¿Habla usted español?

It's here!!! The Way of the Master Basic Training Course is finally available in Spanish!!!! YAY!! Check out the new Spanish Living Waters site!




Our pal Mary has received her package and is ready to go! She is preparing to go into full time ministry as a missionary. She wants to get this training going here in Florida and then take it down to Peru. We are praying that Spanish speaking people will come alongside of her to help. Go Mary!






Gio and Christine live in Bloomington, Illinois with their beautiful daughter, Isabella. I met Gio when he came out for evangelism on Constitution Trail. They attend my Dad's 'Sowers Class' at Calvary Baptist Church. Gio played professional soccer in his home country of Guatemala. When I learned they spoke Spanish I was really excited, but to tell you the truth I didn't know if he and Christine would be willing to teach the class. You see, they have been through one of the hardest years of their lives. Earlier this year they lost their young son, Emilio to cancer. How do you survive something like that? They are graciously allowing God to have full control of their lives. They estimate that there are about 5,000 Spanish speaking people living in and around Bloomington.

Please pray for both of these classes. May the Lord bless all involved.

The Gospel wins at the Global Warming Summit

We have just received this from our Brother in Christ, Dayton Griffin:

Greetings from Copenhagen,

First of all, a huge THANK YOU to all who have prayed, sent references, or directly worked on translations of the "Good News" gospel tracts. We have translations to 13 other languages completed, with several more "in the works." After English and Danish, Chinese has been the most frequently-given language. But we are finding need for all of the languages we have. So many times we have seen someone visibly brighten when we offer "Good News" in their own heart language!

We have had many productive days here at COP15, sharing the gospel along with our Danish brothers and sisters at the Little Mermaid statue and on the main "walking street." People happily receive the "Obama trillions" and million-dollar bill tracts from Living Waters, and our children have been successful in handing out over a thousand of these.



We've had numerous divine appointments, like sharing a gospel tract with "Sofia" on the train Sunday morning only to learn that she is a messianic Jew who Jesus found 5 years ago. What an encouragement to talk with her and exalt our savior as we were heading to the front lines of the spiritual battle. On Friday, Kelie had a long discussion with "Nikolai," who came back around to talk further after getting a gospel tract. Nikolai was ready that day to repent and trust Jesus! We've had many other productive conversations. Although many here have been deceived into worshipping the creation while denying the Creator, we are sharing the truth in love.

The conference lasts through Friday, so we plan to go out again as the Lord leads and directs. We'd appreciate prayers for physical and spiritual protection for this ministry team.

Blessings, The Griffin Family

A great problem...

In preparation for an upcoming, long flight I ordered an item to be delivered tomorrow morning. I found out an hour ago it won't be arriving. Arghhhh.


I called customer service since this is something they were responsible for. After speaking with Mahyreen I realized nothing could be done about it.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked me.

"Yes, you can answer this question for me. What happens after we die?"

Silence.

"Please, give me a moment to think about this."

"Certainly."

After a long silence..."I think we go to Heaven and see each other."

"Everyone goes?"

Hesitation and then, "well,...I think you have to be good. I try to be good and I always try to help everyone I can..."

"So you are a good person?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever heard of the 10 Commandments?" I said this thinking she was probably in India. "Thou shalt not lie, thou shall not kill..."

"10 commitments...no I haven't."

"Have you ever read the Bible? They are in the Bible."

"No, I haven't."

"God gave these Laws to us. They work through our conscience because no matter where we live in this world, we all have a conscience."

"That's exactly right! We all do!"

"Here's the first one, 'Thou shalt not lie'-
how many lies have you told?"

"Oh, I think that is innumerable."

"Me too, and I will tell you that I failed this test when I took it."

"Have you ever stolen anything? Think of it like this, ever taken anything at all that wasn't yours? One minute on the time clock, paperclip from work?"

"Oh, I have done this thing many times."

"When we do these things, we are liars and thieves."

"Oh..."

"Have you had sex outside of marriage? Because it is also says, 'Don't commit adultery.' "

"I have not done that. I am not married."

"It also applies to sex without being married."

"I have not done that."

"Jesus took this to a higher level when He said, 'Whoever looks at another person with a sexual or immoral thought has already committed adultery."

"Oh...I have done that many times."

"The Bible says that 'It is appointed for man to die once, after this the Judgment!' The moment after you die you will stand accountable for your life. God will judge you with His standard of righteousness. If something happened to you today and He judges you, will you be innocent or guilty of breaking His law?"

I heard her take a deep breath but she didn't answer right away. After a moment she said, "I'm speechless!"

"Does it concern you that if God judged you today, He would be bound by His Holiness to condemn your soul to Hell??"

"But not if I apologize to Him for what I've done!"

We talked about going to court after running over a child, and being found guilty of manslaughter. "If you apologize really well, can you go home?"

"No, you can't!"

"If the judge gives you a fine of $2M USD, can you pay it?"

"No, I don't have that."

"What if someone comes in and tells the judge they have the payment he's looking for, can you go free?"

"Yes!"

"Well, Jesus did that for you. Jesus was God in the flesh. He took on the form of a man for us. This God Who created the Heavens and the Earth can do anything He wants, can't He?"

"Oh, yes He can!"

"He did! He died after living a perfectly sinless life, He was buried and three days later He rose from the grave to defeat our worst enemies, Death and Hell!! We don't have to fear those anymore! God requires two things of us in order to pay this fine. He requires that we repent or turn away from our sin and trust in Jesus and no other. In the book of John Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father but by Me.' Do you own a Bible?"

"No. But I will purchase one today."

"Oh, please read the Gospel of John and think about what we talked about-OK?"

"I will, God bless you and Merry Christmas!"


Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God

Job 15:6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; your own lips testify against you.


Another seed planted.

The pictures show the state of Europe and the Gospel. Although they are only captured with my phone, you can see clearly where we are.

No one wanted to hear the great news of the Season when Christ was born-


Empty plates,








flights taking people to anywhere but to the Lord-



but then in the midst of darkness, a bright shining face... I think she was the only person I saw smiling. Surprise!! A Christian!






