Everyday Evangelism - Evangelizing Around the Security Guards

    Today started out as a usual day. I prayed God would hold off the rain so we could go to Blanchard Park and do evangelism. There were going to be four or five of us altogether.
   We prayed when we got out there. It wasn't overly crowded but there were a few people to talk to. I brought my beach balls, maracas, frisbies, and crayons and had them in a big laundry bag in a cart. As I would see kids and teens, I would give them out to them.
  The weather was beautiful and we were walking on the bike path. One of our guys started a conversation with a man on a bike, when the security guys in their golf carts came by to let him know that he was not allowed to be soliciting. After about five minutes of reasoning, it looked like Steven was able to help them see that we really were allowed to do what we were doing.
   Not too long after that, Richard was over by the river talking with a man named Malcolm. So we were just hanging around and talking with people we would meet. Daniel was throwing a basketball to some kids and I was coming back from talking with a young man and his step sister, when, another golf cart came our way. This time, the man identified himself as 'Ed' and he was trying to convince Steven (poor Steven, not again!) that he was soliciting, and that we were not allowed to do that. We were not allowed, according to this security guard, to pass out tracts and give toys away. Ed continued to argue with Steve and threatened to call the cops. Steven is a very soft spoken person who preaches the Gospel very well, so it is hard to imagine what this conversation looked like. He stated the truth. We had every right to be there since we pay taxes and it was public property. But Ed wouldn't budge. He stuck with his story and said he would call the cops. That would actually have been ok, since we weren't breaking the law. Ed saw my cart and asked whose cart it was, to which I replied 'Mine'. He asked me what I was doing with the items in it. I told him I was giving them away, to which he replied, that I was passing them out. He indicated that I needed to be going to my car and leave. I was angry, not so much because we were preaching the Gospel and someone got angry about it, but I was angry because this man was believing a lie, and asking us to respond to it. First of all, we were not soliciting. We were not asking people for money, or anything else. I was not advertising my business out there. We were giving tracts and toys away to people who would take them, and talk with people who would engage in conversation with us. Ed said that people come to the park to relax, and what we were doing would violate that. Steven managed to get a business card from Ed with the name of Ed's supervisor. He was going to call the supervisor. With that, I left, but let Ed know that this would be dealt with.
    I posted a message on Face Book for people to pray. I am so thankful for my praying friends. We left Steven and Daniel behind talking with Ed. Rich was obscure to Ed because he was still talking to Malcolm, but when Ed found out that another person was part of our group, he wanted to know where Rich was. I got a phone call from Rich because his wife called him when she saw the Face Book post.
   So we were heading to the other side of the park where my car was parked. What would happen? Would the police come? What if they were hostile to the Gospel? Could we be arrested? What about our rights as citizens of a country that is still free? What could I do to respond to this in a godly way?
    I thought about going to the police department, and planned to research to find the one that corresponds with Blanchard Park. Since our rights were being violated, what else could I do?
   When we got to the car, we all prayed. We prayed for Ed. We prayed for the people we talked to. Then Michael got a phone call. It was Steven. Steven was now telling us that he called the supervisor of the park and talked with him. The supervisor apologized for what happened and said that we could go back into the park and give out tracts and talk to people! The only thing he asked is that we don't disturb the people.
    Please pray for Ed. He may be in trouble with his supervisor now. He needs to hear the Gospel. Pray for Malcolm. Also, for a man on roller blades who told Michael that he was not allowed to give out tracts and tried to run after the cops car that was going through the park. Pray for Isabel and the group of kids I talked to. Also, for the other young man and his step sister. I have that conversation on tape. I didn't get their names. And for the man on the bike Steven was talking to.
    There is a place where we can get legal help in situations like this. They are a Christian legal group that has researched the rights of American citizens. I am going to print out the page and bring it with me when I am out doing evangelism. This organization also helps you understand what is meant by 'solicitation' and its variants. Here is the web site address: American Center for Law and Justice . While we have freedoms and rights, we need to use them.
   On a better note, I got to see Justin and gave him a Gospel of John. I met Justin when he was carrying out my bags one day and he was commenting on the tracts. He said that he didn't understand the meaning of the message (the Gospel). So I took some time and went through the Gospel with him. Please pray for him. I hope he contacts me through email and I wish I could get him a regular Bible (he said he didn't have one). I got a Gospel of John when we were at the parade at Christmas time. Pray that God will deal with his heart and help him to understand his need for a Savior.

