Preaching A Weak Gospel Message

I have been around in the evangelism circles for over 10 years now, and when I started, we learned how to evangelize from watching 'The Way of the Master'. I would recommend watching these videos to help us to learn how to articulate the Gospel message to people.

When I first started out in evangelism, whenever I wanted to speak in order to share the message, 3 things would automatically happen. 1. My mouth would dry out, 2. My body would start shaking, and 3. My mind would go blank.

  I do understand the struggles of trying to come up with the words to say that would help people understand the Gospel message better. But, before watching The Way of the Master, I had no idea what to say, or how to interact with people concerning the Gospel message.

  Over the years, God has helped me tremendously to know what to say, and how to start conversations leading to the Gospel message. It takes practice and facing our fears. We have to learn from practicing.

  A big concern I have today, is that when we are out ministering the Gospel message, well meaning people who really do love God, tend to shy away from sharing the whole Gospel message.

  Many want to avoid the hard subject of dealing with sin and God's judgment. I will hear things like, 'all you have to do is turn to Jesus', or, 'accept Jesus in your heart'. There is no message of repentance from these people. I am sure it is to avoid a potential conflict with the person we are talking to.

  Another concern I have is when we do have a conversation with people, and we ask them if they are Christians (I really cringe at that question, to be honest), they say 'yes', and we assume they are saved. It is possible that they know the Lord, but it is possible also, that they really have no clue of the Gospel message and what God has done for them. We talk to them as if they know the Lord, when perhaps they really don't yet. We could be giving them a false assurance that they are saved, when they need to hear from God that they need a Savior. We get in the way of that message and make it unclear to them.

  Some people know the lingo very well. Others understand the formula for salvation, but have never applied it to themselves.

  Of course, we don't know what is going on in people's hearts. We can't assume that they are or aren't saved. But there is a good possibility that they have never even heard the Gospel message until now. If we just continue to carefully dig, we might be able to uncover the truth, at least for their sake, so that they can see what the issue is, that is at stake for them. 

   We share the word of truth with people. Let them wrestle with God. This is important to remember. If this is the first time they ever heard the Gospel message, they will probably be struggling. They need to struggle. That is how they will work through this issue. God works in their hearts. They struggle. After much consideration, maybe even many years later, they finally understand the meaning of the Gospel message. It now makes sense to them.

  My husband was talking with a skeptical Jewish man the other night. The dialog seemed fruitless, although it went on for a while. To some people, that would have seemed like a waste of time. But do we really know that God isn't working in this man's heart? The skeptical man needs to struggle. He needs for God to reveal to him, his need for a Savior. He needs to see the seriousness of his sin.

  God promises that His word will not return to Him void. It will accomplish what he wants with it. Let's make sure we preach the whole Gospel message without leaving out the hard things, like repentance and sin. Let's also make sure we show respect and kindness to those we are communicating with.

"Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame." 1 Peter 3:14b-16 ESV

Always show gentleness and respect when
sharing the Gospel message with people.

Sad; Missed Evangelism Opportunities

  A few months ago, I was introduced to a woman through a co op leader for an organic farm that I am in. As the conversations went on, I mainly listened to the two talking. I always wonder if people know the Lord. Sometimes there is indications that they might, and other times, there are no indications. Unless we really get to know the person, we probably will not know, or, more likely, they probably don't know the Lord.

   I went to pick up my food and talked with the co op leader for a while. She informed me that this lady had passed away suddenly. The woman was 56 years old and cancer was found in her body. She died rather quickly. The last time I saw her, she looked healthy. That was about 6 months ago, maybe.

  As we were talking today, the co op leader expressed regret for not sharing the Gospel message with this woman. Honestly, I would have never had thought that the woman would be dead in a couple of months from when I met her.

  Part of me is in shock over this, even though I barely knew the lady who had passed away. We don't know if she knew the Lord or not, but how sad to think that if she didn't, then there is no way to bring her back and tell her about the words of life that she needed to hear.

   The other day, I was at the hospital, and when I was going down from the 11th floor, a man was also going down. He opened up and talked as the elevator made its way to the bottom floor. The man didn't know how he felt at that moment. They just took life support off his mom. He explained how fast everything happened, and now she was gone. I was speechless except I knew how to say, "I am sorry'.

   I really need to be and to be attentive to situations like this. I do not have foreknowledge or wisdom to know what to say to people or how to bring the subject of the Gospel message up. Or maybe I am just not in faith for what God can do, and will do. Maybe I am so wrapped up in my own life, that I am not concerned enough about the souls of other people. Perhaps I am the one who needs a heart change and revisioning.

"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. "

James 4:13, 14 ESV

Wrong Thinking On Evangelism

"And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

"And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Mark 16:15,16 ESV

Today, there are those who are professing Christians who would say that Jesus does not want you to go and tell others about Him. At first, I could not understand why these professing believers in Jesus would say such a thing. 

But, later on in the conversation with some college age professing believers, I began to understand what they were saying. 

They were all part of a church geared toward young adults, and that is probably what they were taught. One of them also said that 'when Scripture and culture do not agree, then Scripture must bow to the culture'. 

I think this is a serious, modern day problem in the church. There is a belief system which does not recognize the power of God and the authority of His word. What matters most is whatever the culture believes is right. 

The young adults I was dialoging with were especially critical of my using tracts. They assured me that Jesus wouldn't want me to be doing that, and one even made the comment saying that every time I gave out a tract, it was like putting a check mark in the box. The other young woman stated that she had unsaved parents and wouldn't want me to share the Gospel with them because it would turn them off. 

But the story gets even more interesting. At the end of our conversation, they had some book recommendations for me to read. One of them was 'Velvet Elvis' written by Rob Bell. When the young woman mentioned Rob Bell's name, I gave a grunt. She assured me that Mr. Bell was not a Universalist like everyone thinks he is. 

I read a critique that someone wrote on Rob Bell's 'Velvet Elvis'. How surprising it was to see the things he taught in his book were very similar to what the young adults were telling me. Rob Bell hates Christians who do evangelism. He says that whenever they pass out a tract, it's like they put a notch in their belt. 

Rob Bell also did a video called 'Bullhorn Guy' or something like that. It is a video made to make sure that Christians understand that evangelism is not a good thing. 

But this is not surprising either, for there was nothing in 'Velvet Elvis' that indicated Rob Bell's regard for the authority of Scripture. 

Anyway, what was I writing about when I started this article? Oh yeah, it was about evangelism. God's word tells us to evangelize. We are to evangelize those around us. We are not only to evangelize, but also to disciple others. 

Can evangelism be done incorrectly? Of course. It takes humility to represent the Lord well. Evangelism is not having correct head knowledge and trying to tell others what we know. Evangelism is an action that comes out because of our relationship with God. 

When we are abiding in Christ, and His word is abiding in us, we will bear fruit in our lives. That fruit will bring glory to God. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing. Nothing of eternal value, that is. 

We need the power of the Holy Spirit in us in order to do evangelism and to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. 

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1:8 ESV

An Evangelism Opportunity For D.L. Moody

Here is a really neat story about D.L. Moody, and how he was discouraged one evening, because he did not have an opportunity to share the Gospel message that day.