She (her name is too long to spell) is working at Amsterdam Airport-Schipol to earn money to go to Bible college in Sydney.




Though I gave out or left on seats, magazine racks, etc. over 50 tracts, I was not discouraged when people would not talk or take a tract because some one will pick up a tract and be blessed.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

Talk of dividing Jerusalem is in the wind!

We've heard this sort of thing for years, but the times-they are a'changin'.

Isaiah 62:6-7 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth

A bird's eye view

Psalms 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! "May they be secure who love you!

For Your glory!

1Chronicles 29:11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.

Oh, that this might be the prayer of us all.

Fading away

I met a man today who is fading away. Scripture says, 'The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.' (Isaiah 40:7-8)

He is so wasted that when I put my hand on his thin shoulder, I could feel the scapula and clavicle in detail where they join the humerus bone of the arm. He felt so fragile that I was afraid to even put the weight of my hand on him. I did not feel flesh but only bone. He had open sores on his skin and his breath was a reminder that death was very near.

He spoke openly of dying and told me that he didn't believe in Heaven or Hell. He just thinks that he will die and know nothing after that. He listened as we talked of eternity but did not answer about his destiny. I explained that we will live on eternally and that he was rightly destined for Hell. When I was done talking with him I asked him if we could pray for him. He shrugged that shoulder ever so slightly- as if he didn't have a care in the world.

I prayed that God would convict Ken of his sin and draw him. I prayed that he would seek the Truth, no matter what it is. He did not react.

When we parted I told Ken that I enjoyed our conversation. I asked him to consider it carefully because it was the most important decision he would ever make.

This man's soul will outlive his body...

Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)


Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Conversing with the dead.

I met S. when I gave him a tract. He was a young guy about 16. He had an accent and told me he was from Germany, visiting here. I noticed an unusual necklace that he was wearing. He told me it was to ward off evil spirits and he thought it had something to do with kabbalah. He went on to tell me that his grandfather was a man who 'conversed with the dead'.

Regarding the afterlife, S. thought that everyone goes to Heaven and he didn't really believe in Hell. We talked about the standard of goodness and I took him through the Law with the 10 Commandments. S. admitted guilt on three serious offenses. When I asked him where he would spend eternity he seemed unsure. We talked about Hell in detail. We talked about the pain and torment experienced there. I told him it was unending.

I asked him if he had ever seen any of the 'dead people' that his grandfather claimed to 'call up'. He told me he had indeed. I asked him if he knew that those 'dead people' were in actuality demons. He nodded. Funny, he already knew who they really were. I told him the story about when Satan was cast from Heaven. I let him know that those spirits were destined for Hell and according to James 2:19 they already believed in God, without question. Seeing another young man motioning to him, I quickly told him of the Redeemer and what He did for us. S. listened and told me he had to go.



"Before you go S., I want you to know something. Those demons you are playing with will tire of the games. One day soon you will be in over your head and there is only One name given among men, whereby you must be saved. His name is Jesus and He's your only Hope. Call His name!!"






Acts 4:12 'And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

What will it cost you??? Everything.

Spelling and grammatical errors aside...

What does it cost you to follow Christ? Everything. Steve Lawson preaches on Luke 14 on the Cost of Discipleship. The sad reality is that many people are just part of a crowd; many are in the crowd of those who listen to Piper, Washer, Conway, MacArthur, yet they themselves have not truly submitted to the Lordship of Christ.

Search yourself out this very day… have you come to saving faith? Or do you just wish you had the reality of Christ that you see others have? Don’t be part of the wrong crowd. Time is getting short.

This was preached at the: www.resolved.org
Steve Lawson is a pastor of: www.cfbcmobile.org

Soul Food

Clementine waited on Tina and I at the local soul food kitchen near campus. The pulled pork sandwich looked so good! (OK, I am coming clean when I say I got the mac n' cheese to go with it!) I gave her an icebreaker and she smiled.

When I asked her what she thought would happen to us after we die, she told me that we will go to Heaven. After discussing the afterlife in a little more detail I gave her the GP Test. She failed, as we all do. She listened intently as we continued. After talking about Hell, Clementine understood the ramifications of her sin.

As she gave me my change we talked about God's extraordinary grace in allowing a way for us to go to Heaven. I asked her to think about what we discussed and walked over to our table. Tina and I prayed for her immediately.

The soul food was everything advertised and more. I hoped Clementine was chewing on her 'soul food'.

A couple of minutes later she called out, "Nice to meet you." as she went out the door to catch her ride.

Tina is going to drop in and visit our new friend, and probably have some more of that delicious pulled pork along with conversation.

Hoping to see you in Heaven, Clementine...

Team Yale: Mission Accomplished

To give you a quick overview, I got this from Wikipedia:
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Yale has produced many notable alumni, including five U.S. presidents, nineteen U.S. Supreme Court Justices, and several foreign heads of state.

Incorporated as the Collegiate School, the institution traces its roots to 17th-century clergymen who sought to establish a college to train clergy and political leaders for the colony. In 1718, the College was renamed Yale College to honor a gift from Elihu Yale, a governor of the British East India Company. In 1861, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences became the first U.S. school to award the Ph.D.

Yale College was transformed beginning in the 1930s through the establishment of residential colleges, 12 of which now exist (but with two more planned). Almost all tenured professors teach undergraduate courses, more than 2,000 of which are offered annually.

The University's assets include a US $16.3 billion endowment, the second largest of any academic institution, and more than two dozen libraries that hold a total of 12.5 million volumes (making it one of the world's largest library systems). Yale and Harvard have been rivals in academics, athletics, and other activities for most of their history, competing annually in The Game and the Harvard-Yale Regatta.

When I first heard of the opportunity to lead the team at Yale University I was a bit anxious. I didn’t know what to expect since I hadn’t seen anyone in that area for 25 years.

