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.

Jesus Is The Answer

 I'm grateful for the person or group who has paid for this billboard on the south side of Marshalltown.

It's on Highway 14 (also known as Center Street), the main road into Marshalltown from the south. You see it when you exit off Highway 30 and head north. The neat thing is, it's just a few blocks south of the corner I stand on with my witnessing crosses and "Free Bibles" sign. Most people drive past the billboard and then drive past me. Who knows - maybe gets them thinking....

So... thank you whoever you are. May this billboard point many men & women to the Lord Jesus, maybe cause them to consider what life is all about, and their own eternal future. May it also give us open doors to share the gospel with them and talk about Jesus while we have the strength, health, energy & freedom to do so. 

I pray God would raise up His church to boldly proclaim Jesus Christ and the good news of the gospel in these troublesome days. Amen.

Paul.

2021 Holiday Stroll Gospel Outreach in Marshalltown, IA

Today is our Holiday Stroll gospel outreach in downtown Marshalltown. We are setting up inside and out front of the Stepping Stones Bookstore on Main Street, giving away hot chocolate and over 700 holiday-themed gospel messages. It's taken Mary and myself a month of planning and effort for a 4-hour window of opportunity to present Jesus Christ yet again to our community...our Jerusalem. The weather looks good: in the low 50's and looking like 39 degrees at 8PM when we finish up. We hope for a lot of people to be out on the streets.

I confess at this point I am weary in the work, but not weary of the work, as Dwight L. Moody once said (if I'm remembering this right). Jesus Christ and His gospel are worth it, and the souls of precious men & women, boys & girls are worth it.

This is what we do. It's who we are.

We are Christians. Come join us!

What the World Desperately Needs

The Bible is timeless: it is relevant for today, just as it was yesterday, just as it will be tomorrow. I'm reading Acts chapter 3, and a note I penned in the margin some years ago rings truer now, if that's possible, than ever before. That's not just me saying it...a headline from a March 23, 2021 article in The Irish News reads:

"Google searches for 'hope' and 'prayer' peak while 'party' and 'festival' slump."

Google searches for ‘hope' and ‘prayer' peak while ‘party' and ‘festival' slump - The Irish News

Acts 3: 1-8. This "certain man lame from his mother's womb...whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful...." had a great physical need. A desperate need. He was lame from birth and had to beg for a living. He needed physical healing, but what he really needed was Jesus Christ and to be spiritually healed from the "disease" of sin and the "prognosis" of death and eternal Hell because of it. 

God used Peter and John to deliver physical healing in the name of Jesus, and we can infer that the man believed on Jesus for the forgiveness from his sins, since he is found standing with the Apostles before the Jewish religious rulers later in Acts 4:14.

My little margin note on Acts 3:1-8 says, 

"The world desperately needs what we have: not silver or gold, but the gospel of Jesus Christ! Give it to them!!!"

They need what we Christians have. They need it just as desperately as the lame man did. Mary and I pray every morning before I leave for work, and usually I include a request that God raise up His church - His people - to be light and salt, to point people to the Lord Jesus and give them the gospel. He is our only hope, and this world's "party" is almost over!

Lost At Sea - Ministry Videos (godtube.com)

That's why we go out and offer Bibles and prayer for our neighbors here in Iowa, or wherever we find ourselves. Christian, I hope you join us in sowing the word where God has you planted.

Born Again

The message of the gospel is that a man must be born again (John 3:3)..."born from above" into the family of God by turning to God as a sinner and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of  sin through the finished work - the "paid in full" sacrifice - of Jesus on the cross, which was the purpose for which he came into this world (John 12:24-27).

I was encouraged recently by this beautiful song by Keith Green. They say it was released a number of years after his death, and it does sound like the type of songs he was writing later in his young life: more focused on God's grace and his power to keep us despite our failures as Christians. It sure ministers to me some days.

