Christmas Evangelism

It was around 24 degrees (F), a light flurry of snow blowing from the northwest behind me. The corner of Center and Anson Street was busy with traffic from the Hy-Vee grocery store to my left, and last-minute shoppers heading in all directions. In other words, it was a great time to get out with a witnessing cross and point people to the Lord Jesus Christ, on December 24, 2012!



I stopped by Wal-Mart to find a large bow to put on the cross, in part to draw attention of cars stopping at the intersection, but also to point out the truth of God's unspeakable gift to us in the Savior. Typical traffic-light evangelism, sans preaching, other than the message on the cross. I was out for about an hour, with quite a bit of positive response...even had a lady walk over to the corner and give me a cup of hot chocolate and a "God bless you." I was thankful.

God has blessed me...He continues to do so every day, and I have His promise of blessing and mercy and grace into eternity future! So, I can stand out on a cold December afternoon with intention and purpose to declare not only His blessing to me, but the hope for sinners like me, that they might turn their thoughts to their eternal soul, to see the gift of forgiveness and life we proclaim, and come to saving faith in the Lord Jesus...while there is time. Oh the amazing love of God!

Charles Wesley's "Amazing Love" (or "And Can It Be....")

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/c/acanitbe.htm

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?

 Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

 

 

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.

’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

 

 

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:

’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

 

 

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
 My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

 

 

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
 I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

 

 

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
 Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

His Unspeakable Gift

So, the calendar has turned quickly to the end of 2012, and we are well into the
holiday season. And while Mary & I don't make a big deal out of December 25th, we do take the opportunity to reach out with the love of God, and offer the gospel of His grace and mercy in the person of Jesus Christ. I'm again giving out the "God of Wonders" DVD to people I meet on the street, or to the salesman at the store, or the girl behind the counter at the Deli.

We hope you will think of creative ways to share your faith, and to hold forth the
light of the world, the Lord Jesus, in this our world which is groping in darkness.

Until He comes....

Freedom in Jesus Christ

Freedom!

Here's a sneak peek at a new witnessing cross I am making. Actually, I am recycling a cross I made a year ago. The wood was too heavy to use comfortably, so it just sat around. I took it back to David at Logs To Lumber, and he planed it down to half it's thickness. Now its very light, and will be out on the streets soon, the Lord willing.

Sin is bondage. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16) Yes, it may yield pleasure, but only for a "season", and then the consequences of reaping what we have sown...corruption, death, God's perfect justice, and eternal death separated from God's love in the lake of fire, forever. What a fool's trade!

There really is freedom only in the Lord Jesus Christ, who said: "If  the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free INDEED." (John 8:36)

1. I hope you, reader, know the freedom that comes through faith in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. If not, look to Him today, trust in His shed blood on Calvary as payment for your sins against God. If you are free in Christ, please reach out to those around you with the precious gospel of the grace of God, until He comes....

Octemberfest 2012 - Marshalltown, Iowa

Octemberfest has notably been our anual outside year end event.  Paul and I went last year with his "Are You Ready" cross and had a blast.  We had so many good conversations and we were hoping to have another great night.  This time Tony Didlo of Saving Faith Outreach joined us. 

When we got there we started on the same corner as last year.  We knew it was going to be a good night.  Paul didn't even get his cross unfolded when a teenage girl ran up to Paul and wanted to talk to "the cross guy".  She was an uninformed Mormon and as he was answering her questions, a young man came up listening to the conversation.  I could tell that he was paying attention and was really bothered by the answers, so I decided to talk to him one-on-one.    His name is Rickey.  I asked him if what listened to made sense and he agreed.  I went over the 10 Commandments again with him and asked if he would be guilty.  He said, "yes."  I asked Rickey what God would do with him and he knew that he would go to hell.  When I asked him if he was concerned, he started to tear up and he said it did...greatly.  I shared the gospel with him and helping him understand that he broke the law and Jesus payed the fine.  After over a half-hour of conversation he asked, "I am so sorry for what I did, and how I hurt God and want His forgiveness.  When can I do that?"  Wow...what a moment.  So I told him that he can do that right now becuase he could die today.  So Rickey reached out his hand, and he prayed, confessed his sin and asked God for His forgiveness and recieved Christ Jesus as savior and Lord.  I then prayed for him that he would serve God the rest of his days, that he would have a godly wife and kids, and that he would grow in His grace and mercy.  Rickey picked up his head and said, "I wasn't expecting to do this when I came down here."  "Neither was I, but God knew and brought us together."  I gave him a bible that I have been carrying around for 9 years (it still looked brand new since I had it wrapped), gave him chapters to read, talked a little more and exchanged information. 

The rest of the evening was great.  We had many conversations and Tony was all fired up after Rickey receiving Christ.  We were all encouraged and ready to come back next year.  Since the writing of this I've been in contact with Rickey.  He's reading his bible and asks questions when he gets stumped.  Pray that he will find someone closer at his church to disciple him as he grows in Christ.  Thanks for reading. 

God is Evil, Man is Good???

The other day I was witnessing to a young man who thought he was smart and smug about his beliefs. When I asked him why he had a hard time believing in God, he said it was because of all the suffering in the world. He said if God was a loving God He would take care of the human race because any loving father would. When I asked him what part of the world bothered him the most he said Africa. It's full of disease, kids are starving, and the water is so poor that people barely drink. So the conversation finishes like this...

"That's interesting", I said. "Do you know what one of the major natural resources are in Africa?"