I prayed as the Lord formed the team. One by one they came…but not as many as I’d hoped. Since I live in Florida and the event was in Connecticut, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and was dependent on the Lord each day for the details. He brought Stan Gucwa and his wife, Donna along. They kindly took delivery of the boxes and moved their cars over. My old friend, Pastor Steve Baker and his wife Colleen joined the group and even dragged their nephew, Wayon to the event. Stan spoke to his home group and Chand and Roberta Ahuja got excited and involved-they were also kind enough to invite me to 'Hotel Ahuja". Tina Carlson was all about this project and was able to provide details about the campus we desperately needed. Then LW sent me an email from some guy named James Harriott. After giving him a hard time and making sure he was who he said he was, he joined the group. We are so thankful that he did.

We had our lone meeting Monday and put our heads together over a campus map. Then we did some role-playing. We had a great time and as the Lord saw fit, a bond formed between family. Donna made sure no one went away hungry!

We used the folding crates from Staples as suggested and they were fabulous. Just what we needed since we didn’t have a very large group. We needed to get in there and get those books out since we didn’t have an official invitation onto the campus. There is no free speech area either at Yale. This is probably a requirement for a censored education.

On the recon trip that Tina and I took 2 days before the big event, we spotted an area rather like a quadrangle. We hung out and saw that it had the best traffic of any area.

Wednesday 8:30 am: We met in the parking lot and drove to New Haven to the street we had agreed upon. Stan had organized everything and even pre-packed the folding crates before loading the cars. All we had to do was take them out and GO!

We spread out to different points. Students trickled by this morning. The books went pretty easily and after we had about half of them distributed, Stan walked in and told me he had just run into a guy who ‘wigged out’ when he saw what Stan was passing out. He said, “Hey, you’re not supposed to be here until tomorrow!” The student had jumped off of his skateboard and was now making phone calls furiously. Within minutes, he was joined by two other people. The young man, named Ashok was almost embarrassed to be surprised by us. One of the other young men had a box with papers, which he was furiously stapling together. He would staple some together and then try to distribute them along side of us. But he had to continually run back and staple some more together. Seems they were not prepared-even though they thought the event was less than 24 hours away.


Among the comments heard were:

-One professionally dressed woman (50’s) hugged it, raised her fist and said, “I’m with you-the gospel of Charles Darwin!”
-some said-”This is deceitful!”
-most people said, “Thanks!”
-after a quick review of intro, one very angry atheist said to me, “You are a transitional form-when you’re dead!!”
-another disturbed man brought it back and opened the book pushing it towards me and said, “How could you write this garbage?”
-Yale has many old churches and I was stationed outside one. A woman staffer came out and I offered her a book. She refused. When she returned I offered it again. She told me that she believed in God. I told her we did, too and asked her to read the intro. She gave me an odd look and took the book. In a few minutes her co-workers began to come out and ask for their own copy.

-Comments from SSA representatives:
- “Oh man, you’re supposed to come tomorrow!”
-“I wish I could get Ray to sign mine. This is going to be a family heirloom!”
-Stan told Mike from SSA that when Mike was judged on that day, he could not blame Stan for not telling him the truth. Mike replied with a laugh, “Yeah, that’s the one bad thing about being an atheist, we won’t get to say, “I told you so!”

-I did not have anyone profess to be a Christian

Tina found this article today.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/crosscampus/2009/11/18/creationism-vs-secularism-showdown-cross-campus/


FOX Reports:
Northern New England surpassed the Pacific Northwest as the least religious region, with Vermont reporting the highest share of those claiming no religion, at 34 percent. Still, the study found that the numbers of Americans with no religion rose in every state.



I am so grateful to the Lord for putting together such a wonderful team of people-right where He wants them.

Continuing down the narrow path-

November Friday Fest

Friday the 13th and another Street Party in Melbourne FL. At the monthly street party we have a Good Person tent that asks the question “Are you a Good Person?” This Friday was great, 12 evangelists were there preaching God’s Word. Many great stories and many heart breaking ones where people are hardened against His Word.
Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

I was able to speak to a Muslim while his friend was talking to Dave. We both were able to give them the Gospel and thought they argued, they heard John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I also gave them a DVD we have a Muslim who converted to Christianity.
The picture is Steve talking to a couple of kids. Remember this is a street party and people walking around drinking beer and wine, yet they bring their kids.


Pray for those who heard the Word!

Trunks of treats....

Halloween always gives us an opportunity to witness to all kinds of people. Seems lately the most difficult to witness to are those who say they are Christians. I am not judging because I don’t know if they are or are not followers of Jesus Christ, only He knows. However their attitudes seem to be not one of joy and appreciation and humbleness but one of “don’t challenge me on my belief”.

So at our Good Person tent setup a local church "Trunks of Treats" event, a mom and her 3 kids came over to see if they were indeed “A Good Person”. The boy, about 7 years old said he wanted to take the test. I explained it is using the Ten Commandments as the guide.

Me “Do you think you are a good person?”

Boy “Yes” and Mom “oh-oh”

Me “In your whole life, as short as it’s been so far, have you ever told a lie?”

Boy “yes” and Mom “But you told Jesus you were sorry”
BTW, I did my best to completely ignore any of mom’s comments.

Me “But you did lie, right?”
Mom tried to interject but the Boy said “yes”.

Me “Is this your mom?” and he shook his head yes. “Have you always obeyed your mom and done everything she asked you to do?” Again Mom answered for him and I repeated it to the boy and he said “no”.

I explained now that he has broken of two of the Ten Commandments and as I paused a second Mom interjects “but you told Jesus you were sorry – remember? And you asked Jesus into your heart”.
I ignored her and asked if he were to stand in front of God right now would he be guilty or innocent, then I realized he may not understand that so I re-phrased to “if you stood in front of God now that you have said you have broken 2 of the Commandments, would you tell God that you have lied and not obeyed your parents?” He looked down for a moment and before he could reply Mom said “but you have said you were sorry and remember when you got saved?”

Finally the boy said he would have to tell God he broke the commandments and as I started to tell him he would not be going to heaven, I could see Mom having real problems. So I quickly asked the boy if he knew what Jesus did for him so he could go to heaven.

He said he had no idea. Mom quickly jumped in again and said “don’t you remember when you got saved?”
I explained how Jesus made the payment for his sin and that he could not make the payment on his own. He needed to repent meaning to admit he sinned and turn away from sinning. He must then put his faith and trust in Jesus.