"One night Mr. Moody was going home from his place of business. It was very late, and it suddenly occurred to him that he had not spoken to one single person that day about accepting Christ. He said to himself: "Here's a day lost. I have not spoken to anyone today and I shall not see anybody at this late hour." But as he walked up the street he saw a man standing under a lamppost. The man was a perfect stranger to him, though it turned out afterwards the man knew who Mr. Moody was. He stepped up to this stranger and said: "Are you a Christian?" The man replied: "That is none of your business, whether I am a Christian or not. If you were not a sort of a preacher I would knock you into the gutter for your impertinence." Mr. Moody said a few earnest words and passed on.

The next day that man called upon one of Mr. Moody's prominent business friends and said to him: "That man Moody of yours over on the North Side is doing more harm than he is good. He has got zeal without knowledge. He stepped up to me last night, a perfect stranger, and insulted me. He asked me if I were a Christian, and I told him it was none of his business and if he were not a sort of a preacher I would knock him into the gutter for his impertinence. He is doing more harm than he is good. He has got zeal without knowledge." Mr. Moody's friend sent for him and said: "Moody, you are doing more harm than you are good; you've got zeal without knowledge: you insulted a friend of mine on the street last night. You went up to him, a perfect stranger, and asked him if he were a Christian, and he tells me if you had not been a sort of a preacher he would have knocked you into the gutter for your impertinence. You are doing more harm than you are good; you have got zeal without knowledge."

Mr. Moody went out of that man's office somewhat crestfallen. He wondered if he were not doing more harm than he was good, if he really had zeal without knowledge. (Let me say, in passing, it is far better to have zeal without knowledge than it is to have knowledge without zeal. Some men and women are as full of knowledge as an egg is of meat; they are so deeply versed in Bible truth that they can sit in criticism on the preachers and give the preachers pointers, but they have so little zeal that they do not lead one soul to Christ in a whole year.)

Weeks passed by. One night Mr. Moody was in bed when he heard a tremendous pounding at his front door. He jumped out of bed and rushed to the door. He thought the house was on fire. He thought the man would break down the door. He opened the door and there stood this man. He said: "Mr. Moody, I have not had a good night's sleep since that night you spoke to me under the lamppost, and I have come around at this unearthly hour of the night for you to tell me what I have to do to be saved." Mr. Moody took him in and told him what to do to be saved. Then he accepted Christ, and when the Civil War broke out, he went to the front and laid down his life fighting for his country."*

The word of God will take affect in the hearts of people who are hearers. They might reject everything we tell them. They might even report us to the authorities. It doesn't change the fact that God can still use His word and work in their hearts. He may even grant them repentance and faith. We can't become discouraged because of how others react to the Gospel message. 

When I was little, if I got a cut, my mom would put peroxide on the cut. She did warn me though that it would hurt. But it was good for the cut. It did hurt whenever she put the peroxide on the cut. 

Preaching the Gospel message is like pouring peroxide on a cut. It can sting and be painful. The person could react to the pain by becoming angry or even vicious. But the peroxide will help the cut heal faster, and the Gospel message will turn us back to God so we can be reconciled back to Him. 

*http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biomoody6.html

New Ice-Breaker Idea

I believe in doing evangelism one on one. I also believe it is good to sow seeds wherever possible. Giving out tracts is a great idea. Talking with people in person is excellent. Serving people in the body of Christ and even, as the opportunities come up, in the world around is, lends itself to demonstrating the Gospel message.

   The hard part for me is to strike up a conversation with someone, bringing up the Gospel message. I have no problem when I am in a conversation with a person, and the subject comes up. But I do struggle when talking about surfacy stuff, trying to engage the person in a conversation, then asking him or her questions that have to do with eternity.

  I will say though, that it is easier to do this on the streets than it is to do this with someone we are trying to get to know, or who we are trying to just become acquainted with.

  So, ice-breakers can be very helpful. I remember reading a conversation Mark Cahill had with a person. He asked the person what he or she would be doing after they graduate high school, then college, then what their plans were after that, until finally, after the person was old and retired, he asked the question, then what? This led to a discussion about eternity. Well, I don't usually have conversations with people which lead to eternal questions, but I do have a few ice-breakers.

   The main ice-breaker I use is my Giant Money tracts, put out by Living Waters. People either love them or hate them. Most people do not realize, until after they have read part of the back, that they are Gospel tracts. I have had people hunt me down to get one. If I have time, and if the other person doesn't seem like they are in a hurry, I can ask them the million dollar question, or I can just ask them a question like, do you know what the word 'Gospel' means? (usually I ask this if they ask me what the tract is. I tell them it is a Gospel tract). I can ask them if they think they are good enough to go to heaven, one day. This can lead to a discussion on the Gospel message.

  Another good ice breaker is using the person's name. Of course, you would have to know the meaning of the name in order for this to work. The name 'Chris' is a perfect example of how to use this ice-breaker. "Do you know what your name means? It means 'Christ bearer'. Are you a bearer for Christ?"

  I got another idea this morning. In the mail, I got an advertisement for a lighted, imprinted pen. I had never seen a lighted pen before, but they are really cool. The pen was a sample to tease me into buying large quantities of these pens. It had my name and address printed on it, and it lights up when you press a button. Plus, they are on sale, according to the flyer that came with the advertisement.

  So, I am thinking about putting something Biblical on the pens. How about this:
     God Is Uncreated
* He never had a beginning
* He has always been in existence
http://test4gp.blogspot.com

There are other possibilities too. But for now, I can get about 200 of these pens for around $400. The best part is, I can give them away to people who serve at our home. Our home needs a lot of repair work. We are always calling someone to repair something. This would be a 'gift' I could give them when they are done with their work.

  I gave New Testaments away one time, to a group of men who worked on trimming the trees in our yard. Got to talk a little about the Gospel message to them too.

   Plus, these people know how to contact me if they want more information. It doesn't get any better than that! Thank God for inventive ideas and also for being able to use technology to further the message of the kingdom of God.

"Did you get one of these yet?"

Encounter With Man Who Trusted In 'Knowledge'

     The other day, I went up to two men who were outside of their trucks talking. Gave both men a Giant Money tract. Then proceeded to ask the questions pertaining to the Good Person Test. Both men readily admitted they had broken the Law.

      One man got into his truck and left. I was able to talk to the other man alone, at least for a couple of minutes. We spent almost an hour in conversation with him doing the talking, for the most part.

   He started to explain about 'knowledge', which was his newest, most beloved discovery. He said he had been under pastors and teachers, but really didn't get this 'knowledge' until he spent time in the 'cave' so to speak. The cave represented a time alone in the Scriptures. He also pointed out that the church was full of false teachers and prophets. You can only get this 'knowledge' when you are by yourself, studying the Scriptures.

  He went on and explained that the reason why Jesus had to die, was so that He could be free from the flesh. I asked the man if he were into Gnosticism, and he didn't seem to recognize the term.

   Another thing he pointed out was (when I brought up the sin issue against a holy God) that when we sin, we are really sinning against ourselves.