"No, what is it?"

"It's diamonds. Do you know how many water wells could be dug, farms to be planted, and people could be fed just from a handful of diamonds?"

"I don't know, probably alot."

"So if it's God who gave them the natural resources to begin with, and that's just one resource. There is also oil, copper, uranium, natural gas, along with fishing, then why are you blaming God for all the suffering in Africa? But because of the greed of man, corrupt governments, and love of money, those resources which God provided are being used to line the pockets of the rich and powerful, and not being used to help the poor, needy, and hungry. So...shouldn't you be blaming man, who you thought is basically good, and thanking God, who you said was basically evil?"

"Uhhh...you have a good point. Sorry."

Iowa State Fair 2012 - Tuesday

Had a great time at the fair today.  I didn't pass out hundreds of tracts, nor did I witness to thousands of people, but the conversations that I did have were genuine, honest, and hopefully memorable.  That's what I hope for at events like this. 

One conversation walking back to my car to take a break was with a woman sitting on her porch.  After several minutes in the natural subjects she told me that she stopped going to the fair after her fiance died in a car wreck they were in 13 years ago where she also lost her left eye.  Last week she told me that her dad passed away and she's just trying to cope with everything.  We talked about heaven, hell, eternity.  I shared the gospel with her in the 1st person and said that she never heard it like that at all.  After over an hour with her I prayed for her, and her family, then gave her a tract to help remind her of our talk. 

I also talked to some 10 - 19 year olds.  Many of them didn't know who Jesus even was.  One kid asked, what the "H" stands for in his middle name (when people blaspheme His name some say, "Jesus H. Christ").  That's not the first time someone has asked that.  Most people I talked to today never knew why Jesus had to die on the cross since God just forgives people.  When I explain to them that God doesn't just let sinners go (Nahum 1:3), but that the payment for sin needed to be made (Hebrews 9:22).  Either we pay that in hell, or Jesus pays it through His blood.  Watching people's eyes light up and finally understand is pretty cool to watch. 

The Iowa State Fair has a special place in my heart which it was the first time I heard the gospel.  When I came here from New Jersey 9 years ago someone witnessed to me at the Noah's Ark Exibit and gave me a tract and took the time to explain the gospel to me.  Even though I didn't understand it, I read the tract over 100 times and it kept bugging me.  It was the catalyst that drove me to ask questions and seek the truth.  Then when I did receive the Lord over a year later, He opened my eyes and understood everything.  It's that thankfulness to God that drives me.  Not that I have to witness to gain my salvation, but that it's my reasonable service in that I want to tell others about the One who saved me.  I want to share that gift.  To God be the glory forever and ever. 

Iowa State Fair Parade - August 8

Tony, I, along with my co-worker Chuck went to the Iowa State Fair parade located in downtown Des Moines, IA.  Since there was only the three of us, we split up in different directions.  It was much bigger than I had expected, and I knew even with passing out tracts I couldn't possibly hit everyone. But to me, I'm not interested in reaching every person.  I'm more interested in using those tracts to start some meaningful conversations with people who need to know Christ and to glorify Him with their life. 

It didn't take long to get into conversations and you never really know who you're going to run into.  Of all the thousands of people that were at the parade, the first couple tracts I passed out were to my athiest neighbors.  I never really talked with them before because I knew they had conversations with my other neighbors.  But since the cat was out of the bag I gave it a shot. 

Along the way back to my church where I parked, I ran into all kinds of people with all kinds of beliefs.  Along the way I talked to homosexuals, Catholics, athiests, and a satanist.  I had at least 20 conversations that day.  But the ones that were the hardest, and felt the most pitty for, were the kids.  One question I ask kids is, "Why do people celebrate Easter?"  I have talked to alot of kids since I got saved back in 2003 and not one could answer the question right off the bat.  Even when I bring up Jesus, they still doesn't know.  With all the resources we have in America, bibles, christian websites, churches, pastoral leadership, church app's and commentaries...and you mean to tell me that a 14 year old kid can't tell me why we celebrate Easter?  Something is horrably wrong.  What in the world are churches teaching?  Not the gospel that is for sure. 

The last conversation I had was with a Satanist named Mike who told me when I gave him a tract that he was too bad to be saved.  He even told me of a story when he walked into a church it caught fire.  He went to give the tract back when I told him about the apostle Paul who killed Christians and called himself the chief of sinners.  I also said, "You owe it to yourself to at least read this tract and take a look at the website because it's a long time in eternity if you're wrong."  He said he would, and looked sincere.  I hope he did too. 

It was a great day.  Please consider coming out with us.  The Iowa State Fair is going on now.  You'll never regret it. The only regrets is when I don't go.  Trust me. 

At Calvary!

My congregation on 4th Street and Court Avenue 7-28-12

Oh, the love that drew salvations plan
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary!

This song was in my mind and on my heart while preparing to speak at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market this morning. I used the stories of heroism from the Aurora, CO theater shootings to talk about the One who sacrificed all to redeem us from the consequences of our sins against a Holy God: the Lord Jesus Christ.

Other brothers were down at the Market earlier, but we tend to shoot for somewhere around 9:30-10:30, and it was after 10:30 when we had our feet on the street, so it was my faithful evangelism partner and wife, Mary, and myself.  Had one rather poor heckler - a young woman - she shows up around the 17:14 mark on the audio. By poor, I mean she didn't speak up, nor stay around to discuss her point of view. It was pretty common fare, but it put some passion in my preaching, I can tell you. Its all on the recording....

