I have been excited about black Friday, the most hectic shopping day of the year. I used to dread it as I worked at Toys R Us and then at Target for 4 years so I understand the chaos on both ends of it!
I knew there would be crazy lines so I wanted to pass out as many gospel tracts as I could. I woke up around 3 this morning to go up to Target, Best Buy and whatever hot spots there were since I don't really know. Everywhere pretty much opened around 5am from what I could tell. Any time I go to an event I get REALLY nervous since I'm usually flying solo on these missions, but I am comforted and strengthened by the Holy Spirit and the fact that I have a wonderful wife praying for me.
When I arrived in Rockwall I drove around just to see what kind of lines/crowds there were. There was security setup at Best Buy so I took a couple hundred tracts and handed them to the first couple groups of people in line and asked if they would pass them down. It's amazing how well that works. Usually if the first couple of people won't take them then the rest won't. But if the first couple do, then the rest will. I did this at a model search going on at North Park and my wife and I got to stand back and watch everyone take one. It was great to see the gospel go into the hands of so many.
I almost always use my Million Dollar Bill tracts. I used Obama Trillion Dollar bills for a while, but way to many people would turn them down because of who was on the front! I've even had people tear them up in front of me. It was good for some conversation starters, but as more time went by more people disliked the Obama bucks!
So after I left Best Buy I went to Target which had a HUGE line. I was able to pass out hundreds of MDB tracts one by one which I prefer. That way I get to greet people and actually communicate with them. A couple of people thought I worked there and was asking me questions about the sale, lol. There were at least 800 people there and I ran out of tracts pretty fast. Once the line started moving fast my hands couldn't keep up because it was cold, but thankfully people were stopping just so they could take one. Some people were having their friends save their spot in line so they could come up and get some before they ran out!
When "mass tracting" the usual questions I get are; what are these, what are these for, is this a God thing, who are you with, or what church are you with.
I had someone ask me a question when I was passing them out in lines that I will never forget. I handed it to a lady and as she read the back she said, "why don't you go pass these out to people who aren't saved". I was a bit shocked, and simply replied, "ma'am because you just never know if someone is or not." Maybe I'm wrong in this, but I have to question someone's salvation if that is their response to something with the gospel on it. I would rather assume someone is not saved then assume they are. I don't care if it makes me look stupid or not, because I care more about someones soul than their or my feelings.
One of the biggest deceptions is to think that everyone who says they are a Christian is one. Especially since I have met pastors, other now born again Christians, and myself who called ourselves Christians for years, but never truly repented and put our trust in Christ. We were hypocrites who relied our salvation on a water baptism, "decision", or a sinners prayer where someone told us we would be saved just by simply doing one of those. For more information about salvation you can find my testimony under May on the right of this page.
No one has ever really gotten mad at me from what I could tell, but the ones that I have noticed get a little flustered are the ones who say they are Christians already...
On a good note a man said he was born again and appreciated what I was doing and handed the tract back. Anytime someone does that I tell them to give it to someone I can't and they usually happily keep it.
Next year I need to take twice as many tracts. I had some big money tracts in my car that I was able to pass out as well, but I was a little let down that I didn't have more with me. I went home after that to get more and go check out Mesquite. It was so packed I couldn't find a parking place anywhere except the mall.
Thankfully, it was packed and I was able to hand out tracts and witness to some groups of people.
It was a great experience and I thank God for the opportunities that He gives us to spread His gospel. I eagerly await many more black Fridays : )
Please pray for those individuals who received tracts all around the country as I had many of my brothers and sisters in Christ doing the same thing today. I also ask for prayers for more laborers to stand up and proclaim the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is what will change our country, and we need more Christians out there preaching it and being a bold witness for Christ by any means.
Thank you for reading and may God bless you and yours.
In Christ,
Joey
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
To my atheist, agnostic, and non Christian friends...
It hit me all of the sudden today that I needed to write a letter to my friends on facebook who are atheist, agnostic, non believers in Christ, or those who may not be sure. So here I am. I would ask that you please read this to the end of the page.
I just want to first and foremost say thank you for accepting my friend request or requesting me as a friend on facebook. I may know you personally or I may not, but the acquaintance is appreciated all the same. One of my main goals on facebook is to promote thinking that leads to a creator, which is God, and spread the law and the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you follow my posts or blogs then you already know this and I greatly appreciate your patience and time.
You probably know that I am a born-again Christian, or in many other peoples eyes an extreme or fundamentalist Christian. What people label me or call me really isn't important. I know there is a God, heaven, hell, and that there will be a judgment when we all die whether we believe it or not, which is why I write what I write. I truly care about you. I don't gain anything by my posts except maybe a few people "liking" my status, (I'm sure that will change when there is a dislike button, lol) positive/negative comments, or some hate mail which is fine with me. Trust me, if you want to be popular or people to like you; going and preaching to strangers, and trying to reach others with the gospel is the last way to do it!
I understand some of you may have had bad experiences with a church, Christians, or evangelists. Please keep in mind that there are many in this country who claim to be Christian that are not, including pastors. Christians do not and should not hold themselves higher than anyone else. Just so you know, I have had those experiences as well being a false-convert (calling myself a Christian, but not really being one). I was a hypocrite and there are many others out there. Everything does happen for a reason though.
With that being said there are real Christians that do truly love you despite the manner of their actions at times. The reason we spread the law and the gospel is because we do not want anyone to go to hell. It is eternal punishment. If it is not real then we go in the ground and eventually turn to dust. If the bible is real then we have to face God on judgment day and He will hold us accountable for everything. We will either go to heaven and be with Him forever or go to hell which is everlasting torment. It is not because God is mean or cruel, it is because He is so good and just that He must punish sin.
