Surprise!

Friday night we set up the tent at a local art festival. We were dead tired after a long week but were glad for the opportunity to speak to people. As Dayna and Steve arrived they began to tell us what a difficult week they'd had. Diana walked in at 6 and began to hand out tracts. Person after person came and the conversations were great ones all around. A few minutes into the festival I looked up to see Dayna walking toward me with a woman in tow.

"Jenn, Angie would like to take the good person test!"

"Ok, great Angie. Would you consider yourself to be a good person?" I wanted to be direct.

"Well, yes I would." She answered.

Angie admitted to lying and stealing when she was young. I explained to her that taking God's name in vain is blasphemy. She looked shocked. When I asked her if God would find her guilty she said, "No, I think He'll let me into Heaven."

"Based on what Angie?" I asked her.

"Well, forgiveness?" She tentatively answered.

"Based on what Angie?" I pressed her.

"Well, I prayed the prayer and asked Jesus into my heart." She smiled.

"Do you know where the scripture is to support that Angie? Because I'm sure that you know that there is no 'sinner's prayer'. And I've also heard preachers tell people to 'ask Jesus into their hearts but where do they get that, because it's not there either."

Angie didn't say anything, she just looked horrified. "Well, I accepted Him!"

"Angie I want you to think about something for a moment." I pointed to the sky, it was absolutely stunning looking as a huge storm approached. "Do you really think that the Creator of the universe needs your 'acceptance'? You see, the demons know Who Jesus is, they accept that. They will not be in Heaven. You see God wants all men everywhere to repent-turn from their sin- and follow Jesus. There must be a time when you transfer that trust that you have in yourself to Jesus. He said' I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. Do you remember the story of Nicodemus? He was a very respected Jewish Pharisee who came to Jesus and basically said, 'Ok, we know you are from God'. Jesus said to him, 'You must be born again. Now I'm sure Nicodemus thought, 'huh?'. See, being Jewish he thought he was 'in'. But Jesus said to him, You must be born again, that which is of the flesh is flesh and that which is of the spirit is of the spirit. That's sort of where you stand right now. You recognize Who Jesus is but..."

"I'm not born again! I've never been born again!" she said with horror in her voice.

I waited to see what she would do next. She was quiet. "Well, Angie my hope and prayer is that you will be." I waited for her to speak.

"I want to be saved."

"Well, you can go someplace private and pray or you can pray right here." I offered.

"I'll pray right now." Angie prayed right in the middle of the crowd. She was not ashamed.

I asked her if she would mind me taking a picture with me.  After I took it she looked at it and said, "Look at that pretty smile after I am saved!"

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. 

Stuart hears the Truth

This month at the Friday @ Fifth event we were able to witness, hand out some tracts and books - but within the first hour, we were rained out. That first hour was great!

I spoke to Stuart who said he was a professing Christian and we spoke a bit. I asked him if he was able to share the Gospel in his daily walk, and I got the usual, "Well....." He was not sure what to say to people and then was not sure about his own walk. The weather as changing for the worse and he was a bit worried for his wife and daughters. Dayna was talking to his daughters, looked up and asked if they needed to go. Once Stuart heard Dayna sharing the Gospel with his daughters, he said they needed to stay and listen.

I then talked to Stuart some more, gave him a Wonderful Plan for your Life Book as well a One Thing You cannot do in Heaven book. He was pleased and said he would think about our talk, and his walk with the Lord and would read the books.

His wife was standing next to him but Stuart then walked over to listen to Dayna. Stuart's wife was quiet, and I asked if they were on holiday here. She said he was in the military and would be going to England in a week and the family would follow a month later. I gave her some UK Million Pound notes with the Gospel and asked her to share them with the Brits she ran into. I also asked her to read the books and she said yes and was now smiling.

All in all a great evening.

The Candy Store

I like to check in with Tim Challies every so often, just to see what he's reading.  I found an interesting little  article and a short film that I think you would all find intriguing.  It deals with sexual exploitation of children, which is on the rise here in America.

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Oh, how we need the healing hand of God on our nation!