Listen to the audio HERE.

I just want to say that God really demonstrates His care for me when open-air preaching: every single time someone comes up and makes some snide remark, or mocks the preaching in some audible way, God seems to bring someone up to say "God bless you" or similar. Sometimes from seemingly nowhere! Today, it was two persons, and I think you can hear it on the recording. It was great: as the heckler woman walks away, there's this little, grandmotherly lady standing there with a smile in her eyes. She looks at me and says, "I'm not offended; Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior." Wow! Thank you, Father, that you care for your children so faithfully. He is Awesome.

Are You Ready?

Thanks to brother Paul Latour, I had some new Are You Ready gospel tracts ready to go on Friday. The news of the tragic, senseless shootings at the Aurora, Colorado cinema in the early hours of Friday morning emphsize the urgency of Christians to reach out to our friends and neighbors, and yes, complete strangers, with the message of the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was solo down at the Des Moines Farmers Market this morning. The Lord gave me 2 places to stand and deliver the gospel: Bail Bonds on 4th Street, and then the 'ol Crosswalk on Court Avenue between 4th and 3rd - the place we first (rather timidly) broke the sound barrier and open-aired the gospel at the Market four years ago.

Here is a link that second message, Are You Ready? (Click Here)

Thanks for your prayer support for those who go out and share this vital message with a lost and dying world.

Market Day: Religion #1 Source of Wars & Violence?

Saturday, July 14, 2012
The Lord gave us a nice, warm day and a place to publically proclaim His word to our friends, neighbors and fellow Iowans in Des Moines. I was able to gather some good material from Matt Slick of CARM, along with Living Waters resources, to put these thoughts together. Just click on the link below to listen to the message. Your feedback and prayers are appreciated.
Enjoy!

LISTEN

Shadow of the Cross

Got to hit the Marshalltown Farmers Market in front of the Courthouse again after work. Looked like the same number of vendors today, but the heat kept some customers away (check out the photo at the end of this post, taken as I was leaving the Market). But still had several good conversations for the hour and fifteen minutes I was out there. Gave out several tracts, a 180 DVD, and a pocket New Testament. Of the conversations, one was from a lady who was interested to know what church I was from, and who asked questions about those who have never heard the gospel.

That is an interesting question, and one I love to address, because we hear it a lot out on the street, and because most people use it as an excuse to reject the God of the Bible, and the Bible altogether. I responded with the teaching from Romans 1:19-20, that God has revealed himself to all men everywhere, so much so that we are all without excuse. And I also included that fact that God also has written his law in our hearts, Romans 2:15. It is a false starting point to ask, "What about those who never heard?", because God says he has given ample information to each man through creation and through conscience. God draws men to himself through this general revelation, and the evidence from scripture is that those who respond to this general revelation, God will move heavan and earth to send them the message of the gospel. He did this in the case of Cornelius in Acts chapter 10, and in Peter's retelling of the account, he says,

Acts 11:14 "Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved."
So its not that they don't have the information they need, its what are they doing with the information that God has given them. And what men do is choose to follow false systems of religion, instead of bowing the knee and submitting to the God they are aware of. Greg Kokul has a great piece on this on his website, Stand to Reason, www.str.org.

The other good conversation was with a believer who really understood the use of the law to bring the knowledge of sin, and was very encouraging to me. God has used people like this just to come along and be a blessing, for which I am truly thankful.


May God encourage YOU to reach out to the lost with the hope of eternal life that is Christ Jesus. Like Mark Cahill has well said, the one thing you won't be able to do in Heaven is to witness of the love and mercy and goodness of the Lord Jesus to a lost person - the time to do that is right now!

Yankee Doodle Pops Outreach

For years it's always been just Tony and I walking the streets sharing the gospel either at Court Avenue area, Grey's Lake, or other places where we thought would be a good fishing hole.  As we went we prayed that one day we would be the start of a movement in the local church to get together and share the gospel as one body.  It was pretty cool that for Yankee Doodle Pops Tuesday we saw that come true with more than 30 young soul winners willing and ready to go to the streets to share the gospel from the Downtown Church of Locust Ave in the East Village. I can't wait to do it again and strengthen the body so that they would be bolder and stronger witnesses for Christ.   

As a soul-winner in America, I have a special heart for the men and women of the Armed Forces.  When I have the opportunity to open-air preach I always thank those who serve (and have served) in the armed forces so that I can have the freedoms to do what I do.  So tonight I decided to witness to the Army personel guarding the big guns that were fired that night. 

In inquiring the first soldier, he said he was Greek Orthodox.  Usually when I have no idea about a particular religion, I inquire about how they get to heaven.  He mentioned that he had to do alot of good works, and things that he had to do.   I took him directly to Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:4-8, 11:6.  He was quite unconvinced, and needed to go.  But said that he would check out the website at the back of the tract. 

The next two soldiers I talked with were sitting by a cannon.  I gave them the tracts and said that it had the million dollar question on the back.  "If you were to die today and stand before God and He asked why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?"  The younger smugly was wondering why God would ask a question, but I said it was to peak his intrest.  But when going through the 10 Commandments his countenance changed, and he became terrified.  When I was about to share the good news, his superior officer broke up the conversaiton and he had to go.  I told him as he was leaving that there is good news, and to look at the tract and the gospel of John I gave him. 