Mom said something again and this too was ignored by me. Not that I know the boy’s heart but there is definitely a difference between what this boy knows and believes and what his mother says he believes.

Please pray for this boy to understand that he must come to Jesus, not by proxy through his mother. It is a relationship between him and God, not his mother’s desire that will lead him to salvation. The big problem here is that Mom’s insistence that her son is saved will lead to a false convert, even at 7 years old.

Oh Canada.

Roger, a Canadian here on business was busy taking a picture of the beach warning sign that has the different color flags and their warnings. These are rip currents, high winds and the blue flag is for Man of War or Jellyfish. He asked if this was for real, thinking it might be a joke. I told him sure but it does not happen very often with excessive dangerous jellyfish. I also said that some people can have adverse reactions and can die. He was surprised. I then said you know those that die from these stings are like anyone else who dies – they wind up in Heaven or Hell. I asked Roger where he thought he might go.

There was the transition – I did not even think about it, but the Holy Spirit led me through this and the rest of the conversation. Roger was very interested in hearing about Law and Grace. I wrapped it up by telling him to look for the Bible that was probably in his hotel room. He said he would and also read the “Why Christianity” booklet. I did mention if he saw a Book or Mormon to pitch it and not read it. He said he knew about this type of religion (I corrected him to call Mormonism a cult) because some of his relatives are JW’s and he knew what they said was a lie.
Pray Roger reads and follows through with where the Lord is leading him.

Dan was with another guy drinking coffee and I stopped to talk to him. Gave him a MDB and asked where he was going when he died. He said he was a Christian and knew about repentance and grace and would be going to heaven. I challenged him and asked if I were stabbed in the back and fell in front of him – how would I get to heaven? He answered again about repentance and that Jesus died on the Cross for the repentant sinner. So I thought this was easy, time to move on.

Then Dan explained he had stopped going to church because they did not like his life style. He told me the guy next to him was his life partner, Steve. Dan said he was married and has some kids but knew he was genetically homosexual. (huh?)

I asked him what he thought of the verses throughout the Bible regarding homosexuality. (1 Corinthians says 'no homosexuals will enter heaven'). He said he would deal with that when he died and was in front of God because he knew God knew him well enough. I asked if there was anything else in the Bible he thought was false. Either all the Bible is true or none of it is.

I left them thinking.

Dogs: Good segue.

John was sitting on a bench with his dog. I gave him a MDB, told him it had an important message on it. He kind of looked at and put it in his pocket. I asked about his dog, a yellow lab, talked about my dog and the other dogs we had. That they died and I wonder what happens to them? He said "interesting thought" to which I replied – "what will happen to you when you die?"


He told me about growing up as a Catholic, etc. I then went right to the Law, Repentance and Faith. I told him that God wants the relationship, not a religion. He got a “Why Christianity” booklet to read. He thanked me for talking to him and not shoving religion down his throat and now he has something to think about.

While I was walking away he stopped me and asked if we were born sinners. I reminded him of Adam and Eve and how they were born sinless but then fell into sin, blamed everyone else, including God for what they did and now we inherited this sin nature. He was not quite sure so I asked John if he had kids and he said 4 of them. I asked if he sat down with them to teach them how to lie or non respect him and his wife 100% of the time. He said “I get it now”.

Another Saturday at the beach…

Was it the Sound of Salvation?

re-posted from Tony Miano - http://thelawmanchronicles.blogspot.com/


No audio. No camera. No video. Just me, my little PA, and a box upon which to stand.

It had been a very long week. A two-week re-piping of our home was completed, which left me with the task of repainting almost every room of our condo. I took a week's vacation, which is to say I used five vacation days so I could work on putting my home back in order. It most certainly was not a vacation. As many of my close friends can attest, I am not a handyman. But one thing I can do with marginal competence is operate a paint brush. So, that's what I did for six days--about ten hours each day. Paint.

During that time, my grandmother had not one, but two heart attacks--the second one in her doctor's office. She was rushed to the hospital where she underwent several hours of open-heart surgery. She is eighty-five and unsaved.

The surgery went well, with the surgeon saying that my grandmother's heart was the most beautiful heart he had ever held in his hands. Her recovery was going well enough for my grandmother to complain about the food at the hospital. Then something went tragically wrong.

One day, my grandmother began to coughing uncontrollably. As a result, she began to bleed. Within minutes she was in full cardiac arrest. Hospital staff heroically performed CPR for twenty-five minutes, until the surgeon arrived. She was rushed into surgery where the surgeon was able to repair the new damage to her heart. Unfortunately, while the CPR kept her alive, it did not provide enough oxygen to her brain.

My grandmother, although she can breathe a little on her own, will never come out of her present, vegetative state. Her sons and daughters are now tasked with deciding whether or not to stop feeding her and allow her to die. My grandmother made it clear to family members that she did not want to live in a vegetative state.

My relationship with my grandmother and my mother's side of the family has been estranged since I was about ten-years-old. The estrangement was the result of the divorce of my parents. But I care about her as a human being. Over the years, I had shared the law and the gospel with her on more than one occasion.

So, on top of the physical exhaustion from working on the house, there was the emotional stress of my grandmother's pending death and trying to be an encouragement to my mom and my sister. Needless to say, there was very little time for evangelism that week.

Tuesday morning was my first opportunity in more than a week to hit the streets. Jimmy, one of my regular fishing buddies, was studying for an exam at The Master's College. David, another of my fishing buddies was working and getting ready for the birth his daughter. All of my girls were busy with school. So, I headed alone to the North Hollywood Metro Station.

A strange feeling came over me as I placed my box in front of the palm tree, on the sidewalk, on Lankershim Boulevard (the place where we set up to preach each week). I opened the box and removed my open-air preaching Bible and turned to Luke 13--the passage I would read as part of my Project Ezra effort, and the passage from which I would preach the Law and the Gospel. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. Everything seemed loud: my breathing, turning the pages of the Bible, the traffic noise, people's footsteps--everything. It felt as though I was having a mild anxiety attack.

"I'm going home." I thought. "No one would know. The people here certainly won't care if I leave. I need a break. I'm tired. I don't feel like preaching, today. The Lord will understand."