 

 

 

I do want to say that Keith's emphasis on God's love in this song can give the impression that we are born again by that love. That is not the case, though: God's love is beautiful and powerful, and I don't want to take anything away from the wonder that washes over us when we think of God's love for us. Rather, God's love motivated him to do something about the problem of sin, and that is why Jesus came to dwell among us and to bear my sin upon himself at Calvary. God's love motivated him to make a way for sinners to be justified. You can check out my post from last year on this topic, and listen to the public preaching message from the Farmers Market at this link: The How & Why of God's Forgiveness.

 

So it is not God's love that covers me; it is the precious blood of Jesus shed for me (1 Peter 1:18,19) because of his love. Thank you Father, that you sent the Son to be the savior of the world. Thank you Lord Jesus for enduring the cross, despising the shame, for the joy that was set before you.

 

Reader, I hope you are blessed by this song. I hope you know the love of God demonstrated in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If not, trust in him today. You won't be sorry.

 

Paul.

Dead People Live

I heard Ravi Zacharias recently in an interview on The Rubin Report on YouTube. Dave Rubin had asked him in a roundabout way how he had come to faith in Jesus Christ. I've hear Ravi tell his story before: how he'd tried to commit suicide by poison when he was 17, how that failed, and he lay in a hospital bed. A man brought him a Bible, and the words of Jesus brought him to saving faith. In this particular interview I heard Ravi say the following, and it is so good it bears repeating. He said something like this:

"People think that Jesus Christ came to make bad people good. But that's not true. Jesus Christ did not come to make bad people good; he came to make dead people live."

 He Came To Make Dead People Live!

What an interesting difference! We do get this wrong, and perhaps that is the difference between mere religion and being born from above. This was the portion of scripture that God used to bring Ravi to that place of repentance & faith: 

 "Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also." 

John 14:19

Mary had an interesting comment: this must be a reference to both the spiritual life we receive when we are born-again by faith in Jesus, as well as the promise that we have of receiving a new physical, eternal body some day in the future; one that will not get sick, grow old, or wear out. In Jesus prayer to the Father he defines what eternal life is:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." 

 John 17:3

Here is the link to this particular interview:

https://youtu.be/V8bD7ovxIuc

 

All Who Live Godly in Christ Jesus

Mary just showed me an article from The Daily Caller, and the headline is, 

"Allegedly Transgender Woman Gashes 79-Year-Old Man's Head With Stiletto For Preaching On Subway: Report"

https://dailycaller.com/2019/11/03/transgender-attack-elderly-man-subway-religion/ 

Here's a screen shot of him holding his head after the attack. You can access some short videos through the link above from the article, and I also put another link to an Instagram account below.

It goes on to say that this brother in Christ was preaching the gospel and singing gospel songs. There are some video links in the article, and the person who took the video says:

"This old man right here was just singing some gospel songs and sharing the word of God to people on the train, he didn't say anything to hurt anyone, he wasn't even loud, you could barely hear him talk but this is what he got in return...."

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Ia3UhFN_e/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_mid=Xb9megABAAE69DTNL6GCkma0eFn3 

I don't know this brother's name, but if he was speaking God's word and singing gospel songs to the subway riders in New York City, God bless him! He's my kind of man. Not knowing the details, let me say this: we who engage in public ministry don't go out and proclaim Jesus Christ because we hate people. We love them, as fellow human beings. We want to make sure someone loved them enough in this life to point them to the One who alone can give them eternal life, even if that means not everybody likes us. We strive to make sure that is the message of the cross, and not ourselves, that is the offense, if there is one.

And so this brother in the Lord has experienced what the Bible says we will experience:

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12)

Gospel Outreach on Halloween

We are praising God for the 300 gospel tract-candy bags that were handed out to trick-or-treaters on Thursday evening. As you can see from the snow in the picture below, it was cold this year, and that kept some folks from coming out, opting for indoor activities.

Set Up and Ready To Go!

So I got out my insulated Carhartt's and my old felt-pack boots, and set up at our "borrowed" home at 1108 Main Street. Basically, the same setup as last year, with the light-up "JESUS SAVES" witnessing cross that really stood out as the sun went down.