I sometimes wonder maybe I shouldn't give the good news right away, and let people stew over their sin, and the consequences of them.  Maybe this is one of those days.  Hope so. 

Wonderful Day @ DMFM

The Lord really gave us a wonderful day today!

Mary and I headed down to the Des Moines Farmers Market and hit the street around 10:30 AM. We started on 4th and Court in front of Bail Bonds. As next week finds us celebrating our nations Independence Day, I started off on the soapbox reading Patrick Henry's address to the delegates of the Second Virginia Convention, on March 23, 1775, St. John's Church, Richmond, Virginia - his famous "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech. I transitioned to John chapter 8 where Jesus spoke to His people (and to us) about bondage and enslavement to sin, and the freedom available only in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Boy was it hot! Oh, and I learned that once you're dripping with sweat, its next to impossible to put sunscreen on.

We moved down to 2^nd Ave and Court, and set up the box on the north-east corner. I spoke on “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People”, and “The Problem of Evil”, thanks to some good framework borrowed from Mark Spence and the Living Waters Apologetics video clips ( http://www.LivingWaters.com/). We had a lot of encouragement: Kevin K., a co-worker from Lennox stopped by with a cold bottle of water and a smile; another lady came up just brimming with enthusiasm and encouragement, letting me know she prays for me - WOW! Another couple stopped with a handshake & some good words, and then we had a good group of young folks stop to listen. They came up close and let me know they were believers. So we talked briefly, and I asked them to reach out to the lost around them with the gospel, and gave them a little exhortation to put some urgency in it.

Kelsey, Coleen, and Mary at 2nd & Court
Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market
6/30/12

A little later on, these two young ladies from the group came back, Kelsey and Coleen, and expressed thanks that I wasn’t preaching open-air like some others they'd encountered, who they thought just kind of beat people up with the Bible and their words. We had a real good conversation, they stepped over to the bench where Mary was sitting and introduced themselves, and we had some good fellowship around the things of the Lord. They are working at a Bible camp down in Indianola, and came up to Des Moines for a little R & R. I really thank the Lord for the people He puts in our lives. It was refreshing to talk with these ladies. God bless them. As His word says,

"A word spoken in due season, how good it is." Proverbs 15:23

Click HERE for "The Problem of Evil."

AYR @ M'town Farmers Market

Our view of the Market from the corner of Main & Center Street

I had the pleasure of taking my AYR witnessing cross out to our little Farmers Market in front of the Courthouse in Marshalltown after work today. Fred, a brother from work joined me for a while, and we handed out tracts and had a couple of conversations. Pray for a young man named David: he has some religious background, but his testimony was a little confusing. Fred engaged him in conversation after giving him an "Are You Ready" tract. They came over to my side of the sidewalk, and I started at the beginning, using the law and the gospel, pointing David to repentance and faith in the finished perfect work of Another - the Lord Jesus Christ. David wanted a Bible, and I did not have one to give him.

Fred had to get going, and I stayed for a little longer, and had a conversation with a woman who confessed to be saved, but who gave me back the tract I'd handed her. I encouraged her to take it and give it to someone who she knew might need to read it, and she took it back. We talked about her unsaved relatives, about the challenge to witnessing to family members. I was able to speak to her about the short time we have, and the priveledge we have in this country to witness and evangelize - in other words, I exhorted her to love and good works, as Jesus commanded us. I headed back to the car, and found the Bible I usually have in my office sitting in the trunk. So, I stowed the AYR cross, took the Bible back to where David was sitting, and handed it to him. He said, "I hope it helps." Oh yes, it helps! It is God's quick and powerful word. May he read it, believe it, and obey it.

It was a good day.

May those who glanced our way be moved to think of their eternal soul, and those who took a tract actually read it and think about eternity. Thanks, Fred, for stopping by to help. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you choose to use us your children; the foolish, weak, and base things, and the things which are despised...the things that are not, according to 1 Corinthians 1:27,28. That you allow us to reach out to others with the word of life, and to give you praise and glory in these last days!

iPad posting

My desktop PC bit the dust, and our son Zander took his laptop to Bible Camp in North Carolina for 7 weeks. The Lord provided us with something to stay somewhat connected with the electronic universe, in that I won an iPad through an IndustryWeek promotion.

So, while I can do some things, like check email, post on FB, and type in an entry here, I can't do all the stuff I'm used too with my PC. Until I figure out all the apps I need to function at a higher level, the next few posts may appear "minimalist".

Don't let that keep you from joining us in outreach to the lost & encouraging/exhorting the saints. Call or email if you want to join us or have an outreach opportunity to advertise, and leave a comment if you will commit to praying for us.

Paul.

Des Moines Farmers Market: GO, STAND, SPEAK

The Lord continues to make a place for us to go, stand, and speak to our friends and neighbors of all the words of the new life we have in Jesus Christ down at the famous Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market in Des Moines, Iowa. No pictures to share, but you may listen to the uncut audio of the preaching from Saturday, June 9th, (around 10:30 AM), by clicking the link below:

Audio Here  (Note: speaking begins around the 1:40 mark on the audio file)

We were located near the corner of 4th and Court, on the north west side in front of Bail Bonds. I couldn't get as close to the corner as usual, due to the belly dancers doing there thing on the south side of this intersection.

Mary came down with me and passed out many, many gospel tracts. Tony met up with us and got up on the box as well. Had some good encouragement from believers in the crowd: one fellow bought me and Mary a can cold Pepsi - nice! But really, it is our privilege to exalt our Lord Jesus Christ in these last days, among a people who have turned their back on God, to call them to repentance and faith in the one and only Savior.