The bible says that anyone who has broken even one of His laws is guilty. Which is, everyone. The ten commandments say you shouldn't lie, steal, commit adultery (Jesus says lusting is the same thing {{okay, so pretty much anyone who has ever been a teenager}}, He also says if you hate someone it is the same as murder in your heart. No one can keep the law, that's a no-brainer. They are put in place there to show us our need for a Savior and that we are not perfect.
Everyone including myself deserves hell. That is why God sent His son, fully God and fully man to suffer and die on the cross. He then rose from the dead 3 days later forever defeating death for those who will turn from their sin and believe in Him (which I am praying is you). There is nothing we can do to be "good" in His eyes despite what you may have heard. Once God changed my heart, it REALLY changed. I still sin, but I fall into it now instead of diving into it like I used to.
I am not perfect and I am not better than you by any means. However, I am better off, meaning I will go to heaven after I pass however that may be. I don't say that to be belittling, but I say it with confidence and love because I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I pray and hope the same for you.
You are reading this for a reason. You can get mad at my words, think I'm crazy or you can consider them. I said it once and I'll say it again, I truly care about you which is why I do what I do. I go out and witness every week and I have talked with atheists, agnostics, and other people of different religions, so I hope you do not think I am writing these things in ignorance.
The bible tells all Christians to go and preach the gospel, but obviously not everyone does it. Doing this will not get me to heaven as I am already going there because I repented and put my trust in Christ. However, I am going to be obedient to His word and I do NOT want anyone to go to hell, especially you.
Again, PLEASE consider this. Look into it for yourself. If you believe what I am saying then cry out to God, pray, communicate to Him however you will. You don't need to go to a pastor or have someone pray for you. It is a relationship between YOU and Jesus Christ. The gospel is offensive because we as humans tend to want to hold onto our sin because we love it, even though we know it is wrong. Our conscience tells us that, which is God-given.
The bottom line is that God changed my heart. Everything in my life was going good for me before I became a true Christian, but I was on my way to hell. Now everything is far greater than I could ever imagine knowing Christ through thick and thin. I realize now how wretched I was and how much I needed Him. I'm asking you to open your eyes and check this out for yourself. If you want more information, start in the book of John in the bible, go to www.needGod.com, or feel free to write me as I would love to help with any questions that you may have.
There is NOTHING more important than your eternal salvation!
In Christ,
Joey
I just want to first and foremost say thank you for accepting my friend request or requesting me as a friend on facebook. I may know you personally or I may not, but the acquaintance is appreciated all the same. One of my main goals on facebook is to promote thinking that leads to a creator, which is God, and spread the law and the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you follow my posts or blogs then you already know this and I greatly appreciate your patience and time.
You probably know that I am a born-again Christian, or in many other peoples eyes an extreme or fundamentalist Christian. What people label me or call me really isn't important. I know there is a God, heaven, hell, and that there will be a judgment when we all die whether we believe it or not, which is why I write what I write. I truly care about you. I don't gain anything by my posts except maybe a few people "liking" my status, (I'm sure that will change when there is a dislike button, lol) positive/negative comments, or some hate mail which is fine with me. Trust me, if you want to be popular or people to like you; going and preaching to strangers, and trying to reach others with the gospel is the last way to do it!
I understand some of you may have had bad experiences with a church, Christians, or evangelists. Please keep in mind that there are many in this country who claim to be Christian that are not, including pastors. Christians do not and should not hold themselves higher than anyone else. Just so you know, I have had those experiences as well being a false-convert (calling myself a Christian, but not really being one). I was a hypocrite and there are many others out there. Everything does happen for a reason though.
With that being said there are real Christians that do truly love you despite the manner of their actions at times. The reason we spread the law and the gospel is because we do not want anyone to go to hell. It is eternal punishment. If it is not real then we go in the ground and eventually turn to dust. If the bible is real then we have to face God on judgment day and He will hold us accountable for everything. We will either go to heaven and be with Him forever or go to hell which is everlasting torment. It is not because God is mean or cruel, it is because He is so good and just that He must punish sin.
The bible says that anyone who has broken even one of His laws is guilty. Which is, everyone. The ten commandments say you shouldn't lie, steal, commit adultery (Jesus says lusting is the same thing {{okay, so pretty much anyone who has ever been a teenager}}, He also says if you hate someone it is the same as murder in your heart. No one can keep the law, that's a no-brainer. They are put in place there to show us our need for a Savior and that we are not perfect.
Everyone including myself deserves hell. That is why God sent His son, fully God and fully man to suffer and die on the cross. He then rose from the dead 3 days later forever defeating death for those who will turn from their sin and believe in Him (which I am praying is you). There is nothing we can do to be "good" in His eyes despite what you may have heard. Once God changed my heart, it REALLY changed. I still sin, but I fall into it now instead of diving into it like I used to.
I am not perfect and I am not better than you by any means. However, I am better off, meaning I will go to heaven after I pass however that may be. I don't say that to be belittling, but I say it with confidence and love because I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I pray and hope the same for you.
You are reading this for a reason. You can get mad at my words, think I'm crazy or you can consider them. I said it once and I'll say it again, I truly care about you which is why I do what I do. I go out and witness every week and I have talked with atheists, agnostics, and other people of different religions, so I hope you do not think I am writing these things in ignorance.
The bible tells all Christians to go and preach the gospel, but obviously not everyone does it. Doing this will not get me to heaven as I am already going there because I repented and put my trust in Christ. However, I am going to be obedient to His word and I do NOT want anyone to go to hell, especially you.