"One Way"

It was cold, but clear; the wind died down and it really wasn't that bad...I was colder 2 years ago when we tried this at our house, and I was sitting inside our garage.

 Please pray for the Holy Spirit to open the eyes, hearts, and minds of the children, parents, grandparents...whoever might get their hands on one of the gospel tracts we placed in the candy bags. We were not celebrating Halloween, after all, but rather using it as a way to get the gospel into the hands and homes of our neighbors here in Marshalltown.

Notes (above) put in the bags (below)

I personally don't believe God saves people against their will, and our job is not to save them, but to deliver the truth of the gospel and Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit's job is to bring conviction of sin and the need for the Savior, and then it is the lost person's job to either receive or reject the Savior. 

So pray that God would do everything possible to bring understanding of the gospel message, that they would see their need and see Jesus Christ as the Savior God sent into the world for sinful man;  that they would "think again" (repent) and turn to God for the forgiveness of their sins by trusting in Jesus alone as their Savior.

Also, pray for any believers who may get one of these tracts:

• That they would be encouraged in their walk with the Lord
• That they would live boldly for him, reaching out to the lost around them, rich in good works, and telling everyone about Jesus Christ and the gospel.

Looking east down Main Street-part of our mission field

Thank you to my church family at Solid Rock Bible Church for helping with getting the gospel tracts, candy, and helping make up some gospel tract-candy bags. A big thank you to Mary, who helped fill many of these bags starting back in September! Thanks also for praying for the people who live here in Marshalltown.

Solid Rock Bible Church family helping to make the gospel tract-candy bags

Maranatha!
Paul

The Why and How of God's Forgiveness

Saturday, October 26, 2019.


FORGIVEN! witnessing cross

Last day of the 2019 season for the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. I tried the past 2 weekends to make it down for public gospel ministry, but extreme cold weather, and rain, kept us away until today, which although it was on the cool side, we had sunshine and an open door to share Jesus with many folks at the Market. 

I wanted to share about the "why" of the forgiveness of God, and also the "how" and the "how not" as well. We all need to be forgiven, don't we. J. Vernon McGee reminded me recently that, although God is love, and that God does love you and me, God cannot us by his love, or you could say that God cannot save us by his love. But, his love motivated him to provide a way for us to be forgiven. I used my "FORGIVEN!" witnessing cross and spoke on that, this last day at the Market. The link to the audio is at the bottom of this post.


The "Dark Knight" heard the gospel, too!

And, Batman was there - right in the middle of the intersection of Court Avenue and 3rd Street, where we usually speak!  I don't know if he's born-again or not, but he heard the message we were sharing, and Mary got a picture with him, too.

Last day of the Farmers Market. 
Last days of things always calls for reflection. So, let me share a little....

You know, we've been allowed the privilege of doing this gospel outreach in Downtown Des Moines since 2008, and I have several "last day the the Market" photos I like to pull up and think upon. Many gospel tracts have been offered and taken...some rejected; many preaching messages have been written and delivered; time spent kneeling in prayer, in crying out to God for wisdom, strength, especially for courage and conquering fear; for souls to be saved and saints to be encouraged and challenged to live boldly for the Lord Jesus.


Last Day of the 2019 Farmers Market

There are people I met down there that are now gone on to be with the Lord. Some of the brothers and sisters in Christ that we've labored with have gone on to other things, and I miss them. Some new ones, perhaps, are around the corner. Many good memories.

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:8, 

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."

MacLaren's Expositions of Holy Scripture makes this commentary note on this scripture:

"The life which is lived for God, which is rooted in Christ, a life of self-denial, of love, of purity, of strenuous 'pressing towards the mark,' is better in its 'end' than in its 'beginning.' To such a life we are all called, and it is possible for each. May my poor words help some of us to make it ours."

The Apostle Paul writing to the Church in Corinth said, by the Holy Ghost:
"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)

"To such a life we are all called."

"...your labor is not in vain, in the Lord."

These are deep things to really reflect on. And so I am thankful to God for, among many things, giving someone like myself the chance to stand up in public and lift up the name of Jesus Christ. And for my wife's shared passion and partnership in getting the gospel out. Its been a good year, and more to come, Lord willing.

