Mission Good Friday 2019

The weather was great over the Easter weekend here in central Iowa. As usual, I got Good Friday off as a company holiday, and thanks to David and Ana Lee Heckart, we were able to do the annual public reading of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in downtown Marshalltown over the lunch hour (me in English, David in Spanish). We also passed out some gospel tracts and had a few conversations with passers-by, especially Ana.

Ana Lee snapped this photo while we were getting set up, and I had to laugh! At first glance I was irritated: "Oh great...a garbage truck just photo-bombed our outreach today." But you know, that's just pride. When I think I'm really doing something for the Lord, I need to be reminded of what my own righteousness is, according to Isaiah 64:6. In light of that, I thought: "How appropriate!" And later, our friend Frank Chirico replied in a text message:
"Awesome. The STONE has rolled away. PTL."

That's what this is all about: our faith rests on a living Savior who came into this world to take the "bullet" of death that was meant for us, and to defeat sin, death and Hell: "...that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:14,15). That stone was rolled away, the tomb is empty, Jesus is alive, and we proclaim a risen Savior to the world. What good news we have to share with everyone!

We read the account from John's gospel this year, John 18:37 - 20:31. Here's the LINK to the audio:  apologies in advance for the wind and traffic noise.

Mission Good Friday: April 14, 2017

We were able to get downtown in Marshalltown today around 12 Noon, for our annual "Mission Good Friday", where we read out in public the Bible account of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to pass out gospel tracts and have some conversations with our neighbors.

Rain was predicted, and it started to drizzle just after we got set up. But the Lord gave us a break in the rain, and I read Matthew chapters 26-28 in English, and just as I was getting finished, David and Anna Leigh Heckart showed up, and David read the scriptures in Spanish. Our young friend Aquila also joined us, and he walked down the block by the China Buffet, and gave out a lot of gospel tracts.

I used a small chalkboard on magnets to write out what we were doing out on the corner of Main Street & Center Street

Here we are on the street corner, in front of Zamora's Fresh Market in Marshalltown (Paul, David & Anna Leigh, and Mary)

David reading Matthew 26-28 in Spanish

A man named John stopped and listened while he was waiting for a court appearance across the street, and he shared that he was moved to tears as he heard again of the heroic love of the Lord Jesus, demonstrated by his willingness to do the Father's will, and go to the cross to bear our sins, so that we could have our sins washed away, and be given the gift of righteousness by God, and receive the gift of eternal life simply by trusting in the Lord Jesus. And to that I say Amen - I agree whole heartedly.

We pray that God would use us to encourage other believers, and to speak into the lives of those who have not trusted yet in Jesus Christ. It is our hope that they'll think about God's word, think about who Jesus is, and think of their own eternity. God wants all men to be saved, and has provided a mighty Savior who has finished the work of our salvation 2000 years ago. So make sure you go and tell as many people as possible about our Savior Jesus Christ, and the good news of the gospel. Let's take advantage of every opportunity to obey our Lord to go & to tell them:

Matthew 28:18-20 

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."