Again, PLEASE consider this. Look into it for yourself. If you believe what I am saying then cry out to God, pray, communicate to Him however you will. You don't need to go to a pastor or have someone pray for you. It is a relationship between YOU and Jesus Christ. The gospel is offensive because we as humans tend to want to hold onto our sin because we love it, even though we know it is wrong. Our conscience tells us that, which is God-given.
The bottom line is that God changed my heart. Everything in my life was going good for me before I became a true Christian, but I was on my way to hell. Now everything is far greater than I could ever imagine knowing Christ through thick and thin. I realize now how wretched I was and how much I needed Him. I'm asking you to open your eyes and check this out for yourself. If you want more information, start in the book of John in the bible, go to www.needGod.com, or feel free to write me as I would love to help with any questions that you may have.
There is NOTHING more important than your eternal salvation!
In Christ,
Joey
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Time for CHRISTmas!!!
Many of you know God changed my heart this January and I became a born-again Christian, or what many commonly called saved. I thought I was a Christian most of my life because I said a prayer, got baptized, did good things, went to church, and went through the routine. I was a false-convert who never repented (turned from sin) and put my trust in Jesus Christ. With that being said, I see everything in a new light, including the holidays.
As I have researched extensively and witnessed already, this is an extremely controversial subject for many Christians. I will probably take some heat for this one I’m sure. This will be my first Christmas as a born-again Christian. In this article I am not knocking anybody or anyone’s beliefs, but you may disagree with what I say. So please understand I am not being dogmatic or legalistic in what I am saying, it is simply my views for my family’s traditions.
My family and I revamped our Halloween traditions this year. Instead of celebrating Halloween we participated in it in a way to glorify God. My wife dressed up as a princess and my son was a firefighter. We setup a table outside my sister-in-laws house where we handed out bottles of water, gospel tracts, bibles and candy. It was truly awesome and we will continue to do that every year from now on. It is a tradition shared by some of my brothers and sisters in Christ called, “Light in the Night”.
There is without a doubt traces of pagan origins in Halloween and Christmas traditions which is why there is so much hostility. Is it a sin or pagan that my wife and son dressed up, no. Is it a sin for children to go house to house and ask for candy, no. Others see Halloween as Satan’s day and we should have nothing to do it with it. My view is that every day belongs to God and we can use any and every day to bring glory to Him. That is why we did not sit out on Halloween. However, my family will never have Halloween decorations such as witches, devils, ghosts and such, nor will my child ever dress as something of the sort. As a Christian family it is our personal conviction to never celebrate or participate in the occult side of the holiday. It really shouldn’t even be considered a holiday because there is nothing “holy” about it, lol. Now onto Christmas!
I have always been a big Christmas guru caught up in the “magic” and commercialism of Christmas, big time. Becoming a Christian has changed my views on the holiday a bit. Believe it or not, there are many Christians out there that view Christmas the same way as Halloween, whether it was because Christ was most likely not born on December 25th, the Catholic church tried to replace a pagan holiday with Christmas, and other traditions that are rooted in pagan origins on December 25th. Is it true? Yes. Are there Christian traditions on Christmas as well? Yes.
This is the position my family will take on December 25th. We will celebrate the birth of Christ as He was God’s greatest gift to the world. It doesn’t matter if it was the day He was literally born on or not, because we do not know for sure. Everyday we should celebrate Jesus Christ, and this is a day that is allegedly recognized for that, so yes we are going to celebrate, recognize, and promote the true meaning.
Now this may offend you if you haven’t been already. We will not have Santa decorations in our house or play the Santa game with our child. There, I said it. So why have I taken this position? I don’t think people who do the Santa game are evil, pagan, or anything like that at all. But for me personally it has taken away from celebrating Christ in a time where He should be the center point. For my family, I don’t believe a holiday about Christ should be shared with a magical man that is not real. Yes, there was a real St. Nicholas and I highly doubt he would approve of the way he has been esteemed and commercialized on a holiday that is supposed to celebrate Jesus Christ whom He served.
Both of our parents did the Santa Clause with us so it’s not because we were raised differently than other people. I care more about my son knowing truth and the full glory of Jesus Christ rather than lying to him about a man coming down our chimney to leave presents depending on his behavior. It’s something I personally cannot and will not do.
Does this mean that my family is going to go around saying Santa isn’t real or protesting any who do the Santa game? No. Can a family honor Christ and partake in the Santa game with all the traditions? Sure they can, I personally think it’s harder to have most of the emphasis on Christ, but again it is up to the family. We aren’t going to shelter our children from the world either. We just aren’t going to reinforce it in our home. We will probably come up with more of our own traditions honoring Christ throughout the years as a family. These are some of the things we will be doing.
We will still have decorations such as a tree, Christmas lights, snowmen, nativity scenes, and stockings. We will still do a couple of presents as well, but we won’t say that Santa Claus put them there. None of these things such as the tree and lights are idols or superstitious to us as they were when they were considered pagan traditions long ago. Most people nowadays don’t consider them that way either. A good quote from an article I’ll leave a link to is this: “What is important is not the origins of traditions, but their significance to us today as believers in the Son of God.”
We will also sing Christmas carols, a couple songs will be excluded, read the story of the birth of Christ in the bible, make a birthday cake for Jesus, give bibles, tracts, and of course pray and give thanks. We will even probably read the true story of Saint Nicholas, as he was a great Christian man who gave gifts anonymously and generously. My wife and I have made it a tradition since we have been married to have some kind of charitable drive or project we participate in every Christmas so that is something we will include our children in as well.