   To be honest, I was at a loss as to what to say to him at this point. Do I tell him that he is wrong, for believing what he does? Do I let him go on until he runs out of breath so that I can 'earn' some time with him to share the Gospel message more accurately?

   Finally, I just brought it back to the Gospel and his relationship with God. There was no connect. He said he came to know the Lord when he was 32 years old. But it wasn't until he found this 'knowledge' that his life was affected.

   He also mentioned at the end of our conversation, that there were many other books that should have been included in the Bible. The Gospel of Thomas was one of them.

   Earlier in the conversation, he asked for another tract. So, he went home with two tracts. Maybe God will do something in his heart through the tracts.

   I write this as an experience that my readers may encounter. Ponder through some of the things this man has considered. How would you respond to him if you met him on the streets?

    Does this man really seem like someone who was seeking God? Or perhaps, it's just misplaced trust?

New Post - New Idea - Potentially New Converts and Disciples

I haven't been able to do my evangelism activities due to a chronic condition that makes me feel terribly fatigued during the day. I have spent a lot of money and time doing research to try to cure this thing.

Anyway, I am mulling over some ideas that I might be able to use to incorporate evangelism into. One idea is really cool, but, I have to work out the logistics and the details which should come later on, if this is something God has for me to do.

This idea comes from a combination of what we did years ago and what another friend does everyday.

You might think I am nuts because I am not a fan of Burger King, but, I can buy a drink there and be ok, probably :)

Sometimes, when we get together with friends, we talk about the things of God, you know, spiritual things. I have had occasions where someone in a nearby booth overhears us talking. Then they start taking an interest. It is really cool and I like this idea. Of course, you always take the chance of those in neighboring booths to not hear a word that you say.

I have a friend on Facebook, actually it is a couple, a husband and wife, who do evangelism every day. They talk to people in their area about the Gospel. They have a focus on people who come from the Middle East. The man meets with people he talks to, at Burger King (don't worry, he eats the salads).

Anyway, I was thinking we could have some kind of intriguing topic to talk about, and we would hope that others will be listening in, and that the word of God will take root. Maybe we could even get to know people and make friends, and ultimately, disciples.

It doesn't have to be at Burger King. It could be at McDonald's (they have good drinks there) or even Chick-fil-a. Wherever there are close tables or booths will work out for us.

What do you think? What are some hot topics that would stir up interest in the spiritual realm?

Are You Prepared For The Hurricane?

At this time, we are aware of a hurricane that could come our way. In 2004, our town was devastated by Hurricane Charlie, but even as bad as that was, it was no match for Hurricane Katrina. Many lost their lives through that. Are you ready for the hurricane that could hit your town?

We have been warned. We have enough technology available to us to help us prepare for the oncoming hurricane, should it be here in a couple of days. But there is another warning that we must pay attention to.

God tells us in His word that a day is coming where all will be judged for their sins. It will be a horrible day for many. God will tell many, many people to depart from Him and He will have them sent to the Lake of Fire. But why does God send people there anyway?

God is pure and without any sin. He has no defect in Him at all. When God made human beings, they were not sinners. But one day, the devil lied to Eve and she fell for it by breaking a command God gave to her and Adam. Ever since that event, every person who has been born (except for 1) has a sinful, selfish heart. Unless a person repents of their sin and turns to God, they will not be accepted into heaven.

Mankind sinned. God provided a covering for our sins. He made an atonement for us when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, 2,000 years ago, to live a perfect live, and then to die a horrible death to pay for our sins. He had no sin of His own to pay for. Only a person who has no sin of their own can possibly pay the penalty for the sins of others.

He died on a Cross, was buried, and rose again the 3rd day. He walked around earth for about 40 days then was taken back up to heaven. He is aware of what is going on here and He is praying for those who belong to Him. He is coming back again to take those who are His, with Him. Are you ready to meet Him?

So, will the hurricane hit your area? Will it be devastating to your community?  Will it be life threatening to you or your family? If it is, will you be ready to meet your Maker?

You will not be able to say that you have not been warned!

Evangelism and Boundaries

I don't know what you think of when you hear the word 'evangelism'. The word originally means, 'Gospel' or 'good news'. Here is CARM's definition of evangelism:
The English word, “evangelism,” comes from the Greek word euaggelion. Most literally translated in the noun form, euaggelion means: “gospel” or “good news.” In the verb form (euaggelizesthai), the meaning of the word changes slightly to “announce” or “bring good news.” The Greek word in its various forms appears fifty-five times in the New Testament. In addition to the before-mentioned translations, the Greek word is also translated as “preach.”*

"The message of the Gospel is something worth sharing and telling others about. In fact, we are commanded in the Bible to do the work of evangelism. ".. and he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15 ESV). 

But what happens when people think we are harassing them? Sometimes, they see us and they try to avoid us. Why would they do this? I think, many times, they have either had an encounter with a Jehovah's Witness or Mormon. But they may have had a pushy relative or friend who was trying to share the true Gospel with them. Or, they may have seen an open air worker spouting out hatred toward sinners. Who knows?

When do we violate the boundaries of others when it comes to doing evangelism? I remember a time when we were out as a group with some in the church who wanted to branch out and talk to people about the Gospel message. One young man from our group offered a tract to a lady sitting on a bench. She was irate and accused the young man of harassing her. She informed us that he was the fourth person who tried to give her a tract that morning. Was she truly being harassed or was this just a simple oversight by someone who was trying to kindly share the Gospel with her should she have been open to listening?

We have to keep a couple of things in mind when we are doing the work of evangelism, whether it be just giving out tracts or trying to talk to people about the Gospel message. 

First, we have to set a new standard. God does not force Himself on people. That is how the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons operate. They us pressure to try to get people into their churches. Sadly, many Christians do the same thing. Sometimes, new believers are excited about their new relationship with the Lord, and haven't grown enough to bear the fruit of self-control, so they, in their zeal and genuine love for God try to pressure family members and friends to respond to the Gospel. We have to learn that salvation is a work of God, and God is the one Who makes the meaning of the Gospel real to people. We are to proclaim it, whenever we can, but we cannot pressure people into making a decision to follow the Lord. We will scare people off if we come at them making them feel pressure to respond to God. On the other hand, people can be under God's conviction and misunderstand by reacting to us in irritation and falsely accusing us of pressuring them to be 'religious'. It takes a skill to know when we are doing the pressuring or when God is doing the convicting.

Second, if a person indicates that they do not want a tract, I don't pressure them to take one. If a person knows that I am going to share the Gospel with them, and they turn away, I do not try to make them listen. What I want to do is leave them with something to let them know that I care and that their eternity is at stake, but I haven't yet come up with a good way to do this without sounding like I have to be the one to have the last word in this disagreement we are having. I have to learn to let them spew their anger and walk away, knowing that God can still do His work without my having to be there to share the Gospel with them. Many already know that they are running away from God, but I do not have to re-emphasize what they are doing wrong. 