Here is the link to the audio from today's public speaking: LINK

10 Commandments for Kids (and Adults!)

I'm adding a downloadable resource for anyone interested in sharing an effective way to memorize the 10 Commandments using word pictures, and also share the gospel message in a powerful way. The 10 Commandments for Kids is something I got from Living Waters (Ray Comfort), with some text and formatting revisions I thought made it a better and clearer presentation. Here's a picture of how to memorize the first commandment, as an example:

 

It goes on to share a story - an analogy - that brings the moral law to bear on the conscience of the hearer, and makes the gospel really good news. I hope you try this out on your kids, or your neighbor's kids, or really just anyone. I use the word pictures when I'm preaching open air, going through the 10 Commandments, and it really works.

 

You can find the downloadable file by clicking here (LINK), and I'll be adding a tab at the top to make it convenient for anyone who might want this in the future. Let me know if you get a chance to try this out! Paul.

 

Labor Day Weekend 2019

Mary and I ministered the gospel at the Des Moines Farmers Market this past Saturday, August 31, 2019. It rained off and on on the drive down, but it was fine down on Court Avenue and there were plenty of people at the Market. Here's the view from the corner of Court and 3rd where I speak:

 

I started off wishing everyone a good Labor Day weekend, and spoke on  John 6:27 and Hebrews 11:6  regarding the ultimate subject of what men should labor diligently for. Then I explained what we come down to the Market to do, and shared about what the gospel is, who Jesus is and what he's done for us; what sin is, and why we need to be delivered from its consequences. You can see the card with my outline, and the tabs I stuck in my Bible for the scriptures I shared, in the photo below.

When we arrived, Mary went across the intersection to pass out tracts, and as I was setting up my platform and my "Jesus Still Saves from Sin, Death, and Hell" witnessing cross, a woman and two young ladies stopped and asked if I was going to be teaching. I was getting my audio recorder ready, and started recording as we talked. Thought you might like to hear a part of that conversation: LINK.

I put a copy of the outline and all the scriptures I used in the message I shared at the Market below. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your savior, turn to him & trust in him for the forgiveness of your sins today. If you're a born-again child of God, please tell others about Jesus Christ while you can.

Maranatha!
Paul

OUTLINE

• Introduction: why we come to the Farmers Market

• To share Jesus Christ with you: who he is & what he's done

• John 17:20

• Sharing the gospel message that the Apostle Paul shared
• 1 Corinthians 15:3,4
• "...Christ died for our sins....": use the moral law (ten commandments) to explain what sin is.

• The Bible says that Jesus was "delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25)
• We need to be delivered because "the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)
• 1st death = death of the body
• 2nd death = eternal separation from God's love in the lake of fire described in Revelation 21:8

• The Gospel is "good news" because God has made a way for us to be reconciled to him
• Our sin alienates us from God and we are made "enemies in our minds through wicked works" (Colossians 1:21)

• Jesus came into the world to save sinners, not "good" people (Mark 2:17, 1 Timothy 1:15)
• Because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Holy God and sinful man may be reconciled: "...that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them...." (2 Corinthians 5:19)
• God wants to be reconciled to you:
• Jesus did all that was necessary to pay for your sins 2000 years ago: on the cross he cried out "It is finished" (John 19:30) meaning "Paid in full."
• Righteousness is available to all, but not applied to any until they turn to God and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins (Romans 3:22)
• Salvation is doing nothing more or nothing less than believing on the Lord Jesus Christ...trusting in him
• Note: "believe" or "belief", "faith" and "trust" are synonyms as seen in Ephesians 1:12-15

The Forbidden Chapter of the Bible

Isaiah 53

The prophecy of the suffering servant of God, the Messiah, the Savior, the Deliverer first prophesied by God in Genesis 3, who would bear our iniquity and satisfy the justice of Almighty God, and 

justify all 

who would put their trust in him.

Jewish people have said that in the study of Judaism, Isaiah 53 is the forbidden chapter of the Bible. You should find out why.