These are my views on Halloween and Christmas. You can probably assume what they are regarding the Easter bunny after reading all this, lol. Being a rather new creature in Christ, I was greatly concerned with what I should participate in and what I shouldn’t. As a Christian I found myself lost and wanted to make sure I wasn’t doing anything wrong and that I would be giving glory to God. There are a lot of sites and books out there that are very legalistic, presented in an ugly way, and hateful about what we should and shouldn’t do as Christians. I have gone though much prayer and many headaches, but I have reached this conclusion for my family that I am sharing with you. Hopefully, this may help you as well if you have the same concerns that I do.
This article and site is one of the best I believe on the subject. http://www.gotquestions.org/Christmas-traditions.html This ministry has written other good articles as well about the holidays and other common questions.
If you have any good suggestions or sites on Christian traditions I would love to hear them.
Thanks and God bless you!
In Christ,
Joey
As I have researched extensively and witnessed already, this is an extremely controversial subject for many Christians. I will probably take some heat for this one I’m sure. This will be my first Christmas as a born-again Christian. In this article I am not knocking anybody or anyone’s beliefs, but you may disagree with what I say. So please understand I am not being dogmatic or legalistic in what I am saying, it is simply my views for my family’s traditions.
My family and I revamped our Halloween traditions this year. Instead of celebrating Halloween we participated in it in a way to glorify God. My wife dressed up as a princess and my son was a firefighter. We setup a table outside my sister-in-laws house where we handed out bottles of water, gospel tracts, bibles and candy. It was truly awesome and we will continue to do that every year from now on. It is a tradition shared by some of my brothers and sisters in Christ called, “Light in the Night”.
There is without a doubt traces of pagan origins in Halloween and Christmas traditions which is why there is so much hostility. Is it a sin or pagan that my wife and son dressed up, no. Is it a sin for children to go house to house and ask for candy, no. Others see Halloween as Satan’s day and we should have nothing to do it with it. My view is that every day belongs to God and we can use any and every day to bring glory to Him. That is why we did not sit out on Halloween. However, my family will never have Halloween decorations such as witches, devils, ghosts and such, nor will my child ever dress as something of the sort. As a Christian family it is our personal conviction to never celebrate or participate in the occult side of the holiday. It really shouldn’t even be considered a holiday because there is nothing “holy” about it, lol. Now onto Christmas!
I have always been a big Christmas guru caught up in the “magic” and commercialism of Christmas, big time. Becoming a Christian has changed my views on the holiday a bit. Believe it or not, there are many Christians out there that view Christmas the same way as Halloween, whether it was because Christ was most likely not born on December 25th, the Catholic church tried to replace a pagan holiday with Christmas, and other traditions that are rooted in pagan origins on December 25th. Is it true? Yes. Are there Christian traditions on Christmas as well? Yes.
This is the position my family will take on December 25th. We will celebrate the birth of Christ as He was God’s greatest gift to the world. It doesn’t matter if it was the day He was literally born on or not, because we do not know for sure. Everyday we should celebrate Jesus Christ, and this is a day that is allegedly recognized for that, so yes we are going to celebrate, recognize, and promote the true meaning.
Now this may offend you if you haven’t been already. We will not have Santa decorations in our house or play the Santa game with our child. There, I said it. So why have I taken this position? I don’t think people who do the Santa game are evil, pagan, or anything like that at all. But for me personally it has taken away from celebrating Christ in a time where He should be the center point. For my family, I don’t believe a holiday about Christ should be shared with a magical man that is not real. Yes, there was a real St. Nicholas and I highly doubt he would approve of the way he has been esteemed and commercialized on a holiday that is supposed to celebrate Jesus Christ whom He served.
Both of our parents did the Santa Clause with us so it’s not because we were raised differently than other people. I care more about my son knowing truth and the full glory of Jesus Christ rather than lying to him about a man coming down our chimney to leave presents depending on his behavior. It’s something I personally cannot and will not do.
Does this mean that my family is going to go around saying Santa isn’t real or protesting any who do the Santa game? No. Can a family honor Christ and partake in the Santa game with all the traditions? Sure they can, I personally think it’s harder to have most of the emphasis on Christ, but again it is up to the family. We aren’t going to shelter our children from the world either. We just aren’t going to reinforce it in our home. We will probably come up with more of our own traditions honoring Christ throughout the years as a family. These are some of the things we will be doing.
We will still have decorations such as a tree, Christmas lights, snowmen, nativity scenes, and stockings. We will still do a couple of presents as well, but we won’t say that Santa Claus put them there. None of these things such as the tree and lights are idols or superstitious to us as they were when they were considered pagan traditions long ago. Most people nowadays don’t consider them that way either. A good quote from an article I’ll leave a link to is this: “What is important is not the origins of traditions, but their significance to us today as believers in the Son of God.”
We will also sing Christmas carols, a couple songs will be excluded, read the story of the birth of Christ in the bible, make a birthday cake for Jesus, give bibles, tracts, and of course pray and give thanks. We will even probably read the true story of Saint Nicholas, as he was a great Christian man who gave gifts anonymously and generously. My wife and I have made it a tradition since we have been married to have some kind of charitable drive or project we participate in every Christmas so that is something we will include our children in as well.