"No." Another set of thoughts came. "I've got to preach. What would so many of my friends say at this moment?" I asked myself with a smile. "'Don't quit!' All right, Tony, get up on the box and preach!"

I read Luke 13 to myself as I waited for my courage to catch up to my conviction.

"Good morning, everyone. I would like to read to you this morning Luke 13..."

As is so often the case, once I started reading the Word of God aloud, the anxiety quickly melted away. The stress and fatigue from the last week meant nothing, now. All I felt was the excitement of preaching God's Word. "Thank You, Lord." I silently prayed as I read His word aloud to the people gathered there.

By the time I finished, I had been on the box for about twenty-five minutes. I offered those within the sound of my voice a free Bible. There were no immediate takers.

I started to pack up. My plan was to go home for a bit, and then head to Cal State University Northridge. Little did I know what the Lord had in store for me there.

As I put my PA and Bible in the box, I looked up to see a woman standing in front of me.

"I would like a Bible." She said quietly.

For the next fifteen minutes, the Lord blessed me as I got to reiterate the Law and the Gospel with a very nice lady. She confided that her boyfriend was a Christian and he read the Bible to her, from time to time. She admitted that while she thought she was a Christian, she wasn't sure where she would spend eternity.

Initially, I had given her a paperback ESV New Testament. Toward the end of our conversation I asked, "Do you have a Bible at home?"

"No. I've never had a Bible."

"Here. Let me have that one."

She seemed to pout as she handed me the paperback New Testament.

"I would like you to have this instead."

I handed her a leatherbound, compact-size ESV Bible. My pastor gives me a few of these beautiful Bibles from time to time, to use in my evangelism efforts. I reserve these special Bibles for folks who the Lord either appears to save while I am with them, or for those who seem genuinely contrite and interested (more than curious) in reading the Bible.

"Ohhhh!" She gasped. "Thank you so much."

I gave her my business card and encouraged her to call me if she had any questions about either our conversation, or what she read in the Bible.

She walked away, and I finished packing up and headed to my car. I praised God for his faithfulness and thanked him for the opportunity to preach His Word and to talk to the lady who now had her first Bible.

Fast-forward to Wednesday afternoon.

I walked into my office at Living Waters to see the customary solid red light on my desk phone. I had at least one message waiting for me.

"Hello." The message began. "My name is Jane (not her real name to protect her anonymity). I'm here with my sister. You gave her a beautiful Bible the other day. It's beautiful. Thank you for talking to her. I think I would like to talk to you, too."

She left her number with a request that I call her back. I dialed the number. And for the next two days I waited to hear from her again.

This morning I got into my car to head to Staples to buy a new memory card for my camera. As I pulled onto our street, my cell phone rang. I immediately recognized the number to be that of the Jane.

"Hi, this is Tony."

"Hi, Tony. It's Jane."

"I'm so glad you called."

"I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. It's been a busy week."

"No problem at all."

Jane told me that she was a Christian who was struggling with a failed relationship.

"Jane, since we don't know each other, I would like to ask you something. It will give me an idea as to where you're at, spiritually."

"Okay."

"Let's say you're a Christian and I'm not. You learn that I only have three minutes to live. I believe there's a God out there, and I'm scared. What would you tell me?"

"Well (a momentary pause) I would tell you to believe that there is a higher power. And I would tell you to repent and pray a prayer."

"Why do I need to repent?"

"Because we're all sinners."

"Yeah, but I think I'm a pretty good guy. I've never cheated on my wife. I love my kids. I pay my taxes. Won't God take all of that into account?"

"Um. That's a good question."

I let Jane stew on that for a moment or two.

"Okay. Let's switch roles, now. I'm the Christian and you have three minutes to live. Here's what I would say to you.

"Jane, in just a few minutes you are going to stand before Almighty God; and He is going to judge you according to the perfect moral standard of His Law. If you've ever lied, He will see you as a liar. If you've ever stolen anything, He will see you as a thief. If you've ever taken His name in vain, He will see you as a blasphemer. If you've ever had a lustful thought about someone other than a spouse, then God will see you as an adulterer. If you've ever hated anyone, He will see you as a murderer.

"God is holy, righteous, just, and good. He must punish sin. And the punishment God has ascribed for sin is eternity in hell. And that's what you face in about two minutes, unless God does something."

"This is what God did. Two thousand years ago, God the Father sent His Son to earth in the person of Jesus Christ--fully-God and fully-Man, and without sin. Unlike you and me, He never once violated the Law of God in thought, word, or deed. He was perfect in every respect."

"About thirty to thirty-three years into that earthly existence, He voluntarily went to the cross. He suffered and died, shedding His innocent blood--taking upon Himself the punishment you rightly deserve for your sins against God. Then, three days later, He rose from the dead, forever defeating sin and death. He is alive today and He will return at a time of the Father's choosing.

"What God requires of you, Jane, is that you repent. God commands that you turn from your sin and by faith, and by faith alone, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. He is your only hope.

"In just a minute or so you are going to stand before God. Unless He saves you, you are going to spend eternity in hell. My hope is that instead of receiving what you deserve for your sins against God, you will receive what you and I don't deserve, which is grace, mercy, and the free gift of eternal life. So, please, repent and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior while He has given you time.

"Does that make sense?"

There was a moment of silence on the phone.

"Whoa!" She said. "How did you do that?"

Jane's response was almost humorous; but I believe, more importantly, it served to reveal the condition of her heart. Jane thought she was a Christian, but was likely not saved.

"Jane, I was able to do that because I know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior."

"Ohh." She said with a somewhat downcast tone of voice.

"Jane, what I'm about to say to you may seem kind of hard. But even though we've never met, I care about you as a person. So, just know that as you listen to what I'm about to say."

"Okay."

"What do you do for a living?"

"Well, I'm going to school right now."

"What do you want to do when you finish school?"

"I would like to be an alcohol treatment counselor."

"Jane, what if I told you I know everything there is to know about alcohol treatment. You're curious, so you say, 'Okay, Tony. Tell me everything you know about alcohol treatment.' And I say, 'Well, people who drink a lot get drunk. And if they get drunk a lot it's hard to stop. So, I think people should stop drinking.'"

