Posted: June 28th, 2008 under Evangelism.
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Last week we were passing out gospel tracts in the tourist/party district of Tampa. Another Goth in black complete with chains and fake blood makeup walked by. I’d seen this one earlier. I was trying to figure out why she was holding a heavy chain leash dragging a large, dirty yellow rubber ducky on the end behind her?

As she walked past I extended the tract out, “Would you please take one, ma’am?” As she was walking away tractless, I noticed the hairy man-sized legs and realized my mistake. “…I mean, sir” I said loud enough to sincerely apologize for my error. Without breaking stride or looking back, with dragging ducky bumbling behind on the ground, Goth guy shot me the bird. “Sorry!” I called out. I really wasn’t trying to be mean, it was an honest mistake.

My point is two-fold: When you share your faith you will meet all kinds of people. Faux-pas are bound to happen. But no need to be offensive to people if you can avoid it. If you hold to the gospel message it is offensive enough to the unregenerate sinner. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness…” 1 Cor 1:18. We are still ambassadors of our King (2 Cor 5:20). We can be tactful and polite and still warn sinners to “flee from the wrath to come.”

Posted: June 28th, 2008 under Evangelism, Getting Started, Gospel Tracts.
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Sometime ago someone showed me a little thank you card that could be left for a waiter or waitress. I liked the idea but the card wasn’t a truly biblical gospel message. So, with the help of a ‘tiny tract’ template I got from Ray Comfort and the folks at LivingWaters.com I made my own. Click on either image to download the .pdf file and print it two-sided.

When I’m out to eat I try to be friendly with the server throughout my meal. I leave a good tip (20%, more if it was only a few dollars) and the tract with the Thank You side facing up. Remember that when you leave it, you are representing a very generous Master–don’t be stingy. Even if you get bad service, if you plan on leaving the tract, show grace by leaving a good tip. I don’t have a Scripture to back this up, but personally I think if you leave a reasonably generous tip with it, God will honor that and you won’t be lacking for the extra dollar or two. You get the idea…

Other customer service folks I give it to include the folks working the fast food drive thru (Get a two-fer…hit up both window people along the way!) When they give me my food and change I give them the tract (again, Thank You side up) and say something like, “And this is for you..thank you for your customer service today!” If they manage not to fall faint to the floor they usually take it with a smile. Its even elicited a few “How sweet!” comments.

Give one to the cashier and bagger at the grocery, the bank clerk, stick one in with your monthly bills. Carrying them with you and giving them out will not give them a much-needed ‘thank you’ for a typically hard and thankless job, but also will help you be more aware of how many opportunities for evangelism you have available each day!

Posted: June 27th, 2008 under Evangelism, Getting Started.
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So many hymns have endearing melodies and powerful, bedrock truths of our like precious faith (2 Peter 1:1). For me, I have found that there are some hymns which, while I love the whole song, I look forward to a verse that may not be the first (and often most famous) one. Oftentimes its the third. I have a few examples lined up to share with you, but since I’ve already quoted the first two stanzas of “It is Well with My Soul” this week, let me commend my favorite, the third, to you also:

My sin, Oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Can you sing that today? Does your heart share in the bliss of that glorious thought? Doesn’t this verse just uplift your soul by its blessed powerful truths?  I hope it gives you a lift today.  I hope it encourages you to take time think of how your life has been changed by Jesus so that you too exclaim, “Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”

Posted: June 25th, 2008 under Hope, Life in the Third Verse.
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So goes the headline to this article put out Saturday by the Associated Press.

The article is a stark look at the American landscape from politics, the economy, floods, and even the great gods of sports and entertainment. It is a good, concise article but one almost gets the feeling they left out more problems (like failing education, crime, and even the general lack of civility toward one’s fellow man these days) on purpose so as not to totally inundate John and Joan Q. Public with the realities of our times.

The last third of the article almost tries to end on a positive note, recalling the historical rebounds after similar times of upheaval. (One could even debate whether those times could be considered similar.) It ends with this thought, “maybe this is what the 21st century will be about — a great unraveling of some things long taken for granted.”

At the bottom of the article I followed a link to a Time magazine piece that discusses the fact that, according to The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life,

“70% of [survey] respondents agreed with the statement ‘Many religions can lead to eternal life.’ Even more remarkable was the fact that 57% of Evangelical Christians were willing to accept that theirs might not be the only path to salvation.”

Hmmm…coincidence? Other than the Lord, who can truly say? But when our hearts are set on the Lord, His Word promises peace, even joy, despite the despair that surrounds. Christian, your dependence upon the Lord in these times, and the resulting calm He gives, can be evidences used by Him to share the power of the gospel with those around you.  May these words from Horatio Spafford’s “It Is Well with My Soul” encourage you:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Reader, if you don’t know Christ and are troubled by what you are bombarded by in the news, if you repent today, casting yourself at His feet and asking for His mercy and forgiveness, you too can have a part in His joy and peace and then you can say with this song, “It is well with my soul.”

Posted: June 23rd, 2008 under Current Events, State of the Church, World Events.
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One of the first objections whenever someone challenges the Bible is, “So you really believe God created everything in six 24-hour days?!”

If you have been stumped by just having “Yes” as your answer, let me help you with two thoughts:

1. The folks at Answers In Genesis have done a wonderful job with this one.  In short:  Before sin entered the world there was no death.  So no creature, down to the lowest organism, could have yet died, so creation could not have occurred over millions of years.
2. My favorite answer:  God is God!  The true miracle of creation is not that God created everything in six 24-hour days…its that He chose to take so long!  Folks, we serve the LORD OF EVERYTHING…He could’ve just as easily done it in six seconds!

Creation in six literal days??  Pfft!!  Puhleez…that’s a no-brainer…let’s move on…”Would you consider yourself a good person?”

P.S.: Incidentally, “Yes” is a perfectly reasonable answer by itself.  The Bible is not the one on the witness stand. “Let God be true and every man a liar.” (Rom 3:4)

Posted: June 23rd, 2008 under Creation/Evolution, Uncategorized.
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