We post this stuff to encourage brothers and sisters to step out and boldly witness for Jesus Christ. If you would, we'd appreciate your prayers to the Father for our ministry work at the Farmers Market. Let us know if you are praying for us by leaving a comment on this site.

Tomorrow: Dam to Dam Race & Farmers Market

Please pray for outreach at the Dam To Dam Distance Classic race in Des Moines tomorrow morning, as well as our regular outreach to the people attending the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. There will be a ton of people, all eternal souls in need of a mighty Savior!

According to the web site Running Wall (www.runningwall.com), "Dam to Dam is Iowa’s Distance Classic and ranks as one of the best long distance races in the USA. Please join the largest 20 kilometer in the nation from Saylorville Dam to downtown Des Moines."



WHO Radio's website says, "Runners are taking over the metro Saturday with the 33rd annual Dam to Dam race. Eight-thousand runners are registered for the 20K distance, which covers a distance of a little over 12 miles. The race starts on the Saylorville Dam at 7:00 a.m. and ends in downtown Des Moines at 12th and Grand Avenue. There is also a 5K that begins at 9:15 a.m. at the corner of 10th and Locust. Des Moines police are closing several roads that are part of the course for the runners’ safety."


8000 runners for the 20K race alone... 

GLORY TO GOD!

We hope to have some witnessing crosses on the race route, and then move to Court Avenue for preaching, tracts, witnessing, etc. Mary and I will be going down, and will meet up with Tony, Jim, and Frank (among others) to lift up the name of Jesus. Please join us as we reach out with the living water of the gospel. Of you can't, thank you for remembering us in prayer. As always, it will be spiritual warfare, but we remember that the battle belongs to the LORD.

Saturday at the Farmers Market

Well, our friends from the American Atheists were down at the Farmers Market on Saturday, trying to recruit support and doing a poor job of it.

Tony and Ian were out early, preaching on the corner of Court & 3rd. The AA's had a booth set up on 3rd just a stones throw away. No stones were thrown, but the Atheists came out to heckle Ian, complaining that we were stealing: they had to pay money for their booth, but we just came out and spoke without paying a thing. Why, we were nothing more than thieves!

Like our preaching friend Jim said, "What part of FREE speech don't they understand?" I said we should have a pity party for the lads, and maybe take up a collection for them. In all seriousness, we enjoy the opportunity to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone down at the FM, including the AA's. May God open their hearts and minds to the gift of eternal life that is in Jesus Christ, and set them free from the darkness in which Satan has them bound in (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

While Tony and Ian had some opposition, we did not. Mary and I got down there around 10:30, and Jim was stationed in the middle of Court Avenue, handing out tracts and preaching to the passersby. I set up in front of Legends, and preached for about 30 minutes. I had the occasional comments "No one is listening", and even a "You're disgusting", at which, at least in my mind, I leaped for joy (Luke 6:22-23). We actually had a lot of support. It was sunny and hot, probably over 90 degrees (Fahrenheit, for any Canadians reading this) with the reflecting asphalt, concrete, and glass. And it was loud. I tried to capture some audio of the preaching, but in doing so I also captured the music from the band 2 spots down.

Overall, we had some good conversations, and I know that Mary passed out a ton of tracts. We also talked to a sincere Christian lady who asked about the "effectiveness" of preaching open-air, etc. We thank the Lord for His grace that sinners saved by grace are allowed to proclaim the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. My God bless you as you reach out with the gospel to seek and to save that which is lost.

Top 5 @ Des Moines Farmers Market

For any of you who ever wondered, I thought I'd give a run down on my top 5 preaching spots at the world famous Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. Please pray for the ministry down there, and those who go down for the ministry. Its a spiritual battle, and we need the anointing of God's Holy Spirit and a prayer covering from the family of believers. If you will pray for us, would you leave a comment and let us know?

WHO Radio Discusses Preaching at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market

Got a text message this morning from Tony Didlo, our fellow evangelist in Des Moines. There was some discussion on the impact of street preaching at the Des Moines Farmers Market. Tony called in, and you can listen to the podcast at the link below.
http://www.whoradio.com/pages/pp_janmickelson.html?article=10124352

Witness at Tasty Freeze

Mary and I were driving through Marshalltown, and I mentioned I'd like to stop a Tasty Freeze to get something to drink. This is a little ice cream place where you go up to the window, order, and eat outside on picnic tables. Its always a good place to pass out a tract or two, so I was ready...I thought.

Alicia and her two children were just getting their orders and sitting down. I handed the girl the Spanish version of "Are you a good person?" while her mother was getting something from the counter, and after a few minutes, the mother stepped over to where I was standing in line and asked if I had this tract in English. Oops! I only have these in the Spanish version.

But since it is the moral Law preceding grace and the gospel, I went through the entire tract in English from memory, "See, it says here this guy is called Mr. Good Guy (Sr. Buena Gente)...and then they ask him, 'Have you kept the 10 Commandments?' and he says 'Sure'...." I got to go through the whole  Law and Gospel with Alicia, and then talk in detail about the difference between religion and a relationship with the God of the Universe, the Lord Jesus Christ. We had a really long talk, touching on things like water baptism, and how it's not "scaring your kids" to discuss God's righteousness, judgment, and Hell, just like you teach them to wear a seat belt, or to drop and roll if they catch on fire. I was able to give all of them a 10 Commandment penny, encouraged her to think about the gift of God available through faith in Christ, and to read her Bible. She left with my email address, and the web address for www.NeedGod.com.

