Paul
Monday, July 29, 2013
Trouble in Amish Paradise
In searching the internet for video clips of "Arise My Soul Arise", the subject of the previous post, I re-discovered an amazing documentary from the BBC on a couple of Amish brethren who have come to know the Lord Jesus by faith, and the impact of this to their lives. It is such an encouraging message. I love these people! As a Christian man, I feel the great need for other godly men in my life - It really did just encourage my heart to watch this again. Their faith in the Lord is a beautiful testimony & gives glory to God. Hope it stirs you heart, too.
Paul
Paul
Arise, My Soul, Arise
This is one of my favorite hymns. Written by Charles Wesley, it is a majestic, manly song, brimming with sound doctrine. It took some time to find a video clip of the hymn sung in this manner - mostly hit on more modern arrangements that are, in my opinion, tepid and weak compared to this one. Lame, lame, lame! The first video arrangement is not the original, and they skip the fourth verse, and in the fifth verse they have changed "My God is reconciled" to "My soul is reconciled", which TOTALLY misses the point! God, the offended party, must be reconciled. We are saved from Almighty God's wrath & judgement only by faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior. Aren't you thankful for the cry from the dying Savior, "IT IS FINISHED!" Oh, I am! Thank you, dear Lord Jesus Christ. The second video is a congregational song with fewer verses, but beautiful all the same.
He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.
Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
'Forgive him, O forgive,' they cry,
'Forgive him, O forgive,' they cry,
'Nor let that ransomed sinner die!'
The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.
My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And 'Father, Abba, Father,' cry.
Enjoy, and God bless you.
Let's worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness, together!
Paul
Words: Charles Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1742.
Music: Lenox, Lewis Edson, in The Chorister’s Companion, by Simeon Jocelyn and Amos Doolittle (New Haven, Connecticut: 1782)
“I have a record,” said a Wesleyan missionary laboring in the West Indies, “of two hundred persons, young and old, who received the most direct evidence of the forgiveness of their sins while singing ‘Arise, my soul.’ The conversion of the greater number of these persons took place while I was a missionary abroad.”
Music: Lenox, Lewis Edson, in The Chorister’s Companion, by Simeon Jocelyn and Amos Doolittle (New Haven, Connecticut: 1782)
Arise My Soul Arise lyrics by Charles Wesley
Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.
He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.
Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
'Forgive him, O forgive,' they cry,
'Forgive him, O forgive,' they cry,
'Nor let that ransomed sinner die!'
The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.
My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And 'Father, Abba, Father,' cry.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
"You Can't Pick The Egg": A Tribute to Sam Gray & Evangelism
We lived in Kentucky for 4 years (2001 - 2005) , and during this time God saw fit for our lives to cross paths with Sam Gray, Pastor of the Patesville Baptist Church. Sam has gone to be with the Lord since then, but I miss him dearly, and look forward to seeing him again in Heaven.
Sam was delivered out of the Church of Rome as an adult, same as I, and he walked a tough road as he witnessed the truth and endured the wrath of family and friend alike for his stand for the Lord Jesus and Bible truth. By the time I met him, the Lord had brought eternal life to most of his family, including father & mother, sisters, brothers, and cousins. He loved the Lord, and we loved him in the Lord. Patesville Baptist Church graciously adopted us Yankees into their church family, and Sam was our Pastor for about 3 years, until we moved here to Iowa in October, 2005. (So, to our dear friends Stevie, Johnny & Sally, Carol, Charlie & Jane, and Cheryl - if you're reading this, we love you and miss you!)
Sam taught me an important truth regarding evangelism, in his common-sense, homespun way. I probably was sharing with him my desire and efforts to evangelize and witness to those around me, and maybe expressing some frustration that so often, it seems that people just don't get it. Sam just said, "You can't pick the egg." And he said a lot in that little phrase. Sam went on to explain, so I will try to share that with you.
I was by no means a "city boy", having lived many years in the northwestern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and was recently moved from there to the very rural backcountry of Hancock County, Kentucky. I had a chicken coop (came with the house and the dog - really, there was a dog there when we moved in, fleas & ticks and all!), but I knew very little about the nuances of chicken life. Sam's analogy to the new birth was profound, and Frank Chirico suggested today that I write something about it. So, here goes....