Listen....

 

Is The Message of the Gospel for You?

Luke 5:29-32

(29) And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

(30) But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

(31) And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

(32) I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Why did the Lord Jesus call publicans and sinners, and eat with them?

It was true – that’s what he did. And the explanation is surely simple: he was a great physician. You don’t go around healing well people. He was healing the sickness of sin, and he came to minister to them.

The gospel is really for those who recognize their need. There are some people today that are too good to be saved…did you know that? That is, they think they are.

I want to speak very frankly: If you recognize that you have a need, then the gospel is for you; Christ can save you, and he will save you!

If you are self-sufficient, you recognize no need, may I say to you:

just go on your self-chosen pathway. It will lead to destruction. 

The message (of the gospel) is not for you. I’m very sorry; I wish I had a message for you, but I don’t have a message for folks like that.

Excerpt I made from the audio teaching of J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Radio, teaching on Luke 5.

Wrapping up 2015 with a Candy Cane Tract

Here's a candy cane gospel message we made to give out over the Christmas holiday season, in hopes of redeeming the time and pointing as many people as possible to the Savior.

I looked up various versions of "The Candy Cane Story" on the internet, and using these as a reference I wrote the story in my own way using Microsoft Publisher. We used a local print shop to make about 200 cards. We donated a bunch for family gift packages for our church's bus ministry children, our friends Aquila & Priscilla Sletten took a box full over the the Iowa Veteran's Home. The rest we've been giving out around town. May the Holy Spirit water this seed sown, that many would come to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The text of this message is below:

We Hope You Enjoy this Candy Cane! 

As you take it in your hand, turn it upside down: you will see
the J that reminds us of Jesus, who left Heaven’s glory 2000 years ago, and was born in a lowly stable in Bethlehem, just as the prophets had written many years before.
Turn it back upright, and you will see the shepherd’s crook, that reminds us that he is the Good Shepard who loves and cares for all who will follow him. The stripes remind us that he was wounded for our sins: the red speaks to his blood shed on Calvary’s cross to pay the penalty for our sin, and the white tells us how only he can wash away our sins, and make us white as snow. For all have broken God’s Law, the 10 Commandments, and all deserve the punishment … eternity in Hell. But God wants all to be rescued from this fate, and this is why Jesus came into the world.

We are glad you accepted this candy cane as a gift from us, but even more, I hope you will accept the gift of forgiveness and eternal life that comes, not from religion, a church, your sincerity, or by being a good person, but from trusting in this same Jesus as your own Savior. If you have not done so, why not turn to him today?

I Hope Someone Told Jimmy Lee

I just caught a headline on the Drudge Report that peaked my curiosity:

"Top JP Morgan Banker Dies Suddenly...."

Jimmy Lee

So I clicked on the article, and read about a man by the name of Jimmy Lee, a well-known Wall Street banker who was known for his deal-making.

Dead at 62 years old. 

Click here if you want to read about it: LINK. Dead physically, but alive on the other side. Alive in eternity...but where is he now? 

And so I have these questions in my mind:

Jimmy, I hope someone loved you enough, loved your eternal soul enough, to share the truth of God's word with you. To show you the moral law (Leviticus 20:1-17; Romans 3:19-20) so you could recognize your sin against God, and then the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-5; John 3:16), so you could see your only hope for mercy, forgiveness, and eternal life.

Because, Jimmy, you and I and every other person born into this world knows the God of the Bible exists. He has revealed Himself in us through both creation & our conscience, so we are without excuse if we will not turn to Him & yield to Him (Romans 1:19-20). 

You had the information you needed...we all do. I just cannot help wonder what you did with that information? I pray you turned to Jesus Christ! Rich people can be saved (though Jesus said it is hard!), and its not a sin to be rich: the Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil, not the money itself (1 Timothy 6:10).

 But, oh Jimmy! If you turned away from that truth, and lived for temporary things of this brief life,  like success & wealth, and did not live for eternity...then Jimmy, you blew the best deal of the Universe!