Jane chuckled.

"Would you believe I know anything about alcohol treatment?"

"Well, you might know a little bit."

"But would you come to me for counseling?"

"No way."

"Good. Neither would I."

We both laughed.

"Now, Jane, I'm going to ask you a tough question. And again, I'm asking because I care about you."

"Okay."

"Jane, why should I believe you are a Christian when you can't tell me how to become a Christian?"

"You're right. I guess you shouldn't."

Jane and I talked for another half-hour. We talked about the difference between saving faith and religion. We talked about the difference between grace and works. We talked about the forgiveness of God, as seen in the story of David and Bathsheba. We talked about the difference between real and false assurance. We talked about the biblical understanding of adoption and how not everyone born to the human race is a child of God. We talked about what it meant to be "born again."

"Jane, is there any sin in your life (and you don't have to be specific with me) that you love so much that you are willing to spend eternity in hell so you can enjoy that sin in this life?"

Jane thought for a moment. "No. There is nothing in my life worth going to hell for."

"Then, again, I want to encourage you to cry out to God in repentance and faith. If He saves you, if He causes you to be born again, then He will take your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. You will begin to love the things that God loves and you will begin to hate the things that God hates. You will begin to love to read His Word. You will begin to love having fellowship with other followers of Christ. And there's another thing you will love to do."

"What's that?"

"Can you remember a time when you couldn't wait to share news with people?"

"When I found out I was pregnant with my daughter."

"How old is your daughter?"

"She's twelve."

"I have three girls: 22, 20, and 15."

"Nice."

"Remember how you couldn't wait to tell people that you were pregnant?"

"Yes."

"Remember how easy it was for you to talk about it, and how often you talked about it?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's the way it is with people who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They are so grateful for the free gift of eternal life God has given them that they can't wait to tell people what God has done for them; and they can't wait to tell people how they can come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior."

"Oh. I see what you mean."

"Jane, many people misunderstand what God did through His Son, on the cross. Let's say you and your daughter were in court one day. You decided to take your daughter to court as a civics lesson. You wanted her to see a court trial.

"Well, as it turns out, the day you decide to go to court is the day of a murder trial. The judge finds a man guilty of murder and sentences him to death.

"Just as the judge is about to have the man taken away to be executed, he turns to you and says, 'Jane, I will let this convicted murderer go if you will allow me to execute your daughter in his place.' Would you do it?"

"No way!"

"Neither would I. There is no way I would sacrifice one of my daughters so that a convicted criminal could go free."

"That's right."

"But Jane, do you understand that's what God did. 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.' God the Father allowed God the Son to be executed in the place of convicted criminals like you and me. So great is God's love that He sent His Son to die for sinners."

"That's beautiful."

"Yes it is. It's beautiful, Jane. It's a miracle. And it's a miracle I hope God will allow to take place in your life. We may never meet in person, but I hope one day when I'm standing before God's throne and worshiping Him that I will turn to my right or my left and see you there, too."

"That's what I want."

"Well, I think you need to spend some time examining yourself and talking to God."

"You're right. That's what I'm going to do. Thank you so much for talking to me."

"I'm really glad we had a chance to talk."

"Can I come to your church?"

"Of course!"

I gave Jane directions to the church and information about the time and format of the service.

"My wife and I will be praying for you and your sister, today."

"Please do." Jane paused. "I might want to talk to you again. Would that be all right?"

"Absolutely. You have my number. If you have any questions or if you just need some encouragement, don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you."

"You have a blessed day."

"You have a blessed day, too."

"Good-bye."

"Good-bye."

I hung up the phone and immediately began to praise God, lifting my hands in thanksgiving to what He had just done. And then I thought to myself, "Did I just hear the sound of salvation? Did God save Jane during our conversation?"

Only God knows. But that is certainly my hope. Her voice was humble from the very start of the conversation. If anything, her voice became even more humble as our conversation progressed. Her response the the gospel--to the atoning work of Jesus Christ was, to use her word, "beautiful."


Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Oh Lord, is that what I heard this morning? Was it the sound of amazing grace touching a human soul? Was it the sound of salvation?

Oh Lord, for Your glory, may it be so!

Posted by Tony Miano at 9:54 AM

Friday night evangelism and a dead body.

Friday Fest brought out its usual lost people. There were many opportunities for us to witness and preach the Gospel. We had our “Are You a Good Person?” booth setup to invite the question to be asked and for people to strut up and say that they are a good person.

I spoke with a guy (Derrick) about 14 who wanted to know what the booth was about. He also wanted to let me know that he was a good person. He said he understood what Jesus did for him on the cross and he had admitted at church he was a sinner. After more discussion, he realized he did not really know why he was sinner, until we went through the Law. Galatians 3:24…..

I took him through the courtroom scenario in which he was guilty of a crime, sentenced with a $10 million fine or life imprisonment. The question was: Would he be able to pay the fine? Now, if someone came in to pay his fine, and the judge accepted the payment, he could then be lawfully set free since payment was made on his behalf. I told Derrick how Jesus did a similar thing but its effect is eternal.
He had head knowledge of Jesus, but did not totally understand what Jesus did for him on the Cross. I told him to really think about what Jesus did. He needed to repent for his sin and put complete faith in Jesus Christ. Derrick said he thought he had done this but was not certain.

I reiterated he should read the info I gave him. I then asked if he reads his Bible everyday and he said he did not have one. I asked how he was going to speak to God if he did not read His Word? He did not know because his parents don’t have the gas money to go to church. Usually this is the time someone asks for money. Instead I offered him a Bible for which he was very grateful and said he had to leave and get back to his parents. I watched him leave, meet his parents at a outdoor restaurant-bar who were apparently drinking away the gas money. Pray for Derrick…..

"See the body laying there?"

Well it’s a great attention getter to use while open air preaching, which Wes and Justin were doing. Of course, people complained their little kids were frightened and the street fair folks requested we remove it. This begs the question, what were little kids doing at a street party like this?? The 2 people from the street party organizers said they really did not like telling us to put away “Annie”. They both said they were believers and really admire us for doing what we are commanded us to do. We complied and put “Annie” back in her case….. Wes and Justin went back to preaching.

