America, it has gone back and forth, like a feud, between the white people and the black people. When America was a young country, many people 'owned' slaves. Many of these slaves were part of the slave trade industry. Some of them were brought on ships from Africa. Can you imagine watching your family boarding a ship because a cruel taskmaster was over the people making them get on the ship. Many never even made it to the destination because they were not taken care of when they got sick on the ship.
   You probably would feel pretty angry if you were a black person living in early America. Some of the slave owners were very cruel to their slaves. Some of them were kind though, and treated their slaves fairly.
   I am sure when the slaves were free, a lot of white people were angry. Many of the white people treated them like dirt. So, in turn, the black people were not happy with the white people, and it goes back and forth like this for years. On top of this, the misunderstanding that was brought about by Darwin and his theory on evolution didn't help. He actually wrote in his book that the black people were less developed humans than the white people. And that women were less developed humans than men. So, we have a society that really doesn't believe certain groups of people were totally human. I guess they assumed we can treat other people like animals if we want. If we have more power over them (money), than we can own them and use them at our disposal.
  So by the time we get to the twentieth century, this feud is still going on. Black people have a hard time getting jobs. Black women especially suffer. You really have to understand why the black people hated the white people at this point.
   I said all this to say that somehow we believe we can treat other people, or the ones not like us, like trash. Today, we are not in as much tension with the black people as we were, but there is still prejudice in our society. It's our pride that makes us think we are better than someone else. When a person comes to Christ, humility should mark that person's life, not pride. If a person really 'gets' the Gospel, he or she will be humbled and will be able to see the pride in their own hearts.
   Jesus was a friend to 'sinners', yet He never condoned or participated in their sins. How can we love the unlovely? One way is to see the sin that God delivered us from. It will help us to love others and help them be free from their sins (See Matthew 7).
   Does name calling and threatening God's judgement help someone come to Christ? I doubt it. How would you feel if someone that you didn't know came up to you and told you that God was going to judge you for (fill in the blank). Would you want to listen to that person to get help? I doubt it. That person who came to you was proud. He is being a bully to you. Who listens to bullies? No one would. But there are many people who do 'evangelism' this way. They think by throwing Bible verses out about God's judgment will let the hearer be informed of God's judgment on him or her. How do we tell other people about God's judgment then? We do it with compassion and a broken heart. We grieve when people are enslaved in sin. We let people talk and express themselves and listen to what is in their hearts. Could it be that some people really would want to be free from the bondage of homosexualism, but whenever they try to get help, someone blasts them because of their sin? We want people to receive help not run away from the Gospel. If we are not inviting to them, they will run away, and probably avoid Christians at all costs, for they will assume the next one will do the same thing. We are good at telling people when they are wrong, but do we continue and show them the hope so they won't have to continue in their sin? Do we treat them like a human being created in God's image, or do we look at them as trash?
   I think we need to look at our own hearts and ask God to help us. There is a world of people out there that need ministry, and we need to be ready and available to help them. If we don't deal with our own hearts first, we could end up being motivated by pride, and come across in a prideful way when we are ministering to people.
  I am concerned about the bad name this whole activity has given to Christianity. Many people associate the Westboro group as Christians who are preaching the Gospel. If that is so, no wonder people are angry with the church. If 'Christians' continue to behave like they do, we could end up in trouble legally someday, having laws passed that will prevent Christians from preaching the true Gospel, because it would be considered 'harassment'. If the standard for preaching the Gospel is defined by name calling, we won't have a chance to do it right. Let's get it right in our own hearts so we can minister the Gospel to a lost and dying world before it is too late.
   Also, the Gay community has reacted violently to these attacks on them by the 'Christians' and forming a strong community. They are building defenses and working in the legal system to create advantages for themselves. This is a result of the church not handling the issue of homosexualism correctly. Homosexuals are human beings, and, they already have the same rights provided for them in the Constitution, that we have. They are just taking things further now, and creating new laws to be passed so that they can advance their kingdom. This is sad, and also, I believe it is a result of the church not handling them properly. The church, at times, has treated these people much like the slaves of early America were treated. I am not saying that we should give special treatment or preferential treatment to these people, but we have taken away some of their rights, just as human beings, because of their being Gay/Lesbian. Now that it has gone this far, they have been able to work the legal system to their advantage.
  No, they don't have any rights that anyone else doesn't have. They should be treated like human beings, yet they need to hear the Gospel desperately, as all of us do. We should do as Mark Cahill does, and talk with these people, and let them speak. Treat them like humans with kindness. Out of love and care, help them see the Gospel. Show them that homosexualism isn't part of God's design (see Apologetic Musings). They need to see God's holiness. They need to understand His justice. They need to repent of their sins, not just homosexualism. We don't want to give them a reason to react to Christianity in a wrong way. We can have compassion on this person, without condoning homosexualism. They need to see that God did not make them this way. They believe that because they want to hold onto something that will give them the 'right' to stay homosexual.
   We could come to the day when pastors won't be allowed to preach against homosexualism in the pulpit anymore. Again it will be because people have resorted to name calling and bullying the homosexual. Let's show the love of Christ to people who are lost and dying.
2 Corinthians 5

¹² For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.