These are my views on Halloween and Christmas. You can probably assume what they are regarding the Easter bunny after reading all this, lol. Being a rather new creature in Christ, I was greatly concerned with what I should participate in and what I shouldn’t. As a Christian I found myself lost and wanted to make sure I wasn’t doing anything wrong and that I would be giving glory to God. There are a lot of sites and books out there that are very legalistic, presented in an ugly way, and hateful about what we should and shouldn’t do as Christians. I have gone though much prayer and many headaches, but I have reached this conclusion for my family that I am sharing with you. Hopefully, this may help you as well if you have the same concerns that I do.
This article and site is one of the best I believe on the subject. http://www.gotquestions.org/Christmas-traditions.html This ministry has written other good articles as well about the holidays and other common questions.
If you have any good suggestions or sites on Christian traditions I would love to hear them.
Thanks and God bless you!
In Christ,
Joey
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Evangelism, agnosticism, and apologetics ...
Yesterday as my wife and I ran our errands I noticed they started putting little clear boxes on top of gas station pumps that say "TAKE ONE". I don't know why they have them or if there is supposed to be something in them, but I was so excited at the opportunity so I put money tracts in them at 2 different gas stations. What an opportunity to get the gospel into the hands of others!
We also went to Bass Pro Shop to check out all the Christmas activities and decorations going on. Evangelism idea: my wife and I usually carry one dollar bills with million dollar bills (tracts). You don't have to use real money, but we like to. Whenever we are at a check out or somebody helps us we try to give them a one dollar bill with a million dollar tract. We just say thank you, hand them the dollar and tract, and tell them we wish the million dollar bill was real, but the message on the back is! People love getting them without a dollar as well! We were able to do this with the ladies at the booth selling fudge.
Later that evening, I went to witness at the Harbor earlier than usual. It was amazing how much God was at work. For those who don't know, the Harbor is kind of like an outdoor mall right off the lake. There is a pier, lighthouse, amphitheater, movie theater, fountains, and other neat hang out spots. There are usually musical acts going on, crazy acting teenagers, and other random events. There is actually a Michael Jackson impersonator who goes up there and dances around 8 on Saturdays, lol. The pier is not lit anymore for some reason so I strayed away from there a bit as there were lots of serious elderly and teenage PDA going on amidst the shadows...*shudders*
When I go witnessing I can't stay in one spot. I am usually constantly moving around until I engage someone in a conversation. Thankfully there is a lot of land to walk around. Anyways, I started talking to two guys who didn't say much, but showed an understanding of what I was telling them, the law and gospel of Jesus Christ. I moved on and talked to more groups of people and some couples. There were 2 big guys wearing Halloween masks trying to act funny and get attention from lots of people. Last time they were up there they stopped and listened to a conversation I was having with a different group of boys, but they wound up walking off throughout the middle of it. Some people were getting mad that they wouldn't take the masks off while we were all talking which is another reason I think they left.
Thank the Lord they came into my path again, they remembered who I was, and I was able to finish what I started. They are funny, because they don't ever talk. They are like Halloween mimes, but they wound up showing that they appreciated what was said. We shook hands and parted ways. Pray that the Lord does a work on their hearts.
Last night was a little different than usual. There was a little more hostility in the air...not anything serious, but usually the overall tone isn't like it was last night. Usually when I talk to a group of people sometimes there is one person who is acting like they are tuning me out by checking their phone or texting. One girl kept making rude gestures and was obvious she didn't like what I was saying through her actions. When the conversation was over she wound up saying, "we all go to a Christian private school so we already know all this". It was evident the other two did not. Pray that they would see the severity of repentance and trust in Christ alone for their salvation.
I was blessed enough to have many other interesting conversations, but this one that I had with a young couple stuck out to me greatly. I’ll try to sum it up:
“Hey guys how’s it going, did you get one of these”?
“No, a million bucks? Cool, I’m rich”!!!
“Yeah, I wish it was real. It asks the million dollar question on the back. What do you think happens after we die?”
The girl says, “We go to Heaven.” The boy replies, “I think we all just go in the ground.” The girl looks shocked, but jokingly said their relationship is over.
“Alright, well if you believe in heaven, then what about hell”?
The girl said, “yes”.
“Well who goes there”?
“Bad people”.
“So are you guys good enough to go to heaven”?
The girl looked uncertain, but the guy said, “I’m agnostic so it doesn’t matter”.
“Oh, okay. So you don’t know if there is a God.”
He said, loudly and rather flamboyantly, “I don’t know if there is a God and I don’t care!!!”
“Alright, well let’s say that the bible IS real for just a minute despite what you believe because this is serious”.
“Okay”.
I went through a series of questions asking, “have you ever lied….stolen anything…said God’s name in vain which is blasphemy and very serious in His eyes, looked with lust, Christ says that is committing adultery in your heart.”
They said yes to all of them one by one.
“Alright, well based on that standard, since you told me you are a liar, thief, blasphemer and adulterer at heart, if God judged us by that would we deserves heaven or hell for breaking that law?”
The girl replied “hell”, but tried to argue that Christ died for us so no one will go there. The conviction of the law got to the boy and he started getting really defensive.
He replied, “it doesn’t matter because I don’t believe it. “
He led me down some rabbit trails that I fell for such as asking about King Henry the IV, origin of religions, the authenticity of the bible, and morality. I answered all of his questions, but he really didn’t care if I had the answers or not. I unfortunately got into some extensive apologetics (defending Christianity) which is sometimes beneficial, but this guy was doing everything to avoid talking about his eternal destination. Some people really have genuine questions, but this guy was just throwing me off.