Please pray for Alicia and her children. Isn't it cool how God guides us to people through such ordinary circumstances like stopping at the Tasty Freeze? And how you can even use a gospel tract in a foreign language to point others to the Lord Jesus? Just amazing....

Opening Day!

Today was the opening day for the 2012 Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. I arrived around 9:45, and met Jim Bagby and his granddaughter Kaylynn, who had come down earlier and had been preaching and handing out gospel tracts.

With the music and wind direction, the southeast corner of Court Avenue and 2nd Street was the best place to set up, next to our friends from Stam's Greenhouse. These folks have been an encouragement to our gospel ministry down at the Market, and it was good to see them after the 6-month winter hiatus.

God gave us a good day. I used the news story about "Editgate" - NBC's recent firing of 1 producer and 2 reporters over the deceitful editing of the George Zimmerman 911 tapes, done in order to advance a narrative (make you believe a story) that Zimmerman was racially motivated in killing Trayvan Martin. I also used examples of email scams like the one from Nigeria, to springboard to the reality of God, the law, and the gospel. Frank got up on the box next, and then Kaylynn, and finally Jim wrapped it up at 12 noon. We had several hecklers (always welcome) and good gospel conversations throughout the morning.

This was the first time that Kaylynn has stepped up on the box, and she surprised us as she spoke boldly and powerfully, with tears running down her face, because of the hardness of the hearts of men and women, and for, as she put it so well, "the stupidness of sin". As Jim said, would that I had as much compassion for the souls of men and women as young Kaylynn. Glory to God for the work He is doing in this young believer!

I captured some audio of the preaching today on my MP3 player. It has a bit of a buzz due to I don't know much about how to record audio, and although I had this hanging from my belt loop, it was too close to my mouth, and I guess I overwhelmed the poor thing. One of these days, I'll get this stuff down. You can access the audio by clicking here.

You know, it is hard to believe that this is the fourth year that we have had the privilege of publicly proclaiming the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in downtown Des Moines every Saturday morning from May through October. Believe me, we don't presume that we have many days or years ahead to labor for the Master.

Moses said, 

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away...So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." ( Psalms 90:10,12)

This picture is from May 2009, probably the 2nd or 3rd time preaching at the market. Can four years have come and gone so quickly? And has God given us an open door here for so long, with faithful brothers and sisters to labor alongside? It is surely a wonderful, marvelous thing that God has done for us in our little corner of His harvest field. But so quickly! Oh that we may listen to the words of Moses, and be busy serving our Lord until either we go to be with Him, or He comes for us! God be praised forevermore.

Valley Junction Farmers Market Update

Thursday night Tony, Joe, Gary and I went to the Valley Junction Farmers Market inspecting the fruit of those who claim to be Christian and those who needed to hear the gospel.  It was a pretty good night.  Joe and I teamed with Gary and Tony in the other group. 

When walking through the market it’s always hard to find people sitting around by themselves away from the music and crowds.  People are constantly on the move and in groups.  There are spots either side of the alleyways where there are benches to sit and talk with people.  Once in a while you can find people outside the market who want to get away for a little bit. 

It was a slow night at first, and after some initial contacts that didn’t go as planned, Joe and I were getting a bit discouraged.  We the proceeded to one of the alleyways were we found three Roman Catholic brothers from 12 to 16 years old.  I concentrated my focus on the oldest boy, who was pretty open to what I had to say.  I asked him what his percentages were in getting to heaven, to which he said 70%.  About the 30% looking at the 10 commandments, he knew he was guilty of breaking God’s law.  He didn’t seem concerned because he felt like his sins weren’t deserving of punishment.  While his brothers were listening we told him that the level of punishment increases when the sin is against someone of higher authority.  If you lie to your sister, it’s not as bad as lying to your mother, which she would ground you for a day or two.  Then again lying to a judge is a crime and is punishable by jail and fines.  But since God created the heavens, earth, everything we see (and don’t see), and is the ruler of all, the crime or sin is way more serious, and deserves the greatest punishment because there is no one greater than God.   Plus if God were to reward those with heaven for eternity, He should also punish others for eternity.  With that I think he started to understand.  We gave them the Biggest Question DVD’s and gospel of John to start them in bible reading. 

Tony and Gary had a great night too speaking to a group of young ladies about the gospel.  They said how people got into heaven was by good works and since they were good people.  After talking with them for several minutes, showing their sin using the 10 commandments as the mirror, they understood their sin, and the bad news.  But when showing them their sickness, they begged for the cure and REALLY wanted the gospel.  All the ladies said they were Christians all their lives and never heard anything like what Tony shared.  They all took home the Biggest Question DVD and said they were going to start reading the bible more carefully. 

It was a great night.  My encouragement comes from stories like these, warning those of what will come if they don’t repent of their sin and put their trust in Christ alone.  Seeing the eyes awaken brings joy, and it’s that joy that makes all the difficult things that happen in sharing our faith seem trite in comparison.  The Valley Junction Farmers Market will be going on all summer Thursday nights from 4-8pm with food, music, and evangelism opportunities. 