Then I had four 15 year old girls show up at the booth for their Good Person test. One was pretty quiet and asked for a Spanish Gospel of John, another went through the test – failed as we all do, then asked “Will Jews go to Hell because they are Jewish?” Of course the answer was ‘No’ they will go to Hell for sinning, not repenting and not putting their faith in Yeshua as the Messiah. I told her I am Jewish and she actually stood there with nothing to say – shocker!

The other 2 girls claimed to be lesbians. 2 of the other evangelists with me also talked to them for a little while as they were getting pretty disruptive and trying to get me off topic with the first 2 girls. The 2 lesbians were hostile and completely antagonistic toward God and were asking the usual “how can a loving God send people to Hell?”, “There is no God” and “we originated by the big bang”, etc. They mocked the Bible yet I said they would believe any book a teacher throws in front of them because it is “scientific”. I was told that everything could be proven by science so there is no Creator. I asked them to make me some honey while they were standing there or a bee to make the honey. Where did all this stuff around us come from? They did not get the challenge.
Finally I told them that they can believe whatever they want but one day they will stand in front of the God they hate and be without excuse. Then it will be too late.

The girl who wanted the Spanish Gospel came back over and said she really knew she was going to heaven and why she would be. I kindly suggested that if she were really serious about her relationship with God she might want to re-evaluate coming to this event and the friends she has.

By 9 O’clock most people were getting too drunk to make any sense so we shut it down and went home….

ARDI's here!

Does this look like someone you know??

Saint Nicholas

Lately, I've been feeling a great deal of spiritual pressure. This week, I talked to both my Mom and Dad about it. They independently gave me the 'get back to basics' talk and so this morning I did exactly that.

I met Nicholas this morning in the nursing home. My friend Allyson, stood outside his room to pray for him as we talked. He explained to me that he was from Boston and that he moved into this facility after retiring two different times. We talked about Boston and about his family. He told me that he and an older sister were the only ones left now.

"Now what happens, Nicholas? You know, after we die."

"You know, I've always been curious about that. Some people say that's it and some people say there's something more." he said.

"What do you really think? Do you believe in Heaven and Hell?" I asked.

"Well, yes I do. I think there is a Heaven and a Hell." he answered.

Nicholas was under the impression that as a 'good christian man' he would go to Heaven automatically. We went through some of the 10 Commandments and Nicholas soon saw that he had grieved God by breaking His Law.

"So you see, Nicholas you are actually destined for Hell. You know Jesus talked more about Heaven than He did Hell...He was trying to warn us to stay away! People will be in so much pain that they will gnash their teeth. The fire will not burn out. I've never seen anyone in so much pain that they gnaw on their tongue but I have heard of it. What a horrible place to spend eternity!" I said.

"I don't want to go to Hell!" Nicholas stated adamantly. Then he said, "I don't think God would send me to Hell for these small things I've done."

"No liar will be found in Heaven...'all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone'. God said that there is 'none righteous-no, not one...' and that includes you, Nicholas." I explained how our sin is against God-not just each other.

Nicholas conceded that he was headed for Hell. I explained that Jesus came to take our sins upon Himself and pay for them. Nicholas listened carefully.

"Does this make sense to you, Nicholas?" I asked.

"Not exactly." he said. I stopped and prayed that the Holy Spirit would open his ears to hear Truth. Salvation is of the Lord.

I gave Nicholas the illustration of a courtroom where he would stand, guilty of manslaughter after running over a small child. He could apologize but not be let free on that basis. When presented with the fine of $2M he was unable to pay it. After a neighbor stepped in to pay the fine for him, justice was satisfied and he was free to go!

"Does this make sense" I asked again.

"Yes, it does. You know you're the first person who's ever told me this!" When he said this the expression on his face said everything. He looked as though he had barely missed being run down by a truck.

After explaining repentence and faith in Jesus Christ as the only way, I asked him if he thought this was important enough to take care of today.

"Yes!" he said.

I told Nicholas he could just pray to God right there if he wanted to. He seemed very hesitant and I thought maybe he was a bit embarrassed to pray with me there.

"You don't have to pray with me here."

He still hesitated. "Ahhh...I don't know how to pray. I can't say as I've ever done that."

"Well, just talk to God, He already knows everything. He's been waiting a long time to talk to you, Nicholas."

Nicholas was quiet, but then said, "God please forgive me for sinning. I don't want to go to Hell-I want to follow Jesus!"

After we talked a bit more I asked him to read a couple verses from the book of John. He read out loud and smiled afterwards.

"Does it make more sense now?" I asked him.

"Yes, thank you for this book."

"I'll bring you a Bible soon so you can read every day, OK?"

"OK. Thank you for coming to tell me." he said, without looking up.




John 3:16-18 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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes on Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

Steve's day.

28 Sep 2009-We got this note from Steve this morning and just had to post it...

I must share my latest example of God’s goodness and rich blessing.

Yesterday, while reading scripture during a service, I heard distinctly the phrase “I don’t believe that.” Troubling? Absolutely, especially when I know better! I spent the rest of the day in a funk. The only activity that made the day worthwhile was reading aloud “More Than a Carpenter” by Josh McDowell. The funk continued through Monday morning, but our amazing God answers prayer and eases pain in the most unexpected ways.

First, I went shopping for a few things. While admiring some computer stuff, a voice from over my shoulder said hello. I have not seen Carl for 15+ years, but he was God‘s first assurance that all is well. I was able to provide a brief testimony, put a tract in his hand, and acquire an email address for future use.

Second, I encountered Delbe one-on-one in the hallway. I have been thinking and praying about talking to him since the basic WOTM course last January. God’s second assurance arrives just when He planned. We chatted for a few minutes, and Delbe cursed using His name 3 times in short order. On the third instance, I asked him (I think/hope with a smile) not to take my God’s name in vain. I was then able to put a tract in his hand, tell him his wife would really love to see it (she has been trying for years to get Delbe to church) and that he should really pay attention to the inscription on the back. Pray for Delbe whom I have known for too many years without sharing Jesus before now.