He constantly contradicted himself saying he believed what I was saying, but he won’t back Christianity because it hates homosexuality. Usually when someone is so strong about a point like that it is because they have loved ones who are that way or they are trying to take the emphasis off themselves. I have talked to individuals who are homosexual and bisexual and they were never even defensive. They were very nice, courteous, and actually appreciated what I was telling them, but this guy was so hung up on it which shocked me.
“Listen, God hates all sin the same regardless if it is homosexuality, lying, stealing, murdering or what not. He is so good and just that He sees it all the same as sin. The fact that you don’t back Christianity is not going to change the truth of the word of God. I’m not trying to sell you religion, but I am telling you what Christ did so you don’t have to suffer the hell that we all rightly deserve. Regarding homosexuality; man and woman were designed to be together, not man and man or woman and woman. That is God’s design for marriage. We can clearly see that through the design of reproduction and the consequences through aids and other diseases.
He replied, “sorry, I just disagree with you. I think murderers are wrong and they should go to hell, but not for homosexuality.”
“You think it’s wrong because of your personal beliefs and morality. Murderers don’t think murder is wrong. Our sense of morality is greatly flawed; God’s law is perfect no matter how much we don’t agree with it.”
His girl friend kept trying to pull him away the whole time because he was getting really flustered and rather loud.
He insisted that he is nice, he’s nice to people, and he doesn’t do anything wrong and that is all really anyone can do.
“Listen, if there is no God we turn to dust and there is no standard of morality. If it is real there is absolute morality and there is a hell that is everlasting torment and there is a heaven. Please just consider what I’m saying right now. Look in your bible to John to check out what I’m saying. There is nothing more important than what happens after you die.”
“Alright, I’ll consider it.” And we parted ways.
Please pray for this couple. It disturbed me greatly and still does. Pray that God will unharden their hearts and that they would repent and put their trust in Christ.
On a lighter note I met a girl that was with a rowdy group of guys from a couple weeks ago when we met. She remembered me and said we’re on the same page now and that her and her friends left those guys after we all talked. So hopefully God really changed her heart!
Some random big guy also gave me a hug for giving him a million dollar bill, lol, silly teenagers.
All in all, I am so thankful for the opportunity Christ gives us to spread His gospel. We have to step out and do it though. I learned some valuable lessons and was reminded of some last night. Not everyone who says they are a Christian is one, don’t go down rabbit trails, the true gospel will offend others, but we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. All the glory to the Lord, Jesus Christ!
Thanks for reading and may God bless you and yours!
In Christ,
Joey
We also went to Bass Pro Shop to check out all the Christmas activities and decorations going on. Evangelism idea: my wife and I usually carry one dollar bills with million dollar bills (tracts). You don't have to use real money, but we like to. Whenever we are at a check out or somebody helps us we try to give them a one dollar bill with a million dollar tract. We just say thank you, hand them the dollar and tract, and tell them we wish the million dollar bill was real, but the message on the back is! People love getting them without a dollar as well! We were able to do this with the ladies at the booth selling fudge.
Later that evening, I went to witness at the Harbor earlier than usual. It was amazing how much God was at work. For those who don't know, the Harbor is kind of like an outdoor mall right off the lake. There is a pier, lighthouse, amphitheater, movie theater, fountains, and other neat hang out spots. There are usually musical acts going on, crazy acting teenagers, and other random events. There is actually a Michael Jackson impersonator who goes up there and dances around 8 on Saturdays, lol. The pier is not lit anymore for some reason so I strayed away from there a bit as there were lots of serious elderly and teenage PDA going on amidst the shadows...*shudders*
When I go witnessing I can't stay in one spot. I am usually constantly moving around until I engage someone in a conversation. Thankfully there is a lot of land to walk around. Anyways, I started talking to two guys who didn't say much, but showed an understanding of what I was telling them, the law and gospel of Jesus Christ. I moved on and talked to more groups of people and some couples. There were 2 big guys wearing Halloween masks trying to act funny and get attention from lots of people. Last time they were up there they stopped and listened to a conversation I was having with a different group of boys, but they wound up walking off throughout the middle of it. Some people were getting mad that they wouldn't take the masks off while we were all talking which is another reason I think they left.
Thank the Lord they came into my path again, they remembered who I was, and I was able to finish what I started. They are funny, because they don't ever talk. They are like Halloween mimes, but they wound up showing that they appreciated what was said. We shook hands and parted ways. Pray that the Lord does a work on their hearts.
Last night was a little different than usual. There was a little more hostility in the air...not anything serious, but usually the overall tone isn't like it was last night. Usually when I talk to a group of people sometimes there is one person who is acting like they are tuning me out by checking their phone or texting. One girl kept making rude gestures and was obvious she didn't like what I was saying through her actions. When the conversation was over she wound up saying, "we all go to a Christian private school so we already know all this". It was evident the other two did not. Pray that they would see the severity of repentance and trust in Christ alone for their salvation.
I was blessed enough to have many other interesting conversations, but this one that I had with a young couple stuck out to me greatly. I’ll try to sum it up:
“Hey guys how’s it going, did you get one of these”?
“No, a million bucks? Cool, I’m rich”!!!
“Yeah, I wish it was real. It asks the million dollar question on the back. What do you think happens after we die?”
The girl says, “We go to Heaven.” The boy replies, “I think we all just go in the ground.” The girl looks shocked, but jokingly said their relationship is over.
“Alright, well if you believe in heaven, then what about hell”?
The girl said, “yes”.
“Well who goes there”?
“Bad people”.
“So are you guys good enough to go to heaven”?
The girl looked uncertain, but the guy said, “I’m agnostic so it doesn’t matter”.
“Oh, okay. So you don’t know if there is a God.”