Drake Relays Outreach

Today was the last day of the Drake Relays here in Des Moines, IA.  Since my very first outreach was here nine years ago, it was somewhat special to me.  We had a great turnout with 7 soul-winning saints taking the gospel to the Drake University campus.  We paired up two by two with the exception of Tony and took "The Biggest Question" DVD's and other tracts to the people.  I am never really big on just passing out tracts, but using the tracts and DVD's to use as door-openers to get the conversation started. 

For whatever reason today every conversation I had were with Roman Catholics.  As an ex-Roman Catholic, I have a heart for these people.  One conversation was with two young college students who I was very impressed with giving me some quite adult answers and really thought through their faith.  They both owned a Catechism and I could tell that they read it frequently.  I asked them what the main difference was between Catholics and Protestants, they both talked about Martin Luther and how the doctrine of indulgences were a main factor.  We talked about that and asked them some hard questions that when asked what indulgences were, they both said it was like paying God off.  Even though they had to get to their next destination, they both thanked me and said the conversation definitely sparked their intrest in watching the DVD.  

Another conversation was with an engaged couple working together passing out free energy drinks.  When asked what he believed he basically said that he was a good person.  That is always a great opportunity to share the 10 Commandments and use it as a mirror to show a person their sin.  It was a good chat and gave him a preview of the DVD which talks about imputed righteousness and how God exchanges His righteousness with our sin through Jesus Christ (something many Roman Catholics I talk with can't wrap thier brain around). 

In conclusion it was a great day and looking forward to the rest of the outdoor event season here in Des Moines. 

You Will Know at the Finish Line

I just happened across an advertisement on the web for "Spartan Race", which is apparently an obstacle race where you sprint 3 miles, through 15 obstacles. The ad showed slow-motion and still shots of men and women struggling through mud, barbed wire, over walls, and through water, backed by stirring martial music. It ended with these words on the screen:

"You'll Know At The Finish Line."

This makes me think about what it is that stirs us, as disciples of Jesus Christ, and what we are striving for in our lives for Lord, in this present world? God's word says:

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Jim preaching at the cross walk - Des Moines Farmers Market

And.... 
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."                              (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Its been well said, that all we have is this brief life, which is but a vapor, to serve the King of Kings. What are we doing with the time He's given us?

Are you in the race? Are you in the battle? Your brothers and sisters in the Lord are out in the harvest field even now, reaching out to the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are denying themselves, studying the Bible to show themselves approved unto God; facing strong opposition, they are preaching the gospel along the highways and byways, pleading with sinners who mock and sneer at God's incredible gift of forgiveness and eternal life, ministering the love of God both in word and in deed.

Someone told me there is a building in Moscow with the following engraved in stone (my paraphrase):

"Lord, do not allow me to be successful in that which will not matter for eternity."

When we see the world giving themselves to that which is perishing, I pray we will be motivated to give of ourselves more fully to obey the command of the Lord, to go into all the world, preaching the gospel to every creature. Let compassion and love overcome your fear, and go! This is where my heart is. I hope it is where your heart is, too. And at the finish line of life, we will not only know that our labor was not in vain; we will hear these beautiful words:

"Well done thou good and faithful servant...enter thou into the joy of your Lord."

Spanish Witnessing Cross

"Are You Ready?" in Spanish

I just finished the latest witnessing cross, one that says, "Are You Ready?" in Spanish. I made this for a young man named David who was born in South America, and who is reaching out to minister the gospel to the Hispanic people here in Marshalltown, Iowa.

Of the 27,000 people in this town, roughly 20% are Hispanic. In the old downtown area there are many shops and stores owned and catering to the Hispanic community. There is a perfect spot to being using this cross: the corner of Center Street and Main Street, across from the Courthouse Square. Zamora's grocery is a much-frequented establishment for Spanish speaking people, and I can't wait for brother David to get out there and begin using this witnessing tool for the Glory of God.

Please pray for David and for these dear souls to come to saving faith in our living, risen, might Savior - the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pella Tulip Time - May 3,4,5

SPRING is finally here with Pella Tulip Time just around the corner.  Come join us as we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to those of Pella and central Iowa.  Festivities are from Thursday, May 3 through Saturday, May 5 and go on from 7am to 10:30pm. 

I plan on at least being there Saturday.  Contact me, Frank at honest_answers@msn.com for details and more information if you are interested in joining.   Put TULIP TIME INFO in the subject box. 

Kayah New Testaments: God's word to the Karenni

Praise be to God!

We received the Kayah Li New Testaments, which is the mother tongue of the Karenni people here in Marshalltown. And we also got the Bible teaching videos burned in DVD format, to give to the families in Karenni Village.

Reading their own language is a challenge for many of the Karenni people. Please pray that God will help them, and that they will be able to understand God's word and come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and they word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts."

Jeremiah 15:16

Drake Relay Outreach: Run To Christ

The 2012 Drake Relays activities begin the week of April 25th  in Des Moines, Iowa. With God's help, a number of brothers and sisters in the Lord will be there to share the gospel.  Check out the Calendar of Events on the side bar, and click on the  link on Saturday, April 28 for details. Our aim is to encourage our college students and alumni, friends and  neighbors, to RUN to the safety and mercy of Almighty God, found ONLY in the person and work - the  FINISHED work - of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please consider joining us if you're in the area. If you can't be there, you can be in prayer.

Lift us up the the throne of God, and pray for freedom and power to share the gospel, for opening of hearts and minds to the word of God, and for protection from the enemies of the gospel.

Learning From John Edwards

Back on June 4, 2011, I used the then-breaking news about the John Edwards alleged adultery and campaign finance issue to springboard to the gospel at the famous Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market.

