The Gospel & the Calendar

December 23, 2022

As we close out 2022, I'm thankful for the opportunities we have to proclaim the gospel and point people to the Lord Jesus Christ. Here in Marshalltown, we've organized a lot of gospel outreach around the calendar from September through January of the new year. We have:

• Octemberfest (late September)
• Halloween (here the trick-or-treating is always on October 31st)
• The Holiday Stroll (Saturday before Thanksgiving)
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas & New Years

Set up on Main Street with gospel tract candy bags

Close up-my pumpkins

I guess my approach has been to take advantage of the culture and redeem some of these as a way to get out the word of God. Halloween is a blatantly pagan holiday that our culture has taken and turned into a popular thrills & chills, dress up & candy giving & receiving event. I pray against the occult activity and demonic overtones while reaching out to my neighbors with the love of God and the gospel of Jesus. As you can see from the pictures, we don't hide our faith in Jesus: people know "what's up" when they come by.

Some new candy cane tracts this year

It's not for everyone. We have different skills and interests, and I'm good with all believers in Jesus using whatever creative way they can think of to reach the lost. We should encourage people to go for it & try ideas to evangelize while we have the strength, health, energy, and opportunity to do so. 

Mary & Sharon giving out hot chocolate and gospel tracts
inside the bookstore.

Frank & Bill: our fellow workers in Christ at The Holiday Stoll,
braving the cold out in front of the bookstore.

By the way, most of the Christmas holiday is pagan as well. I mean, it just is. Very little is organized around the reality that God fulfilled His promise in Genesis chapter 3 regarding the "seed of the woman", the promised Deliverer who would save us from our sins. I pray against the commercialism and greed, the misplaced hopes that possessions will make us happy, etc. I get it. But I will wish people a Merry Christmas while giving them a holiday-themed gospel tract, knowing that these little missionaries can get into their homes and speak to them about the things of Jesus when I cannot. "Give them the Reason for the Season."

12/21/22 downtown Marshalltown Iowa
looking west on Main Street

Some years things work out better than others. In the past we had a big group over for the Octemberfest outreach, but the last couple of years it's been just me and my light-up witnessing cross. The last 2 years we've had very mild weather for The Holiday Stroll, but this year is was 17 degrees without the wind chill. Most years I can get out on the corner by Walmart with witnessing crosses and free Bibles heading up to Christmas Eve, but right now is it -6 degrees Fahrenheit and feels like -30 with the wind chill, so no... not happening this year. That's okay. We plan and prepare and hope and then turn it over to our Almighty God for whatever He allows. And for whatever that is, we thank Him.

Thank you, Abba Father, for every opportunity and every soul we have tried to reach & bless with the hope we have in Jesus Christ. You are good, and we pray for those we've encountered in 2022 that they might come to know Jesus for who He is, the Savior of all who'll trust in Him. Amen.

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.