So, when do I cross a person's boundaries? I would guess that if he or she says 'no' to taking a tract, if I keep trying to get him or her to take it. Or if I keep pressing to have a conversation with someone who wants to have the final say in our discussion about eternity. Having said this, I will say that there are people who will walk away or indicate that they do no want to talk about the Gospel, only to come back and ask questions or even try to argue. That is ok, and it is ok to follow up with that. They are probably curious but not sure they can trust the evangelist at this point. Possibly they want to hear more, but are making it clear that they have boundaries that they do not want others to cross over. We should respect their boundaries. God never forces us to respond to Him. We have to represent God accurately to people. When we properly do this, they will listen. They might not come to Christ, and they might still argue or try to harm us, but if we are not crossing their boundaries, they are the ones responsible for their own actions.

May God give us words to say to people, and may He give us the grace as we interact with people, as well as wisdom to know when to press in and when to back off. May God fill our hearts with His love for the lost. 

*https://carm.org/what-is-evangelism

What Is The One Thing That You Can't Do In Heaven?

What is the one thing that you and I won't be able to do when we are in heaven? Yes, I know what you are thinking, and the answer is correct, but it is not the answer that the title of this book is asking.
There will be no sin in heaven, but there will be something else that is missing? It is something that we only can do something about while we are living on this side of eternity.

Think again. When you are in heaven, assuming you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord/Savior, there will be a large group of people who will not be there. Only While we are on earth, today, we will  have the opportunity to minister to these people.

One day, you will not be here anymore. Your opportunity to make an impact for the Kingdom of God, here on earth, will be over. There will not be any lost people in heaven.




This book talks about the one thing you won't be able to do in heaven. In heaven, there will be total worship. But in heaven, there will not be any lost people to evangelize. Every day of our lives counts while we are here on earth. Today could be your last day here. What are you going to do about it?

Turning A Difficult Situation Into Triumph

  Last year, our church did a float in the Christmas parade. God had put this on my heart to do this for a long time, and now it came to pass.

  We had a group of people, and I made a Facebook event page for us to keep everyone abreast of the latest parade news and any updates I had. It proved to be a helpful tool for us to communicate what we were all doing with our involvement in the parade.

   As soon as the parade was over, I made a new Facebook page, with a similar name, but a different date. Throughout the year, we have come together on the page and shared our ideas and thoughts. This went well for a long time, but, something very strange happened.

   I know God has a sense of humor and for a couple of days, I did not see anything humorous in this 'adventure' I found myself in. I never asked for this to happen, and it happened suddenly, without a whole lot of warning.

   Last year, we had about 50 people who were involved in the parade. I don't think all 50 came out the day of the parade. Some just helped. But, the number at the most, was 50, well maybe a little over. But, a couple of days ago, the number of people joining us for the parade event on Facebook is a thousand.

   What are we going to do? Do these people know we are a group with Metro Life Church of Casselberry? Do they share our vision of communicating the Gospel and making God's name known to all? What was I going to do with all these people? What if they all showed up the morning of the parade, thinking they are part of our group?

   I put out some clarification posts, defining what we are doing. The number went from a little under 300 'joiners' last week to 1K in a couple of days. I want people to communicate with me and tell me why they are joining our event.

   A couple of people wanted to have their groups in the parade and thought they could join us. Others thought they could just join our group, not understanding why we were going to be in the parade. It was definitely an interesting experience. We started having spammer post their ads. Some of the people felt sorry for me and were trying to help me figure out how we could make this a private event (which we never could figure out how to do).

   Then the angry posts started coming. One lady demanded that I stop sending her notifications. I had noticed that several people whom I did not even know, were sharing the event and tagging their friends. I posted a message telling people to not share this event. It didn't do much but make people angry. Some of the people posted and asked me to delete their names. I couldn't. There was no delete feature to use.

   I was so tired because I only slept 3 hours the night before. We went to a class at church that evening when suddenly, a light came on for me. I was thinking of what I could say in my next post to the group. I was coming up with the words to say when I was rehearsing the Gospel message in it. I don't know if it was habit for my thinking to be like that, or, if it were the Lord telling me what to write. It fit so perfectly.

   I have to admit, I was angry during the day. How much more work was this going to involve? I am sure it showed up in my posts too. But something interesting happened. When I saw the email from the woman demanding me to stop sending her notifications, all I could think of was, 'what a dumb person. She joined the event page. Why is she complaining to me about the notifications?'. But when I responded to her, I felt no anger and I was able to graciously help her to delete herself from the group.

   A couple of people said they were going to delete themselves. One person added that she was going to go to the parade but now she did not feel welcome. So, something that started out as a good idea that would serve us as a group, was now making people angry.

   But now, the tables are being turned. Some people suggested that I delete the FB event page and start a new one. I probably would have done that if the parade were a couple of months away, or more, but since it is around the corner, I will just keep it for now.

   I am going to make all the joiners feel welcome. I will accommodate their desires (as much as possible). I am giving them instructions on where to park and even making them feel like they are part of us. Then, at the right time, I will bring in the Gospel message.

   I have been praying for all those who have joined the group. May God open their eyes and help them to see Him. And may they learn of the true meaning of Christmas this year.

   Maybe they will receive the best Christmas present ever! Let's pray for them to respond to the Gospel in repentance and faith!

  And who knows? Maybe this is the only time they would ever hear the Gospel? Maybe this is God's way of bringing it to them?

Pulling Teeth Makes False Converts

"If you have to pull someone's teeth to get them to respond to the Gospel, then they aren't ready to respond to the Gospel".

People have to be hungry for God, in order for them to respond to Him in repentance and faith. We can reason with people from the Scriptures all day and night (and we should be doing that), but unless there is a genuine hunger for God, the person will only become a false convert, at best.

Pulling teeth, or trying to make something happen that is hard, is a form of manipulation. It is trying to do the work that only God can do in a person's heart. No amount of begging or pressuring will work in getting people to respond to the Gospel. Not with genuine results, anyway.

There are a lot of different responses I get from people when sharing the Gospel. Some will have nothing to do with it, and they may even rebuke me harshly. Others seem interested, but not enough to make a commitment. There are some though, who really are interested and will most likely respond when their hearts are fully prepared to receive the Gospel.

If there is not a hunger there, then we really could be trying to 'shove God down their throats'. Of course, ultimately, it is their responsibility to respond to God and sharing the truths of the Gospel is not necessarily 'shoving God down their throats'. We could be force-feeding them something they find repulsive.

The Bible says that we will find God when we search for Him with 'all our hearts'. Receiving salvation is not a half-hearted thing. We receive all of God, and everything that entails that, or, we do not receive God at all. We don't add God to our lives. We die to our selfishness and let go of sin, then we receive from God.

The next time we go out evangelizing, let's go where the fish are biting. I like this quote and it makes a lot of sense: You can bring a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it. Another good one is, "I am just one beggar telling other beggars where to find bread". That one is good because it ties in with what I am saying. If the other beggars are hungry, they will go to the bread and eat it. If people are hungry for God, they will respond to Him. It takes a work of God in a person's heart for him or her to be hungry for God. No one searches after God unless God makes that heart ready.