¹³ For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

¹⁴ For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

¹⁵ And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Everyday Evangelism - Evangelism at the Tire Place

Today I had to get dressed and ready to go earlier than usual, because my son needed to put new tires on his car, which would mean that he would drop the car off, and I would pick him up (unless he wanted to stay there all day!) and bring him home. We will pick the car up later when it is finished. I am the type of person who doesn't like to waste any time. I will not sit and wait anywhere unless I have something constructive to do.
   When I got to the tire place, my son was taking care of business. Now I thought all this would have already been done by the time I got there. Since it meant that I would have to wait, I decided to take some tracts and walk around. This seems like a good area to reach people with the Gospel, even though there are not a whole lot of people there, there are enough that there might be one good bite.
  Right across from where I parked the car, was a fast food place. There was a group of three guys parked on the other side of the bushes, so I went over there and gave them tracts. I really like giving tracts to young men (college age, young adult) because they seem to be the most receptive. They gladly took the tracts and I was able to explain the Gospel to them. I started with the 10 Commandments, then went to Adam and Eve, then throughout the OT sacrifices that were needed because of sin. I explained that the lamb was usually used for the sacrifice, and that when we get to the NT, John the Baptist pointed Jesus out as the 'Lamb of God'. Then I explained that Jesus lived a perfect life and never sinned but took our place. God the Father put all our sins on Him, while He was dying. Then He rose again on the third day. Their response needs to be one of repentance from sin, and trusting in what Jesus did on the Cross to pay for our sin. It seemed to make sense to them. I also gave them each a 'How Good Are You?' tract. Please pray for them. Their names were Travis, Caleb, and Tony.
  What was really neat was how God helped me to speak clearly, and to know exactly what to say. I didn't jumble up my words or get tongue tied! I felt confident in what I was saying because God was giving me the ability to talk to them and to ask the right questions.
   This week started out on a wrong foot, so to speak. I was asked to not give out tracts in the store parking lot that I go to all the time. I believe an irate lady reported me for giving out tracts. I've been giving them out for at least 7 years now and no one has ever said anything until now. I still have people there I want to reach with the Gospel, but I have to be very careful how I do the tracts there. Maybe I will go to another store just like this one down the road, or I will use smaller tracts and only give them out as I leave. Here is a picture of the tracts that people either really love, or, these tracts have gotten me into trouble   (See  Ticket From Waterford Lakes ) Living Waters Giant Money Tract

Everyday Evangelism - Not Allowed to Pass Out Tracts at my Local Grocery Store : (

Today was interesting. I actually have 2 grocery stores right by my house and each of them has a favorable aspect for me. The best aspect of course, is that people are in the parking lots of these stores. Most of the time, people are very friendly when I offer them a tract. I have never gotten caught by authorities before, but my son had, years ago, at least at one of the grocery stores I shop at.
   Today I was at the first grocery store and paid for my groceries and asked the lady if I had already given a tract to her. She said she did get one, and would be interested if I had others. I didn't have anything to give her (need to refill my purse with tracts!) except a 'How Good Are You' tract, which she took. I also gave some to some college age kids as they were finished shopping (Giant Money). They didn't want to take it at first because they thought it had something to do with Obama. That led to a wonderful discussion with them. They were not liberal students and didn't care for Obama and took the tracts gladly. I wished I would have had time to talk more with them.
    The next grocery store I went to is one of my favorites. I have made friends with people who work there and go there a couple of times a week. One of the cashiers/bag boys is Justin, who walked me out to the car one time and noticed the tracts and wanted more information about the Gospel. So I took time to explain the Gospel to him and have given him a Gospel of John, and today I gave him a New Testament (paperback put out by Living Waters ). He seemed to appreciate it and the neat thing about it is that the cover is just like the tract I gave him originally. So please pray for him that he will come to know the Lord and trust in Him.
  Last week, I saw a worker on break named Jason. I guess I gave him a tract already and he told me that he was in the same place the week before when I saw him. I looked for him today but did not see him. I was going to ask him if he read the tract (million dollar bill). Maybe another time I will see him again.
  Today was hard though because I have to make some decisions. I think the problem started when I was in the parking lot and offered a tract to an older woman. I explained it was a Gospel tract and she got angry. I actually was able to say to her 'Eternity doesn't end. It's up to you', but I don't think it came out very kind, I don't know. Anyway, as I was exiting the grocery store, a young man who worked in customer service came up to me and told me not to pass out tracts in the parking lot. He also used the word 'soliciting' and said that I wasn't allowed to do that. Now that I think back, I wouldn't be surprised if that angry lady called up the grocery store and told on me! How could someone who works in customer service even know that I was passing them out in the parking lot? I didn't even give out that many in that parking lot today! It's not likely that he saw me, but someone probably called in and complained. So, I have to decide if I should find another grocery store like that one, or continue to go, but give out the tracts only as I leave. I want to keep my friends there and minister the Gospel while I can. Hmmm. What to do....  I have a feeling this young man will not work there forever, but maybe for a season I could go somewhere else. But what about the people I have ministered to there? I don't want to leave them. Well, I guess I have to pray about what to do here. And pray for the older lady who was angry about the tract. And pray that I will know what to say to people who reject tracts and the Gospel without becoming angry at them!
  One more last thought. I sense that this is an attack from the Enemy of our souls to try to get me to stop giving out tracts and ministering at that particular store. That is good because it shows that God is at work. It is like putting peroxide on top of a cut. You know that it is working when there are bubbles and a lot of pain! I am surprised that evangelism seems rather easy here, at least most of the time. If it is always that easy, something must be wrong.
   Until next time........