John Edwards is now beginning to have his day in court, with jury selection beginning 4 days ago. In my message, I made a prediction (not a prophesy) that a cover-up of any criminal activity would be what gets him, not necessarily the initial crime itself. You and I are no different than Mr. Edwards: we wear a mask of goodness and try to cover up what is really in our heart. By the grace of God, we can "come clean" now in repentance and faith, and allow Jesus to clean us up, presenting us spotless before the throne of God.

This was recorded on my cell phone. The sound reflects the noise of the street: wind, conversations of passers-by, dogs barking, laughter, and the occasional heckler. The audio files from cell phones are huge, at least when converted to MP3. I  had to break it up into Part 1 and Part 2 just to upload to the internet. So, click on the both of the links and take a listen. All together it is around 20 minutes long.

Reaching RAGBRAI

RAGBRAI: (The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa)

I don't have a gadget to create a calendar of events for this site, but please circle the date on your ministry calendar and plan to be here in Marshalltown, Iowa on Wednesday, July 25, 2012. We are one of the overnight stops on the RAGRAI route, and our illustrious town fathers have penned the the following pithy motto for the occasion, under the image of a large, red Solo cup : "Proceed To Party" :-(.

So on this date, the Lord willing, in lieu of the normal Wednesday night prayer meeting, we will obey both the town fathers and our Heavenly Father, and p-r-o-c-e-e-d to the designated party location in downtown Marshalltown. The agenda for this evening's service will be:

• Public preaching of God's word
• Proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ
• Fervent prayer for our community and for the salvation of souls
• Gospel tract distribution and many gospel conversations
• There will be no collection this night, rather giving...giving of ourselves for the work of the ministry and reaching out to our lost friends and neighbors

We invite our ministry friends to join us in this corner of the harvest field - you can crash at our house afterwards. If you can't be here, please join us in prayer: we need an open door to minister without harassment from local officials, God's wisdom and power to speak as we ought to speak, and the Holy Spirit's working in the hearts and minds of those we hope to reach.

Gospel to the Karenni

Just got home from Beh Meh's house, in a torrential downpour, where Mary and I have been sharing Bible teaching gospel lessons to Karenni refugees living in Marshalltown. Its a real deluge tonight! Had to navigate the Azera to higher ground to keep the hood of the car above water on the way home. Soaked to the skin, and lost a cover on the undercarriage, but rejoicing in Jesus Christ!

Some of our Karenni friends

Several of the Karenni are professing faith in Jesus Christ, and understand that we come to God only through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ shed for our personal sins against. The Karenni here are predominantly a Buddhist people (with some Animist, some Catholic), and we continue to share the word of God and pray for the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts. Time will tell if they truly understand, but we are thankful to God for the chance to point them to the Lord.

We've been ministering to these dear people over the last year or two, but have only been able to minister to physical needs and to show the love of Jesus Christ by helping them with doctor appointments, visits to the dentist, helping understand bills to pay, and even to bury their dead. This happened on New Year's Eve, and it stirred us to seek the Lord in prayer for some way to communicate the gospel to them.

Mary with young man who did some interpreting

I found a Karenni refugee ministry website that had Bible teaching videos in the Karenni language (Kayah), taught by Karenni men and women. A sister in Christ burned the videos onto a CD, and through the use of my laptop, the church projector, a set of speakers I acquired, and an old projector screen I had at my office,Mary and I have been going every Saturday evening, showing 2-3 Bible teaching videos and asking & answering questions through several of the young guys and gals who speak a little English.

Please pray for these people, for Mary and I, and for this ministry God has blessed us with. Pray for faithful interpreters. We need more teaching resources, so keep that in prayer, too. The video format is perfect, because although we can get New Testaments in the Kayah Li language, some are unable to read in any language. I've been in touch with other missionaries to the Karenni people here in the States, and my hope is that they will be able to provide us with further preaching and teaching resources for the people here.

Why We Preach

Mark 16:15 
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Acts 1:8 
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Jeremiah 20:8-9
For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.
Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

Are You Ready?

A tract I got from Paul Latour, from Ottawa, Canada. Good gospel message on the back, but it doesn't show up too well when I post it. If you want to see it or use it, contact Paul, and he will probably send you the file.

Paul and his team use witnessing crosses in their outreach, and they have some great videos on their youtube channel. Check out his ministry at http://www.thewordstreetjournal.com.

Mission Good Friday: April 6, 2012

I was able to finish this latest version of a witnessing cross, just in time for Good Friday, April 6, 2012. It was used for a little over an hour on the corner of Center & Main Street, Marshalltown, Iowa. Nice sunny day but a strong breeze. I was out there from 12 Noon 'till 1 PM, handing out a few tracts, and had a few discussions with some of the saints.

I went back to my car, sat on the open trunk and drank some water. Due to the wind I hadn't bothered to try to read the Bible account of the trial, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus out of Matthew 26-28, like I planned. But sitting there beside me in the trunk of my car was my little portable sound system. Not knowing the details of our local sound ordinances, I had been a little hesitant to use this. But, since I couldn't speak above the noise of the wind, and it was now or never, I grabbed it, my "Run To Christ" cross, turned on the power, and read all three chapters on the courthouse side of that same intersection. Praise God someone was paying attention, because when I finished a man came up and asked if he could take a picture.

So this is how Mission Good Friday was completed in my "Jerusalem." How did it go for you?