You and I cannot make a person hungry for God, but sometimes we can whet their appetite by sharing the good news of the Gospel and teaching the truths of God to others.

My Vision of Sowing And Reaping

  There was a time when I wanted to do it all. I would loved to have had the privilege to share the Gospel with someone and lead Him or her to the Lord. But how does God work in all that?

   We know the Bible says that one sows and another reaps, but God gives the harvest. God is the One who initiates the work in someone's heart to hear the Gospel. Many times, we share the Gospel with a person who is resistant and has a hard heart. It can be very discouraging unless we understand that, at one time, we all had hardened hearts to the Gospel. We resisted God when we heard the words of truth. But, somehow, God continued to work and we came to Christ, in spite of our resistance to Him.

   Sometimes, when we attempt to share the Gospel with someone, that person is hard. But, there are times when the person's heart will soften if he or she continues to listen to the voice of truth. Many times, people take home the message we tried to share with them, but were not able to because of their resistance to us.

   God uses His word to soften hearts. Then, another person comes along and shares some more Gospel truth with the person. Eventually, the person's heart is prepared to hear the Gospel message and it is gladly received. God had prepared the person's heart and used His word to soften their hearts.

  You might be the third person to share the Gospel message with someone. Or maybe, you just prayed for someone to get well and they were ministered to. The next time a person talks to the person you just prayed for, he or she will be more open to hearing the Gospel.

   If every person who has called upon the name of the Lord were to share the Gospel with people and demonstrate the Gospel with their lives, people on the outside would have no excuse for their rejection of the Gospel message. If the person has 6 or 7 seeds sown into him or her, the Gospel can take root as God works in that person's heart.

   The other day, I was at a restaurant, and as we were coming out, there was a family there, three women and one man (not sure how they were all related). Somehow, my friend was talking with them and they were explaining that the man was sick and was going to have his gall bladder removed. I tossed the idea around of offering to pray for him, but was not sure I should do that. As I continued to think about it, I decided to ask if he wanted prayer, which he said he did. They all seemed happy that I would pray for the man. So I did.

   I did not however, have the opportunity to share the Gospel with him. But, perhaps someone else will. If more than 2% of the people who know the Lord would share the Gospel, then there would be a greater chance of this family hearing the Gospel message.

   Sometimes when we sow seeds, it doesn't look like anything is happening. This was the case of Frank Jenner, who lived in Sydney, Australia. Jenner was radically saved while in the navy, and made a decision of giving tracts out every day to people on George Street, which was in downtown Sydney. Jenner did this for years, but never saw any results.

   A pastor who lived in England heard several testimonies of people who had gotten saved because a man in Australia gave out tracts to them on George Street. The man would ask the question, 'If you were to die tonight, are you 100% sure you would go to heaven?' Many were disturbed at his question. Some took the tracts. Others rejected the tracts. Frank Jenner never knew the results of his tract distribution until he was elderly. The pastor from England was so intrigued by so many coming to Christ because a man on George Street in Sidney Australia gave them a tract. So, while he was visiting Australia, he decided if he could track this man down.

    The pastor from London found out that the man's name was Frank Jenner. He found his address and stopped in. He told Frank Jenner of all the people who came to know the Lord because of his tracts and questions to them. Frank Jenner was surprised, of course. He found out this information not too long before he died and left this life behind.

   But my point about Frank Jenner is this; Although Frank Jenner passed out many tracts and asked many the pointed question, those who came to Christ because of his giving them a tract, did not respond to the Gospel by going back to Australia to find Frank Jenner and ask him questions. Instead, these people who responded to the Gospel, responded by finding a trusted, Christian friend or pastor to help lead him or her to Christ. This is where sowing and reaping come in.

    Sometimes, you and I will be those who sow the seeds. We might just pray for someone. Or, we might even share the Gospel with someone, or give out a tract. Then, someone else comes along and shares the Gospel or ministers to that person. That is why we pray for laborers to be raised up. We want the number of people in churches who are sharing the Gospel to be more than 2%. If we had a vision for this, I think many more will hear the Gospel and come to Christ. Are we up for this? Can we handle the challenge? It will be worth all the work involved. The results will be eternal, and many will be eternally grateful.

My Unplanned Experience Of Being In A French Culture

   We got ready to go to Canada for a business trip my husband was taking. I went along for the ride this time and planned out all I was going to do. Among the many things I planned was to bring some tracts. Of course, going to this part of Canada would not be the same as going to Maine or to Boston, where people are everywhere. In fact, I was very surprised and the surprise started on the plane trip to Canada.

  We were going to a place called, 'La Malbaie' somewhere in Quebec. I already knew that people in Canada spoke both English and French, but I didn't realize just how much French there would be. And, of course, I was not prepared.

  The lady who hosted us on the plane (Air Canada) spoke French. She could speak English, but was much more natural at French.

  I, of course, never studied French. I learned a few words from watching 'Madeline', a cartoon for little girls that had good morals. Other than that, I may as well have been in Greece or China.
 
  Before I left, I was sure I had some French tracts, but I searched my tract box and never found them. I found some Spanish ones, but that is not the same as French. How could I have better prepared for this event?

  The only English speaking people around were the ones from the work group. There were a few other people staying at the hotel or eating in the restaurants who spoke English, but most of the people visiting the hotels and restaurants were even French speaking.

   Suddenly, about the third day into this trip, I got a bright idea. Since we had internet access, I decided to go to Bible Gateway and look up some verses from the French version of the Bible. There were four different French versions and I don't know if any of them are preferable, so I used the top one. I copied and pasted the verses and saved them to a file, and intended to write them on paper and put them in places where I would have put tracts.

   But here is even a better idea: I went to Larry Kent's tract page, because I know he has tracts made in foreign languages. I found one in French, so I downloaded it. Then I copied an excerpt from it onto paper. This is the best way to make a simple tract when you don't know how to speak the language and don't have tracts with you that are in the target language.

  The hotel provided a writing tablet which I used to write the message on. Quite an experience writing words I have never seen before. God's word will never return void, and will accomplish its goal even on a small piece of paper.


   If I ever go to Canada again, I will prepare better. I will order some French tracts from Living Waters and also print out some of the French tracts from http://www.tracts.com/LKFrench.pdf

   Thank you Larry Kent for making this tract available at the moment I needed it. It wasn't the same as printing the tracts off, but it was definitely better than giving up because I don't know the language and didn't have any tracts with me that were in French.

Garage Sale Evangelism

We have an opportunity here in our subdivision twice a year, to do a garage sale. I am not a garage sale type of person, nor do I buy things normally, that I change my mind about, but, I find that having garage sales can be a good way to promote the Gospel message.

   My daughters have a lot of stuff to sell, so they usually do the garage sale at our house. I don't have much to sell, but I do make loaves of cinnamon bread to sell, in order to bring in some pocket change for me. One man came back yesterday to our garage sale, because he remembered the bread, and more specifically, the bread that I put the raisins in! I also made cookies and they sold like hot cakes!

   I am not into baking food that is not good for us anymore, but, I know that those who go to garage sales enjoy the loaves and cookies, so I will make those specifically at this time. Of course, I will use the very best ingredients I can find, for what I am making and for the audience I am baking for.