Everyday Evangelism - Top 10 Myths About Evangelism

   There is a link on the www.proclaimcourse.com web site that takes you to a page entitled 'Top 10 Myths About Evangelism'. I must say, this article is excellent, and if you have a chance, go to the web site and click on the link to read the whole thing (It is not long).
  I was thinking about which one to discuss, and as I read the second myth, it talked about preaching the Gospel without using words (by osmosis). It reminded me of a quote that may have been from Saint Francis of Assisi, 'Preach the Gospel. Use words of necessary.' Well, that could be like saying, 'Feed the hungry. Use food if necessary.' How can you preach something without using words?
  On the other side of the spectrum, the Bible does talk about a woman who has an unsaved husband winning him over to the Lord by her life actions. I would think that the husband probably already knows the Gospel, but hasn't responded yet. He will see the demonstration of the Gospel in the life of his wife.
   I firmly believe that if we are to be preaching the Gospel, we need to be living lives that are demonstrating the Gospel. But demonstrating the Gospel is not the same as preaching the Gospel. We need to have both in our lives.

Myth #2. We can witness by osmosis (i.e. without words)

By definition a witness is “one who testifies.” What if all the “witnesses” in a court trial only answered in mime? As Christians our lives need to be consistent with our words but they are not a substitute for them.

Yes, we need to have a healthy relationship with the True and Living God. We need to be abiding in the Vine. We were appointed to bear much fruit. We need both demonstration and proclamation. We need the power of the Holy Spirit on us/in us to do the work of God.

Here is what we need. If the Apostles needed it, we do too.

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Everyday Evangelism - What Happens When People See God

   I would like to take two different people from the Bible, one from the Old Testament and the other from the New Testament and compare them as they both experience seeing God. They both had a similar, life changing experience. 
  In Isaiah 6, we see Isaiah as he encounters the true and living God. For some reason, he never saw this until this point in his life. First, he has a vivid description of God. He now 'sees' God with eyes he never had before. He sees God in His holiness now. Compare that with the man in the New Testament named Peter. Peter was learning who Jesus was, but suddenly one day, his eyes were opened to something he had not ever seen. 
   After Isaiah saw God, his words were "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." (Isaiah 6:5). Here is what Peter said in Luke 5; "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.". What was it that both Peter and Isaiah saw? They saw the holiness of God. They both also saw their sin.
   Both responses were almost identical. Both Isaiah and Peter immediately saw their sin. They both knew their sin had to be dealt with. In Isaiah, the angel brought hot coals to Isaiah's lips. Jesus told Peter to not be afraid, for he would now be catching men.
   Peter's story goes back to a time when the men were fishing all night. Fishing was Peter's occupation and he depended upon catching fish for his livelihood. Peter was down on his luck, so to speak, and he and his companions did not catch any fish during the night. What a waste of a night! Or was it? What was God going to do to turn this unfortunate night around, and use it for His glory?
       He was going to use Peter's challenging situation to show forth His power in holiness. That is exactly what happened. Peter saw God's holiness when Jesus did what only God can do in a situation like that. And he realized at that moment that he was on holy ground.
   What did those incidences produce in Peter and Isaiah? It produced repentance and faith. They both recognized their sin and God's holiness, and that something needed to be done to fix the problem. 
   Once all of the sin was dealt with, they were both commissioned to preach the Gospel. In Isaiah, God asks the question 'Who shall I send, and who will go for us?'. Isaiah answered, 'Here I am. Send me". (I like verse 8. It has a hint of the Trinity in it). But with Peter, Jesus told him that he would be catching men from that point on. 
   The important thing is that they saw their sin and didn't want it anymore. God dealt with it, then commissioned them to tell the Gospel. This is what should happen in our evangelism. The Bible says that 'Salvation is of the Lord'. God reveals Himself to people, and when that happens, they have new eyes to see Him. Salvation is no longer a formula to follow in order to escape hell. The issue has been dealt with. The people who see God understand that He is so holy, and they are so sinful, and they need help. 
   Notice also, that neither Peter nor Isaiah 'cleaned up their act' before God. They made the mess in the first place, but God cleaned them up as they acknowledged their sin and their need for help.
  Let us pray for those we talk to, that they will have eyes to see the Lord, and that God will be gracious to them and grant them repentance and faith. Pray that God would open up their hearts and minds to the Scriptures as we communicate the Gospel to them, and may God soften their hearts to the Gospel message.