He said, loudly and rather flamboyantly, “I don’t know if there is a God and I don’t care!!!”
“Alright, well let’s say that the bible IS real for just a minute despite what you believe because this is serious”.
“Okay”.
I went through a series of questions asking, “have you ever lied….stolen anything…said God’s name in vain which is blasphemy and very serious in His eyes, looked with lust, Christ says that is committing adultery in your heart.”
They said yes to all of them one by one.
“Alright, well based on that standard, since you told me you are a liar, thief, blasphemer and adulterer at heart, if God judged us by that would we deserves heaven or hell for breaking that law?”
The girl replied “hell”, but tried to argue that Christ died for us so no one will go there. The conviction of the law got to the boy and he started getting really defensive.
He replied, “it doesn’t matter because I don’t believe it. “
He led me down some rabbit trails that I fell for such as asking about King Henry the IV, origin of religions, the authenticity of the bible, and morality. I answered all of his questions, but he really didn’t care if I had the answers or not. I unfortunately got into some extensive apologetics (defending Christianity) which is sometimes beneficial, but this guy was doing everything to avoid talking about his eternal destination. Some people really have genuine questions, but this guy was just throwing me off.
He constantly contradicted himself saying he believed what I was saying, but he won’t back Christianity because it hates homosexuality. Usually when someone is so strong about a point like that it is because they have loved ones who are that way or they are trying to take the emphasis off themselves. I have talked to individuals who are homosexual and bisexual and they were never even defensive. They were very nice, courteous, and actually appreciated what I was telling them, but this guy was so hung up on it which shocked me.
“Listen, God hates all sin the same regardless if it is homosexuality, lying, stealing, murdering or what not. He is so good and just that He sees it all the same as sin. The fact that you don’t back Christianity is not going to change the truth of the word of God. I’m not trying to sell you religion, but I am telling you what Christ did so you don’t have to suffer the hell that we all rightly deserve. Regarding homosexuality; man and woman were designed to be together, not man and man or woman and woman. That is God’s design for marriage. We can clearly see that through the design of reproduction and the consequences through aids and other diseases.
He replied, “sorry, I just disagree with you. I think murderers are wrong and they should go to hell, but not for homosexuality.”
“You think it’s wrong because of your personal beliefs and morality. Murderers don’t think murder is wrong. Our sense of morality is greatly flawed; God’s law is perfect no matter how much we don’t agree with it.”
His girl friend kept trying to pull him away the whole time because he was getting really flustered and rather loud.
He insisted that he is nice, he’s nice to people, and he doesn’t do anything wrong and that is all really anyone can do.
“Listen, if there is no God we turn to dust and there is no standard of morality. If it is real there is absolute morality and there is a hell that is everlasting torment and there is a heaven. Please just consider what I’m saying right now. Look in your bible to John to check out what I’m saying. There is nothing more important than what happens after you die.”
“Alright, I’ll consider it.” And we parted ways.
Please pray for this couple. It disturbed me greatly and still does. Pray that God will unharden their hearts and that they would repent and put their trust in Christ.
On a lighter note I met a girl that was with a rowdy group of guys from a couple weeks ago when we met. She remembered me and said we’re on the same page now and that her and her friends left those guys after we all talked. So hopefully God really changed her heart!
Some random big guy also gave me a hug for giving him a million dollar bill, lol, silly teenagers.
All in all, I am so thankful for the opportunity Christ gives us to spread His gospel. We have to step out and do it though. I learned some valuable lessons and was reminded of some last night. Not everyone who says they are a Christian is one, don’t go down rabbit trails, the true gospel will offend others, but we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. All the glory to the Lord, Jesus Christ!
Thanks for reading and may God bless you and yours!
In Christ,
Joey
Sunday, November 1, 2009
What are gospel tracts and why use them?
I've been meaning to post this for a while! So what are tracts and why use them?
*There are tracts that are unbiblical, but everything I am referring to in this post is regarding biblical tracts*
A biblical gospel tract is a piece of literature that contains the law and the gospel of the bible. They come in many shapes and forms.
Here's an example:
(The Law)
Will you go to heaven when you die? Here's a quick test. Have you ever told a lie, stolen anything, or used God's name in vain? Jesus said, "whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Have you looked with lust? Will you be guilty on judgment day? If you have done those things, God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulter at heart. The bible warns that if you are guilty you will end up in hell. That's not God's will.
(The Gospel)
He sent His son to suffer and die on the cross for you. You broke God's law, but Jesus paid your fine. That means he can commute your death sentence. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Then He rose from the dead and defeated death. Please, repent (turn from sin) today and trust alone in Jesus, and God will grant you the gift of everlasting life. Then read your bible daily and obey it.
(From the Million Dollar Bill Tract from www.livingwaters.com)
I'll be honest, before I was a born again Christian I thought tracts were annoying, silly, would push people away and thought ugly things of people who left them places. I had those thoughts even when I thought and called myself a Christian.
Once God changed my heart I immediately wanted to tell the world and share my faith however I could, especially after it commands that of us in the bible. The problem was, I was immensly shy. I began to look at gospel tracts completely different. The true gospel does push some people away. There is no getting around it. Jesus Christ would not have been crucified if everyone agreed with what He said and how He said it. 11 of the 12 apostles would not have been martyrd either. As Christians we too often say, "that pushes people away", when we don't agree with something OR we wouldn't do it ourselves.
Most of the people who criticize tracts and tell others how not to share their faith are usually the ones who don't share their faith at all. That's how I was and those who I have encountered.