   But, even more importantly, we have a table of free items we give out. On this table we give out New Testaments, toys imprinted with Scriptures and/or a Gospel message, books, and tracts. One other interesting thing I have done is to print out a copy of a poem called, 'If Jesus Came To Your House' and then laminated it. I display it in a plastic frame and for the past two garage sales, people have wanted this picture/poem (they even wanted the plastic frame!).

   Many people thank me for offering the stuff on this table. They are grateful for what I put out. I have not yet heard anyone be antagonistic about it, and I don't try to make people take anything from the table. If they don't want it, I just leave them alone.

   The table is a great way to start conversations with people. Yesterday, a man came by who was part of some kind of benevolence ministry. He seemed familiar with the Gospel, yet, he himself was not part of any church. I met a young woman who was familiar with the Gospel and we talked for a long time. I got to meet her and we became friends. Many took the toys home. I have a sign that tells the people to take only one toy per person, but I see many take quite a few home with them. The toys have urls on them for people to go to. The beach balls are a favorite, and they go quickly. Imprinted on them are the words 'What Can Wash Away My Sin?' and on the other side 'Nothing But The Blood of Jesus!' www.thegoodtest.net

   I put out 3 'Evidence Bible' New Testaments and they were gone by the time I cleaned up. The wind has a way of blowing the tracts around, but people loved them as well. Many were fascinated with the 'Giant Money' tracts and took them home as if they were souvenirs.

   My husband compiled a book as well, and some of those were taken. This book ministers to a certain group of people and brings the hope of the Gospel to those who are grieving. Here is the book sold on amazon

One time, we had a woman who wanted several copies to hand out to some women at a ladies meeting.
We have given several to friends as well.

   At a former garage sale, we saw something funny. Sometimes, I would get irritated at the thought of what happened. It was at my daughter's house, and we had the basket of beach balls on the sidewalk because they did not seem to get noticed by many (this was before we decided to do a 'free table'). It was time for us to start cleaning everything up because the time had come for the garage sale to be over. In the basket there were 6 beach balls left. A van pulled up and parked, and a man got out and took all the beach balls and brought them back to the van. He did not look at anything else in the garage sale that was being offered. I imagine he took the beach balls to try to resell them and make money off them, since they were free to take. But even if he did do that, the message of the beach balls was spread to whoever the recipients were, whether they were sold to them, or just given away.

   Yesterday, a man who didn't speak very good English came up and took some items from the table. He wanted to take an assortment because he believed in the message and wanted others who either lived in his house or were close to him to see the message imprinted on the toys. He also took a copy of the poem and another sign I had made with a message on it. He seemed to indicate the everything on the 'free table' was a very good idea.

   All we can do now is pray that God's word will penetrate the hearts of the people who took the items. Who knows, maybe some of them, like the man who came back for the loaves of bread, will come back because they are hungry for God's word? Maybe they will come back with questions and wanting to know more. Or, perhaps God will work in their hearts and send someone else to share the Gospel message with them. Maybe their time will come for salvation, and the literature and items on the free table will have had a part in playing a role in their coming to Christ. Only eternity will reveal the impact of what God will do when His word is displayed for others to receive.

 " I planted. Someone else watered. But God is the One who made it grow."*
All we can do is sow seeds and water them. God is the One who activates His word in a person's heart. He makes the word come alive. He gives life and makes things grow.

* Taken from 1 Corinthians 3:6

Evangelism In NYC/Salvation In A Person Not A Formula

Evangelism doesn't seem like something a person would do while on a trip celebrating their wedding anniversary, does it? Well, maybe it can happen anyway.

One thing I have been thinking about lately, is our understanding of evangelism. We tend to think of it as some kind of separate activity in our lives, kind of like an extra-curricula activity. We know it is important and we really don't want people to have to be under God's judgment on That Day. But there seems to be a missing component, at least that is the way it seems to me.

When I came to Christ, God used many different means to reach me. One of the most effective ways was by placing me in front of a girl in my class, whose last name had the same first two letters as mine did. God was already preparing my heart to come to know Him, and I had rebelled against Him, and wanted to do my own thing. But by this time in my life, I was ready to hear what the Gospel really was.

The girl who sat behind me told me things I had never heard or imagined. She talked about the Lord as if He were a person right in the same room as we were. She didn't go through the Romans Road with me. She didn't take me through the 4 Spiritual Laws. She just talked about the greatness of God and her love for Him. It just seemed natural.

I am grateful for all the evangelism courses I have been through and learned from. But I wonder how much is necessary if you have the gist of what the Gospel means. I think the courses and books have been helpful, but I also know that if we are not walking with the Lord, they just become a set of rules that we are obligated to give out to others so they won't go to hell.

I wrote all that to say that, first of all, I think NYC would be a great place to do evangelism. I wish I could have met every person I saw, and I saw lots and lots and lots of people there. Many foreigners were there as well. My ancestors came into NYC. I wonder if anyone ever shared the Gospel with them? I wonder if perhaps they knew the Lord?

Well, it was easy to lay a tract in each restroom I visited, for there were many. But what could I say about God to others that would help me to have an open door to communicate the Gospel?

We had a tour guide, and a tour driver for two days. We loved our tour guide. She was very personable and had a good sense of humor. She seemed to have some kind of spiritual thinking, but it didn't seem like the Gospel was there. At one point, I was able to explain some things about the book, "The Cross and the Switchblade" (David Wilkerson). Whenever I tell the stories from this book, people seem intrigued. I guess there is so much God did, and I could pull a million stories out from this one book, and make several spiritual applications as well. As I was explaining what God was doing, the tour guide wrote down the name of the book. I thought that was pretty cool.

At the end of the first day, the tour guide got a sudden headache. She explained a little bit about it. The thought came to my mind that I could pray for her. How would she react? I had a feeling that she would have been fine with it. When we got to our hotel and got out of the car, I asked if I could pray for her headache, to which she replied that I could. We gathered and prayed a little prayer for that.

  Nothing was said the next day, and we had a big day planned. We went to all kinds of places and then the day was over, as far as our touring would be concerned. We were brought back to the hotel and we said our good-byes to the driver and the tour guide. She seemed affected by our time together and getting to know us for those two days. I gave her my email address and would hope that she would write to me sometime.

  I got the email today, and it was a very nice one. She enjoyed the time we had together and was sorry she could not have written sooner. At the end, she told me that the prayer I prayed worked.

  I have not gotten yet to communicate the Gospel to her, but will keep in touch with her and I will trust God for an open door to minister the Gospel to her.

  Please pray for this lady. Pray for her heart to be open to the Gospel and pray that she will have eyes to see God with.