Everyday Evangelism - What's Inside the Purse?

    I have always wanted to be like a Santa Claus for kids. It would be fun to give out toys at Christmas to children that don't have the luxuries that most of us have. What would be better is to be able to use the opportunity to be a Santa Claus type person, not only to give toys and presents out, but to use that opportunity to present the Gospel. Somehow there has to be a way, and I hope to find it soon!
   I have been imprinting toys for the past couple of years. It started with beach balls that have one side imprinted with "What can wash away my sin?", and on the opposite side, the answer is written, "Nothing but the blood of Jesus". Another toy was the maracas (see picture on side). They have the Bible verse, "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus". Then there are the flying discs (Frisbies). They have John 14:6 on them. What is cool is that now that I have some blog pages on the Gospel (www.thegospelconversation.blogspot.com and www.thecolorfulstory.blogspot.com) I can have the url imprinted as well.
   I just ordered crayons and they have the QR code for thegospelconversation.blogspot.com, plus the url for the other one. The words say 'God is uncreated. He never had a beginning and has always been in existence."
  I have at least 50 assorted toys and I am going to take them to the park in a couple of weeks and we can give them out and use them as springboards to present the Gospel.
    I was at a jewelry party the other night, and the lady doing the party asked people to find something in their purses that begin with a certain letter. I had my purse unzipped, so you could see the toys in it. When she announced the letter 't', my friend pulled out a beach ball and it counted for the word 'toy'. Well this went on a couple of times, and I'm sure that the women in the room were beginning to wonder why a middle-aged woman would be carrying toys in her purse. It was kind of funny. Another part of the party, the lady giving the party asked each person if they had a thousand dollars, what would they do with it. For me it was a no brainer. I have always wanted to have a billboard that I could put Bible verses on, or the Gospel message, but I know a billboard would be way out of my range financially, so I am opting for another way. That way is to have toys imprinted and give them out at different occasions. I have even had adults ask for beach balls! When the turn came for me to answer the question, I said I want to buy more toys. Now the women in the room still didn't have a clue what the toys were for. So my friend who pulled the beach ball out of my purse explained what I was doing with the toys. It was like a light came on for the women. They thought that was a great idea. (They were all professing Christians). So, not only do I have the toys for kids (and adults) to enjoy and at the same time receive the message of the Gospel, but it encourages other Christians to be spreading the word.
  One more little story on this. The other day, I was getting out of my car and saw a couple of teen age boys going by. I had a flying disc in my purse, and asked them if they wanted a Frisbie. Of course, they said 'yes', so I took it out and flung it to them. I wished I had two of them, but I only had one. That's what I hope to do at the park. I pray that many will receive the toys with gladness, but even more, that God will give them spiritual eyes and they will be ministered to by the words on them.
  Let's pray that God will give us creative ways to share the Gospel!