Mark 8:36 

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 

2 Corinthians 5:21 

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 

Jimmy Lee's eternal destination is set: once we step into eternity, that's it. No do-over, no renegotiating, no changing (Hebrews 9:27).

But...if you know Jimmy or his family, will you love them enough to reach out to them with the gospel? 

From the article:
"Mr Lee is survived by his wife Beth and three children, Lexi, Jamie and Izzy."

The Importance of Prayer in Evangelism

One great thing about reaching out to the people around you with the hope of the gospel, is that you meet a lot of people that you probably would never have met under normal circumstances. These are people made in the image of God, eternal souls that God desires to redeem through repentance & faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we meet & share with those around us, Mary & I try to get their names, and we jot these down on our little prayer chalkboard in our kitchen. I try to note the date and location, and it really helps me to remember to lift these dear ones up in prayer before our Father God.

Our Prayer Board

I don't pray for God to save them, because I know it is not God's desire that they perish (2 Peter 3:9), and I want to pray according to His will. Instead, I pray that they would read the Bibles or gospel tracts we gave them, or watch the DVD, or whatever, and that they would understand the gospel, repent towards God & trust Jesus as Savior. I pray God will direct other believers to them to water the seed planted, encourage them or challenge them, or whatever is needed (1 Corinthians 3:6). I pray the Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin & a recognition of their need for a righteousness they can never produce, and comprehend that this righteousness is a gift from God to those who will believe (Romans 3:23).

Anyway, it is vital we be praying for those who we are trying to reach, and this old chalkboard is a helpful tool that works for us. If you have another idea, I'd like to hear about it. Send me a picture & your story, and I'll share it on the website.

Two things about prayer: we are taught to bring our requests to God with a thankful heart (Philippians 4:6-7), and the Lord Jesus gives us the example of desiring God's will to be done, because:

• God is all powerful - nothing is impossible with Him
• God is all knowing - He fully understands and is aware of the issue I am praying about
• God's love is so great, I can trust Him & His will for this circumstance

When I take this attitude & approach, I am never frustrated or wonder if God is hearing my prayers or cares about what I am praying about. Dave Hunt taught me this through one of his teachings, and it has been a tremendous blessing and help to me, so I hope it helps you as well.

Hope you are reaching your little corner of the world for the Lord Jesus Christ, living out this Christian life in a real & powerful way, out of thankfulness for what God has done for you in Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 4:6-7 
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Luke 22:41-42 
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Quote: "...When I Could, I Gave It My All."

Kayla Montgomery's story is featured in the ESPN video below. She's a high school distance runner with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), who loses all feeling in her legs when she runs, but nevertheless is one of the best runners in the state.

It is an inspiring story, but her very last comment in the video is what really hammered me:
"When, or if, I'm not able to run at some point down the road, then at least I can look back and know that, when I could, I gave it my all."

This morning, I just re-read my daily Bible reading that took me through the Epistle to the Colossians. And when I heard that statement from Kayla, this scripture echoed in my soul:

Colossians 3:23 

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 

Oh brothers! That statement burns in my heart and soul!

Almighty God, please make it so...that I would live out my Christian life this way; that I would run my race to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Hebrews 12:1-4), taking every opportunity to proclaim the gospel & share the love of Christ with any and all. And with my dying breath, as my heart beats it's final stanza, to look back on the days the Lord has given me and say,

 "When I could, I gave it my all."

Reaching the Lost Now - Regardless

Rob's ministry to men and women deceived by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) is an encouragement to me. I just wanted to share a brief clip of a young woman who tried to embarrass, ridicule, and stop the witness Rob has to these souls. This has happened to me, and it is very...interesting. The Holy Spirit can and will turn the attacks of the enemy to our advantage, and it seems to me that this could be the case with Rob's friend here.

Click Here To Watch Video

Sorry, for some reason I could not embed the YouTube video right in this article, but the link above works fine.

Despite opposition, it is imperative that believer's in the Lord Jesus Christ be actively reaching the lost now. Is it easy? No. Is it difficult? Usually. Is there persecution? Well, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, (2 Timothy 3:12) so yes. in some form or another. But Jesus said, "Go!"