   You might be asking, what does this have to do with what I wrote about at the top of this article? What I have learned is, and you probably have heard this many times, that we are not giving people a formula to get to heaven with. Salvation is not a formula for us to follow so we can skip hell. Salvation is a person, and lost people need to meet this Person. We can know the Bible inside and out, and we should be that familiar with the Scriptures, but I think we neglect the relationship aspect of our salvation. We are not sharing the Gospel with people because our relationship with God is growing and God is becoming more real to us. My friend, the girl who sat behind me in class, did not give me a formula to follow in order for me to have what she has. She was just exuberant about God being in her and with her. She was in awe of who God is. I don't remember her asking me too many questions, but one of them was, 'Don't you just love Him?' At first, it seemed strange because I never looked at God that way. I looked at God as a distant being and if we were going to reach Him, we would have to know the formula, whatever that was about.

I think we need to communicate God as a God who is personal, and we need to be communicating Bible truths about Him, bringing in His character. Then when we talk about the Gospel with the people we have been sharing with already, it will make more sense to them.

One more word: I personally think most Christians are Pelagian, meaning that we first of all, don't see our sin as a heart issue. We see sin as a choice issue. Second, we have this same expectation out of others. We think they need to pull up their bootstraps and get right with God in order to be saved. Pelagians tend to think of God as distant, and if they make the wrong move, they will be under God's judgment. What I fear most, is that the whole concept of having a relationship with God is very foreign to many Christians today. The reason why is twofold; many do not think they are as sinful as they are, and they have no understanding of God's mercy and grace. They do not understand the power of the Cross, not only to cleanse us from sin, but also to break the bonds of the yoke of sin over us.

   This is why I believe many go about preaching/sharing/evangelizing with a formula mentality. Sure, the lost person needs to understand that he or she has sinned seriously before a holy God. But we have to remember that salvation is God's word. We do the loving, sowing, and praying. God does the work in the heart.

Lots of people in NYC. A great place to do
evangelism

Every one of those people needs to hear the Gospel. Who
will reach them?

How Not To Do Evangelism - Tell The Whole Story

I am full of blog ideas and would love to spend the next 6-8 hours blogging, but living in a real world makes that impossible. So, I will do one that is on my heart at this moment.

I would ask my readers to please pray for me to be able to briefly communicate the things I am trying to say. No one wants to spend all afternoon trying to get through a blog, and I certainly need help in learning how to communicate better!

This thought I have now, I am still sorting through. I remember learning something important from Living Waters while watching the videos on 'The Way of The Master'. Kirk and Ray were good at pointing out the fact that a foundation of understanding needs to be laid out before the people can actually grasp the Gospel message. I have heard this from others as well. For example, to just tell people that 'Jesus saves' will have no meaning to most people. We have to keep in mind that the majority of the people around us have never heard the Gospel message before. Many do not know who Jesus is, and most do not fear God because they do not understand that God is bigger than they are and God is holy and we will all be accountable to Him one day.

I am surprised at the number of people who have never heard of the 10 Commandments. Our job is to educate them. It is not our job to judge them and assume that they are in total rebellion against God, while we have arrived. Yes, they are in rebellion against God. But, would they repent if they hear the Gospel and it actually made sense to them? I think some would. But they need to hear the whole story, not just phrases or instructions to repent.

Greg Koukl tells of a story when he was a young man trying to tell the Gospel to someone. Greg told the other man that 'Jesus died for you'. The other man responded by saying, 'I'm sorry.' The man obviously had no clue of what the Gospel meant or why Jesus died for him.

But we get out there, so many times, like John the Baptist, and order people to repent. Do these people even know what 'repent' means? Are they being convicted by God for their sins, and do they see their need for a Savior? Perhaps they do, but most probably, they have no idea what you are talking about.

Maybe the best way to educate people is to just preach the Gospel to them. Depending upon the amount of time I have, I like to start in the book of Genesis when sharing the Gospel. When we go through the Old Testament and start explaining about Jesus' life and death, as well as resurrection, the Gospel makes sense to people most of the time. But if I were to skip all that and just tell people to repent and trust in Jesus, they would probably either look at me like I was speaking Greek or they would get angry with me because they would assume I am beating them over the head with the Bible.

So, next time you are out there evangelizing, keep this in mind. There is a lot of undoing/unlearning that we will have to do when teaching or reteaching people the Gospel. Each person has their own baggage, filters, experiences, that he or she will relate when hearing key words of the Gospel, and we will have to help them to see the bigger picture. Of course, only the Holy Spirit can help them grasp the Gospel message, but we can speak the words of life to them and God will make those words alive in their hearts should they respond.

Tracts That Really Touch People

   Most of the time, I give out the same tract to people. The reason I feel comfortable giving this tract out is because I can tell the people that I am giving the tract to, that the tract has a fun quiz on it (my nephew told me to use the word 'fun' before the word 'quiz').

   At Christmas time, I have some tracts made up by a friend who gives his tracts out at Christmas parades. So, instead of using my tract with the 'fun quiz' on it, I give this Christmas tract out. I like the Christmas tract because you can use it as a post card. Instead of making the person feel like the tract is directed toward him or her, I tell them that they can send the 'card' to their friend in California (I did this one time, and the person responded by saying, "How did you know I have a friend in California?"). The tract is a post card with the Gospel message on it. How clever!

  I was in Costco today, and when all my groceries and items were being paid for, I gave the woman one of these postcard tracts. I have to admit, I was not going to give her one, because I was thinking in the back of my mind that she already rejected my tracts before. There were one or two women cashiers who had rejected the tract, and I didn't want to bother with the rejection because it seems so awkward when you know that they know that it is a tract and they don't want to take it. Anyway, I did give it to her and to the other lady who was kind of like a bag boy, except that Costco does not use bags.

   The lady took the tract and was really touched. She thanked me several times and looked like she was going to cry. I don't know how much of the tract she was able to read in that short amount of time, but it was enough for her to appreciate receiving the Christmas postcard tract.

   I'm glad I did not listen to the voice in my mind telling me that she had rejected a tract before and not to bother with her. I pray that God touches her and by His grace reaches her with His love and mercy. Perhaps she is already one who has trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, but maybe became distant. Only God knows what is going on inside and His word will accomplish its goal in people's lives. That's why we need to be doing evangelism and promoting God's word wherever we go. How else will a dark and dying world ever understand the Gospel or see their need for a Savior?

"The People who have been living in darkness have seen a great light. A light has dawned on those who lived in the region and shadow of death." Matthew 4:16
"Jesus said to them, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will no longer walk in darkness but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Update: I Have A Dream - I Have A Dream And You Are In It - Dream Fulfilled On December 6th, 2014

Fourteen months ago I wrote a blog on a dream I had (a vision or strong desire for something to happen). But my dream would have to be shared with other people who would participate in order for it to come to pass. So, I wrote my blog explaining my dream. On October 26th, 2013, I wrote this blog:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2013

I Have A Dream

  I have a dream. Some of you are in my dream. Don't be afraid, because it is a good dream. I think we can do this if we have enough other people who dream like I do.
  Want to know what my dream is? It's simple. I have a dream that a group of us could be in a parade one day. A Christmas parade would be ideal. We would be wearing either  T-Shirts or long sleeved shirts, depending upon the weather, that would be in the colors to match the wordless book. You can see a description of what the colors mean by going to my blog at: The Colorful Story
  Basically, gold stands for God, and the gold streets of heaven. Black reminds us of sin, a dirty heart because of our selfishness. Red stands for the blood of Jesus Christ, who died to take away our sin and to cleanse our hearts. White stands for a cleanse heart, and green stands for growing things. We want to be spiritually healthy after we come to Christ and are born again into the family of God.
   We could have some type of music. A good song would be 'Mary Did You Know?'. Perhaps it could be on an I-Pad carried by someone, or maybe a child could be pulling a wagon with the radio or cd player on it.
  Another idea would be to be carrying helium balloons that will be in the matching colors as well. But the most fun thing we can do is to toss beach balls to the bystanders. The beach balls will have the Gospel message on them. There are many other things we can add to this parade idea that is my dream.
   Getting into a parade is not hard, but you have to register early in the year.
  This is my dream. Children can be involved also. We can glorify God in the parade and make His name known to a lost and dying world as we go down the street with the rest of the floats. Something to think about.