Everyday Evangelism - Just One of Those Days

   Today was just 'one of those days'. I had to go out to Park Ave. to get some spices, so I was planning on spending a little time walking down the street giving out tracts. The weather was nice, overcast, and not hot. One thing that would have discouraged me in doing evangelism in the past, is when I go out and see a lot of people and people reject the tracts I give them. I have to say that, when I go to Walmart or places similar to that, most people are very open to hearing the Gospel. I actually give tracts out, and when someone asks me what it is, I tell them it is a Gospel tract, and surprisingly, they take it and are thankful for it. I expect them to hand it back to me.
   I did not have that experience today. As I went down the street giving out tracts, I got the same response; "No Thank you". Over and over again, except for one family, the answer was the same. Normally, in my lack of understanding the sovereignty of God, I would have taken it as a sign that God wasn't happy with me or that I was out of His will, etc. But this time, I was ok. It really doesn't matter how people respond, in one sense, because the word of God will enter the hearts of those He has prepared.
   On the way back to the car, a couple of people took tracts. There was a girl sitting in a car looking at the tracts, and as I thought about giving her one, I decided to open my purse and pull out a beach ball. After I was finished with that, I turned to the car and noticed the window was rolled up. Here we go again. Perhaps the people had already received tracts that I gave them and have made their decision to reject the Gospel. I don't know, but I pray that God will reach into their hearts and make them soft and tender to the Gospel message, and should they have another opportunity to hear it again, maybe they will be open to it.
   I did learn a couple of things though. One of them was that (and I already know this, but understanding it is another thing), people who are wealthy have much less concern about their souls. The Bible is very clear that it is hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. But the Bible also tells us that with God, nothing is impossible. The other thing I realize is that people who are middle aged and older (and even the younger generation that stroll down this street) are very skeptical. They really don't want to take anything from a stranger as many of them have been taken advantage of sometime in their lives. Many of them don't even give a consideration of taking the tract. They just automatically say, 'No Thanks". I can understand. Many people, even Christians, have been manipulative in the past. Cults are pushy, and salespeople have to put food on the table, so there is pressure for them to make the buck. I would probably be the same way. But they do need the Gospel, and there needs to be a way to reach them.
   I did start to talk to two young men that were from an Islamic background, but they had to go somewhere quickly. They were kind, but it was hard to talk to them because they didn't speak English very well. Here is when it would be handy to learn another language!
   Anyway, no need to be discouraged when you get turned down in giving out tracts. There are some people you will give tracts to that are elect. They will receive the Gospel when God makes them ready. Our job is to pray, sow, plant, and water. God is the only One who can give life, and we have to remember that. We can't make salvation happen for anyone. Salvation is of the Lord, not of us. We need to get out there and preach and present the Gospel. God will do the rest.

Everyday Evangelism - Saturating the World with the Message of the Gospel

    We learned in the sermon yesterday (Aron Osborne) http://metrolife.org/sermons#category_2 about the power of God in evangelism. We looked at the book of Acts and learned how the disciples did it. One of the disciples preached a powerful message, yet not too long before that, he turned his back on the Lord out of fear. The other disciples ran away during that time. When Peter was preaching this Gospel message, as recorded in the book of Acts, 3,000 souls came to know the Lord. In another place, the Bible says that the Apostles 'turned the world upside down'.
   We learned a couple of weeks ago that the harvest was plentiful, but the laborers were few, and that we are to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers into the fields.
   I liked what we heard yesterday, when Aron spoke about saturating the world with the Gospel. But how do we do this? Is this doable? Of course, God is not going to ask us to do something that He won't equip us to do. We need to be prepared. The Gospel needs to be part of our lives so that we can give it out to others.
  What are some practical ways to 'saturate the world with the Gospel'? For some, obviously it will be giving out tracts. Some can preach the Gospel to the public. We can get to know our neighbors and love them, and preach the Gospel to them. We can have Bible clubs and meetings in our homes. We can teach classes on apologetics in our homes and churches. We can go to abortion clinics and preach the Gospel. We can go to the malls and movie theaters and preach. The list of ideas is endless. We can even use media (which is now controlled by people with a wicked agenda) in its different forms to communicate the truth of the Gospel. We can reach people on the other side of the world by means of the Internet. If we are lawyers or attorneys, we can use that position to promote the Gospel and stand up for what is right. If we are scientists or astronomers, we can use our knowledge to refute evolution. Standing up for what is right and true has more to do with pressing on with the truth rather than just agreeing that something is wrong. There are tons of places where we can take action and take a stand for the truth. If we fail to do this, we will lose our freedoms that we hold precious, and will be under the slavery of a government that will forbid promoting the Gospel. But when the Gospel truly goes forth, there will be opposition, just because that is the nature of it. So, while we have freedoms, let us take the time to saturate our land with the Gospel! Tomorrow it might not be as easy.