I've been using tracts since January and I truly believe that every Christian should use tracts. Am I saying you're bad or not a good Christian if you don't, no, but we are ALL called to spread the gospel by all means. Having good biblical tracts is a very useful tool in the field of evangelism. Let's look at why in more detail:
Why should you give out tracts? Here are 10 reasons:
They are a very economical form of evangelism
They work while we sleep
They have the ability to get into a house and stay there
They are never afraid or show cowardice
They are never tempted to compromise their message
They never get tired, discouraged or give up
They stick to what they have to say and never argue
They can present the message when we don't have time
They can go to places where we cannot
They get people in the mood – they only speak when they are read
When giving out tracts don't ask, "Would you like one of these?" They will probably just say "No", or "What is it?"
Instead ask, "Did you get one of these?" That makes the person feel that he is missing out on something, and it also stirs up curiosity. Try it...it really works!
If you know the person, ask for their opinion of the tract's content. If you are too shy to give out tracts, mail them when paying bills or just leave them where they will be found.
Many people have been saved through tracts, including the great missionary Hudson Taylor. Make tracts a habit for life!
(From www.onemilliontracts.com)
At first I was embarassed to leave tracts places or hand them out. Every reason and doubt I have for witnessing or using tracts is always a selfish one.
Now I always have at least one tract on me. And I never cease to be amazed at how God will use the tract that I put in my pocket every morning. Everyone will share their faith in their own way, but I really want to emphasize on how easy and effective using tracts can be! Whether you leave a tract some place or put them in the hand of someone else, you are spreading the gospel. Praise God for the invention of the printing press : )
I hope that you will at least try it out and then pray that someone will read and be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit through the gospel of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Here is a great article on tracts. http://www.christiananswers.net/evangelism/methods/tracts.html
www.livingwaters.com, www.customtractsource.com, and www.onemilliontracts.com have good deals on purchasing gospel tracts.
If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me anytime!
Thank you so much for reading and may God bless you and yours!
In Christ,
Joey
*There are tracts that are unbiblical, but everything I am referring to in this post is regarding biblical tracts*
A biblical gospel tract is a piece of literature that contains the law and the gospel of the bible. They come in many shapes and forms.
Here's an example:
(The Law)
Will you go to heaven when you die? Here's a quick test. Have you ever told a lie, stolen anything, or used God's name in vain? Jesus said, "whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Have you looked with lust? Will you be guilty on judgment day? If you have done those things, God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulter at heart. The bible warns that if you are guilty you will end up in hell. That's not God's will.
(The Gospel)
He sent His son to suffer and die on the cross for you. You broke God's law, but Jesus paid your fine. That means he can commute your death sentence. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Then He rose from the dead and defeated death. Please, repent (turn from sin) today and trust alone in Jesus, and God will grant you the gift of everlasting life. Then read your bible daily and obey it.
(From the Million Dollar Bill Tract from www.livingwaters.com)
I'll be honest, before I was a born again Christian I thought tracts were annoying, silly, would push people away and thought ugly things of people who left them places. I had those thoughts even when I thought and called myself a Christian.
Once God changed my heart I immediately wanted to tell the world and share my faith however I could, especially after it commands that of us in the bible. The problem was, I was immensly shy. I began to look at gospel tracts completely different. The true gospel does push some people away. There is no getting around it. Jesus Christ would not have been crucified if everyone agreed with what He said and how He said it. 11 of the 12 apostles would not have been martyrd either. As Christians we too often say, "that pushes people away", when we don't agree with something OR we wouldn't do it ourselves.
Most of the people who criticize tracts and tell others how not to share their faith are usually the ones who don't share their faith at all. That's how I was and those who I have encountered.
I've been using tracts since January and I truly believe that every Christian should use tracts. Am I saying you're bad or not a good Christian if you don't, no, but we are ALL called to spread the gospel by all means. Having good biblical tracts is a very useful tool in the field of evangelism. Let's look at why in more detail:
Why should you give out tracts? Here are 10 reasons:
They are a very economical form of evangelism
They work while we sleep
They have the ability to get into a house and stay there
They are never afraid or show cowardice
They are never tempted to compromise their message
They never get tired, discouraged or give up
They stick to what they have to say and never argue
They can present the message when we don't have time
They can go to places where we cannot
They get people in the mood – they only speak when they are read
When giving out tracts don't ask, "Would you like one of these?" They will probably just say "No", or "What is it?"
Instead ask, "Did you get one of these?" That makes the person feel that he is missing out on something, and it also stirs up curiosity. Try it...it really works!
If you know the person, ask for their opinion of the tract's content. If you are too shy to give out tracts, mail them when paying bills or just leave them where they will be found.
Many people have been saved through tracts, including the great missionary Hudson Taylor. Make tracts a habit for life!
(From www.onemilliontracts.com)
At first I was embarassed to leave tracts places or hand them out. Every reason and doubt I have for witnessing or using tracts is always a selfish one.
Now I always have at least one tract on me. And I never cease to be amazed at how God will use the tract that I put in my pocket every morning. Everyone will share their faith in their own way, but I really want to emphasize on how easy and effective using tracts can be! Whether you leave a tract some place or put them in the hand of someone else, you are spreading the gospel. Praise God for the invention of the printing press : )
I hope that you will at least try it out and then pray that someone will read and be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit through the gospel of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Here is a great article on tracts. http://www.christiananswers.net/evangelism/methods/tracts.html
www.livingwaters.com, www.customtractsource.com, and www.onemilliontracts.com have good deals on purchasing gospel tracts.
If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me anytime!
Thank you so much for reading and may God bless you and yours!
In Christ,
Joey