        Today, this dream has been fulfilled. Or actually, I should say is being fulfilled for it is more than a one time event. There are a few things I want to accomplish in my lifetime, and two of them are; evangelism and being in a parade. 

   The evangelism part is being fulfilled to some degree, but what if I could combine evangelism and being in a parade together? We could sow a lot of Gospel seeds because the crowds are large and kids are eager to receive items. We are eager to give items out. How else could we better celebrate a holiday than to give out items that people enjoy and at the same time communicate the Gospel message? Would this ever be possible though? 

   When I would mention this to people, either people didn't hear me (which is very possible because of my soft voice) or they never read my blogs (which also is possible, because people today don't like to read and don't have time to read blogs). I would need at least 10 people who wanted to be in a parade. Now it was on hold because no one responded to my dream request. That's ok, because God knows about it, and if He put it into my heart, He will bring it to pass. 

   My friend posted a picture of a Christian float in a Christmas parade (about a month or so after I wrote my blog) and she believed that this was a great way to glorify God. She was in awe of this float, so I suggested we do a parade, to which she agreed to. So we talked to our husbands and to our church leaders and everyone was fine with it. Could we get at least 10 people though who would join us? 

   I asked around and got a lot of interested people respond. I also had to contact the Chamber of Commerce to find out how to get in. A lot of work had to be done up front, to make sure we could get into the parade. My husband was very supportive of the idea, and helped do the really hard physical work. Should we have a float? What should we give away? Where do we get banners made up from? Should we have T-Shirts with graphics or just matching clothes? What should be the theme of the float? What would we do for music? What should we call ourselves? I'm glad we tackled each of these questions we were asking ourselves, one at a time. 

    By the time August came around, I recontacted the Chamber of Commerce to make sure I didn't miss anything. I received a registration form from them and promptly turned it in, as soon as the announcement was made that registration was open. We had T-Shirts made up from a company in California, with a graphic designed by a woman in our church. We had all 5 banners designed by a man in our church, and another man gladly lent us his truck and flatbed to use, which we decorated as well as we could. I had balloons printed up with Gospel messages on them, as well as stickers, DVDs from Voice of the Martyrs, lollipops with stickers (homemade graphics with Gospel points on them), Candy Cane Legend cards laminated with candy canes taped on them, frisbies with a Bible verse and church info on them, and a few other items. We made over 3,000 items each with a Gospel point or Bible verse on them. Now the question was, would my application for the parade get accepted?

    It was October 31st, and I hadn't heard back from the parade committee yet. They said in the letter that if we were accepted, we would hear by November 3rd. October 31 was on a Friday. They don't work over the weekends. What if Monday comes (November 3rd) and I still don't hear? They said the applicants who don't get accepted will have their money returned. Should I just wait now for a returned check? It was a very sad weekend indeed, realizing the possibility of not being accepted in the parade, after all the work we had now put into it. How would I tell the people who were excited about the parade, about this inevitable rejection, that I was sure would come on Monday or sometime this week? Would there be any alternative parades to go to? 

    By Sunday evening, November 2nd, I found another parade. The person I wrote to was very accommodating as well, and welcomed me to sign up for it. I found the form online and filled it out, but on Monday I would wait for the rejection letter before I clicked it on (just to make sure we really were rejected). I had the page open, the form filled out, and was going through my email, and found the letter I assumed would be the rejection letter. I opened it up and it said, "Congratulations. You have been accepted to participate in the 62nd annual parade". Well, I guess I didn't need to find out about another parade after all.

    The following weeks, we worked with full force on making the give away items and also the float. It cost a lot of money but God provided it for us. God gave me wisdom to know what to have imprinted on every item and banner. Everything turned out great! Now, for the big day, Saturday, December 6th, 2014.

  

    The rain forecast last week was 40% chance of rain for that day.  But, we prayed and the day before the parade, the rain chance was about 0%. But all did not look well. It started raining the night before. It continued to rain and at 5:30 am, when I got up, it was still raining. All I could think of was that the parade would probably be called off unless the rain stopped. I was thinking about the saying, 'Rain before 7, stops by 11" although we know that it doesn't always work out that way. And even if it did, it would have to stop around 8:30 when all the floats are setting up. My remote on the television didn't work, so I went to the Weather Channel on the internet, and saw that the rains were definitely just scattered rains, not big storms coming in. Still, there were dark green spots inside of the green areas of rain. Why was there rain only over the area where I lived and where the parade was going to be? Everywhere else, it looked clear. But the forecast said that it would clear out. 

    On the way to the parade, it was still raining. I was thinking that possibly the phone would ring and someone would call to say that the parade was cancelled, but that didn't happen. By the time we arrive, the rain almost was ended. 

     I must say, this was a very good day. Almost everything fell in place. I prayed for us to have God's favor, and the favor of the parade committee and the people. The people who were in the crowds were very receptive to our give aways. Many thanked us, even though everything was happening so quickly. Many knew what we were about, and we could tell by how they responded to us. One person liked my T-Shirt. I hope we made a hit and will be able to do this again next year, Lord willing. 

Prayer before the parade

   Most of the parades we have done, have been done outside of the parade. We just go and hand out tracts to people. After a while, some people know what the tracts are and don't want them. But when you are in a parade, you have freedom to give things out to people and they seem to be more receptive. 

The Introduction of our parade

   We pray many will be affected for eternity by encountering some part of the Gospel message and as the word of God was given out. We don't know how God will work, but we know He initiated this idea. Our number in the order of the parade was 77. May God's word minister to people and I pray for those who are seeking a church to come to the one we are part of. 

   As much as we hope and believe others have been ministered to, I believe God wants to minister to those of us who participated in this parade. We think it was for 'them', and it was. But it is also for us. God will use this to build faith in us, and to help us come out of our shells a little more. We will become a little bit bolder in sharing the Gospel and standing up for the truth when it is challenged. We will grow together a little bit more as a body of related believers. We will see how easy it is to 'sow seeds' for others. We will also see how much we need to depend upon God for everything, especially in doing the things He has called us to do. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

                                           

Praying at the very end of the parade.

                                          

May God's Presence always be with us, when we are in a parade, or wherever we are. May God's Spirit work in the hearts of those who received the items and as the seeds were sown. May God sow His word in many hearts today.