God is a masterful designer, and there are so many awesome things in the design & function of the lowly chicken egg that show his handiwork. We see his marvelous creations all around us, yet it is easy to take them for granted. Do a study on the chicken egg - it'll blow you away. But, to be brief, a chick growing in the egg has an egg tooth, a sharp protuberance that allows an emerging chick to break through the hard outer shell during a process called "pipping". As the chick grows in the egg, it reaches a size where it can no longer obtain enough oxygen through the pores in the egg shell. It breaks into the air sack (that space you see when you peel a hard-boiled egg; yep, its there for a reason) and gets just enough extra air so it can do the work of breaking through the hard shell using it's egg tooth, just like you see in the picture above.
Once the shell is broken through, the chick must struggle to free itself. It looks like a real struggle for the baby bird, and it is. However, if you try to "help" the baby chick by picking the egg, the chick will emerge and die. The reason is, the struggle to fully emerge from the shell is necessary to get it's lungs & muscles working properly. By "helping" the chick, in reality you are destroying it.
When we share the hope of the gospel with others, we do so with an earnest desire that they might be saved. But a man cannot be saved without understanding who he is in relation to a Holy God; what sin is and its consequences; the justice of God, and the righteousness of his commandments; to come to a right knowledge of his sin & its penalty; that "...God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). In short, that man or woman has to come to repentance toward God, and exercise saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). And all you and I can do is deliver the message of truth from God's word. If we try to get a response to the gospel using emotional appeal (stirring music, "every head bowed, every eye closed, no one is looking around...raise your hand...come to the altar) or some other method to get a "decision", or pray a prayer for salvation, brothers, we are picking the egg. And this, I believe, is what has filled our churches with false converts, not only in the pews, but in the pulpits! Marketing techniques work in the world of business, but in the business of men's souls, God has to bring them to that place where they are convinced and convicted, and turn to the Lord who bled and died on Calvary for them. All the sales gimmicks in the world won't get them there.
I was relating to Frank this morning a circumstance that happened to me last week, which led to this article. I had a couple of encounters with a man I met last year - in fact, it was June 8th, 2012 - because I wrote it down on one of my prayer chalkboards (see the highlighted area on the upper left of the picture below). Kit is a man from Austin, Texas who has relatives in the area. He was sitting at a picnic table at a small park across from my office, and I engaged him in conversation, witnessed to him and gave him a 180 DVD when we parted. Kit comes from a devout Irish Catholic family, and has plans to be married in Ireland in December of this year. He's a professed agnostic, has genuine questions, and we had a good conversation back then. I saw him one other time late in 2012 when I was out on a street corner with a witnessing cross.
But I met him again last week Wednesday at that same small park by my office. We talked briefly, and I urged him to look to Jesus alone and not his religion for salvation. (As a former Roman Catholic, I was able to relate to things from his religious background). We parted in good spirits, and I commended him to the Lord, who is able to "save to the uttermost." On Friday, I got out of work later than planned, and since it was nearly 5 PM already, I thought I'd get out on the corner too late, having missed some of the heavier traffic. But somewhat reluctantly, I went, and as I put my cross together and turned to the street, there was Kit standing on the other corner, a Hardee's bag in hand, and coming my way.
He was amazed that we ran into each other again - and it was kinda weird - maybe more so when I told him I almost didn't come out. We talked further, and I again presented the clear, simple gospel, discussed the difference between the religious experience of the Roman church and the living, risen Savior. Kit was apparently moved, and expressed sincere desire to buy me a cup of coffee and talk some more about these things. He took my cell phone (he already has both my email & this website address) and said he would contact me before leaving town on Tuesday.
Well, that was last Tuesday, and I have yet to hear from Kit. (Kit, if you read this, you owe me a phone call, dude!) But I'm not bummed. I told Kit that I wasn't trying to get him to make some emotional commitment or anything: he's got to come to that place of understanding & faith in Jesus Christ, on his own. See, as bad as I want Kit to be saved, I've learned the lesson Sam Gray taught me. I'm not going to pick the egg. I was faithful to deliver the message. I pray for Kit. I want him to be saved, and so does God (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9) But he's got to respond to the truth God has given him: he knows God exists (Romans 1:17-20) and is in rebellion to him. He has the witness of God's law written in his heart; he has a conscience. He's heard the gospel truth, which "...is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth,...." (Romans 1:16).
IN CONCLUSION:
I hope this helps you when you're tempted to get frustrated, discouraged, or bummed-out about your efforts to reach the lost. Don't pick the egg, man. God is faithful; He knows how to hatch a chicken, and he knows how to save a sinner. