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Long Way From Home

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Long Way From Home

Ministry Update January 23, 2023

Before Michael and I walked around downtown Friday night and handed out Gospel tracts, he prayed a really nice prayer and he asked God to bless any conversations that we get into. We received a lot of no’s when offering tracts, but we had a few takers. There were a couple of guys standing in front of a bar and I handed both of them tracts. As they thumbed through them, I told them they were Gospel tracts that tell you about Jesus. Then I asked them if they know who Jesus is and surprisingly they both shook their heads no. They were a long way from home since they are from Bangladesh, but we were still surprised that they didn’t know who Jesus is.

I talked to them about how Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and why He came to this earth that He created. Then I asked them if they consider themselves to be good. Adeem’s friend said yes, but Adeem said that he was probably more good than bad. I explained how God is perfect and none of us are perfect. That’s why we need a Savior, since we’ve all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. They both listened graciously while I shared the Gospel with them.

Do You Have A Bible?

Afterwards, I asked them if they have Bibles and both of them said they didn’t. So then I asked if they’d read it if I gave them one. Adeem’s friend said no, but Adeem thought for a second and then said that he would read it. I handed him a New Testament, pointed to the sky and told him that this book is unlike any other book he’s ever read. It is inspired by the Creator God in Heaven and that if he will ask God to reveal His truth to Adeem, that I believe God will do so. I also encouraged Adeem to read the Bible to see if what we were telling him was the truth. Both guys shook our hands and thanked us for talking with them. May God convict and convert Adeem and his friend. Michael and I handed out some more tracts before the night was over. But this encounter is what we pray for and hope God will bless us with. We don’t always get the opportunity to clearly present the Gospel while witnessing, but it’s always encouraging and a real blessing when we get to do so.

(These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share the glorious Gospel with this lost and dying world)

Whom The Son Sets Free

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Whom The Son Sets Free

I’m sure most believers recognize “whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” The actual Bible verse is John 8:36 and it states: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Most Christians know this verse or some version that’s very close to the actual Bible verse. But do we really believe it? Do we really believe whom the Son sets free is free indeed? Or do we just say it because it sounds nice, because it’s in the Bible?

To give the Bible verse more context, please listen to John 8:28-36 where Jesus is speaking: Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? [Read more…]

First Mockers Then Encouragers

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Michael Handing Out Tracts

First Mockers Then Encouragers

Ministry Update December 11, 2022

Friday night was a bit of a strange night, witnessing wise because it was first mockers then encouragers. The mockers showed up while we were handing out tracts. I got to our witnessing spot before Michael did, so I handed out tracts until he got there and I had two different cars full of mockers. One even pulled into a parking lot near me and yelled as they pulled into the lot and then yelled again when they drove away. All I was doing was handing out tracts. No signs, no open air preaching (at that point). Then when Michael got there, we were handing out tracts on the same corner and a passenger in a truck yelled at me while I was getting more tracts out of my witnessing bag. He yelled, “Shake that a__.” I yelled back that he needs to repent and trust Jesus.  [Read more…]

An Evil Heart

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An Evil Heart

When you hear the phrase “an evil heart or “a black heart”, what do you think of? Do you think of a cold-hearted killer? Maybe you think of Hitler, Stalin, Putin, or the gunman who killed 10 people and wounded three more at the grocery store in Buffalo, NY. Maybe you think of the person who killed the four students in Idaho. I’m sure most of us think of a murderer or mass murderer like these people I’ve mentioned. But what if I told you that you may have an evil heart? I’d say most people would protest and say there is no way that they have an evil heart. But you just might have one.

Did you know that the Bible says unbelievers have an evil heart? This is interesting, isn’t it? A lot of unbelievers claim there is no God, but God says that atheists are fools (Psalm 14:1). Unbelievers suppress the truth in unrighteousness because they don’t want to be accountable to an all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present Creator God, so they pretend that there is no God. They know they are sinning against God, but they’d rather act like God does not exist. But I doubt very many atheists would say that they have an evil heart. [Read more…]

Rededicate My Life

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Rededicate My Life

Tyail, Joshua and I witnessed downtown Friday night. I brought a message and had a couple of walk by mockers, but they were too far away and I couldn’t make out what they were saying, so I just kept open air preaching. Toward the end of the message, a guy walked up and started talking to Joshua. The guy was homeless and Joshua got the man a sleeping bag and a pair of socks that Joshua had brought with him. While Joshua went to his vehicle to get these things, the man crossed the street and walked up to me and said, “I want to rededicate my life to the Lord.”

I don’t get into debates as to whether or not rededicating your life is biblical or not because I don’t get caught up on terminology. If someone wants to repent and surrender their life to Jesus, I don’t care if they were a false convert or someone who thinks they are rededicating their life or not. Spiritually getting right with Jesus is the main thing. So I suggested the man go ahead and pray and then I’d pray after him. Unfortunately, the guy prayed for his physical needs, but nothing about repentance and not a single word about rededicating his life to Jesus.

Spiritual Needs

I prayed after he finished praying and since he didn’t bring up his spiritual needs at all, I prayed that God would save the man. That God would grant him repentance and faith in Jesus. I also prayed for his physical needs, but mainly focused on his spiritual needs. Joshua joined us while I was praying and Joshua handed him the sleeping bag and a pair of socks. Joshua had witnessed to this man before, so Joshua asked Daniel if he’d been drinking and Daniel admitted that he had been. So then Joshua asked him what happened to him. He asked the question because the last time Joshua witnessed to him, Daniel was sober and reading his Bible. Daniel admitted that he’d been hanging around the wrong people and had fallen back into drinking again.

Tyail joined us by this time (she had been handing out tracts across the street,) all three of us took turns quoting Scripture to Daniel and encouraged him to turn from his sins and turn to Jesus to save him. We pointed out that whom the Son sets free, is free indeed. Tyail quoted Proverbs 20:1, I quoted 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and Joshua quoted several other verses. Daniel graciously listened. We weren’t picking on him, it was out of love that we were sharing Bible verses and showing him that we are concerned for his eternal soul. About that time Joshua asked Daniel if he was still reading his Bible and Daniel admitted that it had gotten wet, so Joshua gave him another one. Joshua also gave him a plastic bag to keep all these things in. Tyail recommend a place for him to stay the night and Daniel headed off in that direction. We hope and pray that God will truly save Daniel and set him free from the addiction of alcohol.

Handing Out Tracts

Joshua needed to leave after we talked to Daniel, so Tyail and I walked around downtown and handed out tracts. I handed out a few, but Tyail handed out a lot of them. I appreciated her boldness in going up to people that were standing outside of bars and the majority of them took tracts from her. We ended up back at our normal spot and handed out tracts there. After we prayed to end the night, I saw a woman walking my direction about a half a block away so I waited for her to reach me. I handed her a tract and she asked about it, so I told her that it’s a Gospel tract that tells you about Jesus. She smiled really big and said that she knows Jesus. I suggested she hand the tract to someone that needs it and she said that she would. It was a great way to end the night.

Hearty Amen!

I brought a message a MSU on Wednesday and didn’t have any mockers. A couple of students took pictures or recorded briefly as they walked by. But two students stood there for a few minutes and listened to the message. But the highlight was when I mentioned King Jesus and that every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, a young lady walked by and gave a Hearty Amen! It’s always encouraging when students aren’t afraid to say Amen in public and a little encouragement goes a long way.

(These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share the Gospel with others)

Thankful To Who?

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Thankful To Who?

Michael was the only one who witnessed Friday night and I thank God that Michael did so. He handed out tracts at our normal witnessing spot and he got to talk to K again, the same young man we talked to a couple of weeks ago. We are still praying that God will save K. Again, I’m thankful that Michael went out, even though he went alone and that God sent K to Michael so they could talk again.

But on Thanksgiving Day, who did you thank? You were thankful to who? This may seem like a silly question, but it really isn’t. True believers obviously thanked the one true God – the God of the Bible. Even some non-believers and false converts also probably thanked God. But what about those who say they don’t believe in God? What about Atheist? Atheists and other non-believers are thankful to who? I’ve even had non-believing family members thank trees or the earth. Some non-believers thank the stars and other heavenly bodies.

I didn’t witness Friday night, but all week I kept thinking about this question and remembered that I brought a message downtown four years ago about this very subject. It was a message entitled: Who Do You Thank?

Contradictions In The Bible And Other Excuses

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Contradictions In The Bible And Other Excuses

While out street witnessing, we hear many unbelievers claim that there are contradictions in the Bible and other excuses. These claims usually come out when men and women are confronted with their own sinfulness and God’s Holiness. Instead of recognizing and accepting their failures, short comings, out-right sinfulness and ungodliness, they fall back on excuses such as the Bible was written by men, other religions talk about a flood and have a savior as well as there being contradictions in the Bible and other excuses.

But are there really contradictions in the Bible? We recently had a young man claim this while we witnessed to him. When asked to give us an example, the young man was unable to do so. More times than not, this is the case. Unbelievers who claim that there are contradictions in the Bible can’t even provide one example. Even when someone makes an attempt to show one, they are typically feeble attempts or a real stretch. [Read more…]

Cold And Slow

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Cold And Slow

Ministry Update November 20, 2022

Friday night was cold and slow, but there were still a few people downtown. The weather was 24 degrees and felt like 16 degrees with the windchill. It was so cold that no one stopped to talk. I brought a short message and had no mockers or encouragers. I was blessed to have Conner and a couple of his kids join me. I was surprised that his young son and daughter came with him, but they said they wanted to come. It’s great when they come out because people take tracts from them who wouldn’t take them from Conner or myself. May God bless the tracts that were taken. We had a great time handing out tracts even in the cold weather. It was cold, but not the coldest weather I’ve witnessed in. That would be the super cold Super Bowl Outreach in Minneapolis, MN in 2018.

(These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share their faith with others)

Getting Away With It

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Getting Away With It

Several years ago I heard that one half of all murderers in America are never caught. One half! This is a mind-blowing statistic. How can one half of all murders go unsolved? I just double checked and according to a CBS news article dated June 29, 2022, approximately half of all murders go unsolved. There’s more violent crime today and less police officers. So criminals are getting away with it, even getting away with murder.

But are they really getting away with it? Even if a murderer kills someone when the murderer is in their teens and they live to be 90 years old, they may think they’ve gotten away with murder for over 70 years. But they really haven’t gotten away with it. There is judgment to come. It’s appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). [Read more…]

Encounter Of The Good Kind

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Encounter Of The Good Kind

Tyail, Joshua, Michael and I witnessed downtown Friday night. The temperature was above freezing, but it was cold with the 10 mile per hour wind. This was our first night of witnessing on a cold night and it was really cold. I started off with a short message and had a couple of walk by mockers. Because of the cold, Joshua suggested we go caddie corner across the street and stand next to the building to block the wind. We thought that was a great idea, so we all moved over there and that’s when we had the encounter of the good kind. [Read more…]