Third, I met with a young man who arrived at the Cocoa Village Park with his family. I asked him if he had seen one of our Million Dollar tracts and he had not. He actually read the entire thing while I stood there and then the debate began. Initially, he stated he was not worried about Hell because there were so many religions and there was no way to know which one was correct. He pointed out that he did not want to discuss religion and I said I did not want to discuss religion either, rather Jesus Christ. He gave a limp excuse about Jesus being a religion, but I pointed out that religions have at least 2 things in common: ritual behaviors and poorly disguised attempts to bring God to man’s level.

I was then able to share the Gospel with him. He tried a couple of times to bring Buddha and Isalam into the discussion and the Holy Spirit came out with those men, while perhaps enlightened, are dead and in the ground and never claimed to be God. Jesus on the other hand is alive as documented in the Bible and proclaimed himself to be God. I think that reasoning got his attention.

A couple things could have been better. During the discussion I mentioned how God became a man whom we call Jesus so that he was the perfect sacrifice to erase the sin-debt between us and God. I also mentioned sometime that Jesus was God. He thought I contradicted myself and I did not have a chance to describe the Trinity – perhaps a topic for a saved person????

He also asked if a lifelong murderer and rapist could be forgiven of their sins if they repented before dying. I told him that God would indeed forgive anyone who honestly repents, just as Jesus did the thief on the cross. His opinion was vulgar. But I was able to ask him if there was anyone on earth that he would be willing to sacrifice his child for if it would save that other person. He could not. So I was able to demonstrate God’s amazing love because He sent Jesus to die for our sins: full description of the shame, guilt, and worthlessness of all people who ever lived carried by Christ on the cross, culminating with Jesus giving up His spirit willfully. Once again, he appeared fully engaged.

We parted without him changing his mind, but that’s okay. My gift is to be a planter of seeds. Please pray that the waterer will come to this young man and his wife soon.

Off to Oslo

On my latest business trip which was to Denmark and Norway, God gave me a few opportunities just on the first part of the journey.

I tried to talk to the Hollander next to me.. While he was interesting and passionate about his job as a pastry chef in Dusseldorf, (apparently even though he lives in Netherlands he is an hour from Dusseldorf). He looked at the R U a Good Person booklet I had slipped into the airline magazine, but quickly put it back. I did give him a million Euro note which he took and said he would read.

Yes the flight attendant got a MDB as well.

In Atlanta I went to a restaurant and Tenisha was my server. Unlike my usual manner I gave a MDB right away. Usually I wait to get my food just in case they get mad.

She stopped and talked for a few minutes after I asked he where she will go after she died. She said her spirit would go somewhere but not sure where. I explained that God makes it clear she would spent eternity in heaven or hell. She asked if hell and heaven were real physical places to which I replied yes.

She asked me how I knew. I asked her if she read the Bible and she does- Proverbs and Psalms mostly. I asked her if she thought that either were real places and she admitted they were but wanted my opinion.

She went off to other tables and returned with my check. She said she really is interested in the relationship idea with God and not religion. I agreed, however before she can have that relationship she must be right with God- repentance and Faith was explained.

I left her with a "Why Christianity" book and a lot to think about.

More to follow on the rest of the trip....

The Law brings conviction to a Christian lesbian.

Looking up the street I saw 2 teenaged girls and a teen guy near the trash can. I remembered that a few minutes earlier they had passed Dayna and I as we were speaking to someone.

"Let's go up and see if they'll talk to us!" I said. We hurried to catch up to them.

"Hey, how are you guys? Did you get one of these?" We asked. They took the tracts and looked a bit bored. "Where are you going when you die?"

They started reading as the guy, Austin started made faces and poked fun at the subject.

I talked to the girls and they were pretty open. One of the girls claimed to be a Christian but didn't know how to get to Heaven. Austin continued to be obnoxious. Then he took a phone call. As he did another girl joined the group.

"Austin this is way more important than that call." I told him.

"No, it's not." he said. Dayna confirmed that this would be the most important thing he ever heard.

The girls and I continued to talk but before we could present the good news, Austin grabbed them and began dragging them away.

"Hey! I'm not finished yet." I yelled.

A bit frustrated, Dayna and I stopped and prayed for them. We walked back toward the booth as it was getting darker.

About an hour later they stood in front of me. The one who claimed to be a Christian was missing but in her place was the girl who had just walked up before they were swept away. I noticed that the two girls were holding hands. Austin was physically pushing her at me. I looked at him and asked, "What do you need? I thought you didn't want to talk to us?"

Austin was quiet but looked at her as she said, "I want to know how to get to Heaven." You know, I heard a pastor talk one time about how evangelists used to just preach the Law for weeks without giving the Good News of Christ. He said that after several weeks people would come unbidden down the aisles begging to be saved. The Holy Spirit had been convicting this girl.

She introduced herself as Ricki and we began to talk. As we went through the Law Ricki was honest and then saw herself as guilty before God. "But I'm saved." she said very quietly.

I gave her the Good News of Jesus's payment for her. I told her that God was looking for her to repent-leave her sin behind-and put all of her trust in Jesus Christ.

She was very quiet and said nothing. Austin said, "Tell her."

"Tell me what?" I said. I refused to take the bait.

Austin said, "Will she go to Hell because she's a lesbian?"

"Ricki you don't go to Hell because you are a lesbian-you go to Hell for sinning against God and refusing to bow your knee to Him."

"But I'm saved." she said again.

"Look, are you willing to repent-or turn away from your sin Ricki?" I asked.

"No." Ricki said.

"Would you trade your soul for this?" I clarified.

"Yes, I would." she said.

"You are not saved Ricki. I am not trying to be harsh, but I don't want you to go through your life believing a lie! Just because you said a little prayer doesn't mean you got your 'get out of Hell free' card! If you continue to go the way you are going you will one day wake up in Hell!"

The girl she was holding hands with continued to text with one hand as she had during the conversation. Austin and Ricki just stood still.

I gave them a Good Person tract. "Ricki, you are not ready for this. I hope and pray one day you will be, before your soul is lost for good. Have a good evening." I walked away, leaving them standing in the street.