Let's encourage each other to persevere in our labor for our Lord. Pray for these lost LDS folks. Pray for the young woman as well. And while you're at it, pray for Rob and all the other Christians who are out there reaching the lost...now. Maranatha!

Come Witnessing With Me - On My Birthday!

September 4th, 2014.

God has blessed me with 52 years on this beautiful, crazy planet. It was a very hot & humid day in Marshalltown, Iowa, and I wasn't sure if too many people would be out on my way home from work. I usually bypass the downtown area & all the stop signs, but today I intentionally drove that way, to stop and pass out some tracts, and see if I could talk to a few people about Jesus Christ.

So, come along witnessing with me (through this audio recording), up & down Main Street here in Marshalltown. Click the link to listen HERE.

You'll hear 3 interesting conversations with Terry, Rick, and Josuina - at least I found them interesting. Forgive me for the couple of spots where the wind noise cut in pretty loud. Maybe in the future, I can use a better microphone or something. Let me know what you think.

I hope this message is an encouragement to you:

• If you are a born-again Christian, may you be bold in sharing Jesus Christ with everyone around you.
• If not, may you turn to the one-and-only Savior of sinners, and be washed clean of all your sin, before you step into eternity!

Witnessing for our Lord was a great birthday present to me from God. And when I got home, my wife Mary made sure I knew how much she loves me by making it a very special day. Maranatha!

Earnestly Contend for the Faith

Today is Saturday, August 30th, 2014, the last weekend of the summer, and the start of Labor Day weekend here in the United States. I made it down to the Des Moines Farmers Market in the historic Court Avenue district, to herald the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, in order to:
1. Extend God's offer of forgiveness to all who will repent & trust in Jesus - and Jesus alone - to save them from the consequences of their sin against God.
2. Encourage believer's to boldly live for and share Jesus Christ with everybody & anybody while they can during this short life here on earth.

This is my little corner of the harvest field. Someone commented about there being "better soil" elsewhere, but all these people are eternal souls, who will spend eternity either in the presence of God with unspeakable joy, or as miserable creatures suffering the judgment of God forever separated from His love. No, this is my field, and I will work it as long as the Lord gives me strength of body & mind to do so. Here's my view from the south-west corner of Court Ave. and 2nd Street where I spoke today.

Wow, what an excellent day! My friends from the Atheist booth down on Court & 3rd drop by to pay their respects. I always enjoy their efforts to disparage or to stop the preaching of the gospel, because they help draw a crowd of interested listeners, and that was certainly the case today. So thank you, my atheist friends: I love you for Christ's sake, and I am praying for you. You claim to be "free thinkers", but will never know freedom or experience truth until you humble yourself before your God, whom you do know, and look to the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. May that be true for all of you!

It was a great day, and the war of worldviews was on! Praise God that I was clothed with His holy armor (Ephesians 6:10-18), and that the weapons of my warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

Click HERE for the link to the audio.

Please remember, this is a raw, on-the-street recording, so while it may not be Dolby stereo, it pretty much reflects the environment we work in. It includes times where I am standing on my box & speaking out to people walking through the Market, times when people came up close & personal to dispute what I was saying, and also personal discussions between 1 or 2 people. I left it all on there, and you can skip through or listen to as much or as little as you like.

PLEASE NOTE: I was down at the Market alone today. You will hear comments or statements made by other Christians who jumped into the fray. I do not endorse or approve of anything anyone may have said in support of the gospel proclamation. Be a Berean (Acts 17:11), and check out everything everyone says (including me) against the Scriptures.

You'll want to hear how things went down...it was a real rhubarb, but God is always faithful, and I am so much more encouraged to live for His glory, both publicly & privately, and to reach out to those who are blinded and taken captive by the enemy or our soul, through false religion or philosophies that are contrary to the revealed word of God. Please pray for all who heard, especially the atheists, that they might repent and trust Christ Jesus before it is eternally too late. Maranatha!