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?