Everyday Evangelism - What is Wrong with Using John 3:16 in Evangelism?

     The favorite verse for people in the world is John 3:16. In John 3:16,
it says "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but will have everlasting
 life." You see this verse on tracts, shirts, bumper stickers and billboards.
 Why do people like this verse so much, and what is wrong with using this
verse in evangelism?
   First, let's try to understand how the world thinks. Left to himself (or herself),
people enjoy being in darkness because they love evil deeds. This doesn't
necessarily mean that people are all overtly wicked. Some people just have
pride and they are unwilling to part with that. Others are involved in adulterous
relationships and don't want to let them go. Some people don't see anything
wrong with telling small lies, or being deceptive. They reason that as long as
 they are not killing anyone, they are ok before God.
   These people will take this verse and stop at the part that says 'For God
 so loved the World'. Others will take it further and say, 'For God so loved
 the world that He gave His only Son..', but some will go the rest of the way
 with the whole verse. They will reason with themselves and others that they
 believe in Jesus. They believe He is the Son of God, and that He died for
our sins. That is not even an issue for them. The problem that is created
has to do with the word 'believe'. The understanding of this verse hinges
on our understanding of what the word 'believe' means. If the word 'believe'
 means to believe about something, then we are in the same class as the
 devil. He believes that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for people's
 sins. But the word believe has a different connotation. It really has to do with
trusting in something vs. believing about something. There is a difference. If
I say I believe in Jesus, yet am really relying on how good I am, (or how
bad I am not) for my salvation, even in part, I missed the Gospel. Jesus
died to pay for everything for our sin.
   Here is another problem that people misunderstand when they are
quoting this verse; some people assume that because Jesus died
for all our sins, that means everything is ok now between God and
that person. They think that Jesus' death provides automatic salvation
for everyone and that there is no response needed from us. Then there
is the large group of people that think that if they 'ask Jesus into their
heart' or 'make a decision for Christ' that they have properly responded
to the Gospel. That is a misunderstanding also. Although a person
could be responding to God in that way, if God is truly working in his
or her heart, salvation can take place, but most of the time, it could
be a replacement to the response of God working in the heart, and
it will provide a false sense of security.
    So what is wrong with using John 3:16 in evangelism? Nothing at
all. As long as the Gospel is preached, and people understand the
meaning of the whole verse in its context, there is nothing wrong with
 it. So, we can use this verse, (and it is a good one to use) and expound
on it with other verses, and God will use it to bring people to repentance
and faith in Christ, and a true salvation experience. If God is at work in
a heart, nothing will stop His will from being done. We have to remember
that when we evangelize. Let's believe in faith that God will ordain our
steps and He will prepare the hearts of the people we talk to when we
share the Gospel. The rest is up to God. We sow and pray and God
gives the increase.
   "The fields are ripe and ready for harvest. Pray that the Lord of the
Harvest will send forth laborers..."
   So, in conclusion, there is nothing wrong with using John 3:16 in
evangelism. In fact, the Gospel is in that verse. The problems people
are encountering have to do with the modern concept of what the word
'love' means, and what the word 'believe' means. People assume that
because God 'loves' us, that we automatically won't go to hell. We don't
have to be concerned anymore. They also believe that that word 'believe'
has to do with acknowledging that something is true, when in reality it
means to 'trust'. And again it is not just trusting the facts to be true
(Jesus died for my sins) but to trust that Jesus provided the sacrifice
that was necessary for us to be saved, which requires us to respond
 to it (trust in Jesus).
   The people in Jesus' day were familiar with the Law and had some
understanding of why He came and died. Today, especially in America,
we don't understand the Law (10 Commandments) so the Gospel doesn't
make sense to the average person. We need to lay the foundation of the
 Law once again, not to try to get people to obey the Law as best as they
can, but to show them that they can't keep the Law (10 Commandments).
The point of the Law is to show us just that. We can't get into heaven on
our own score. We have to get in on Someone else's score. It has to be
a person who has a perfect score though. Only one person did that and
we have to get in on His score if we will get in at all.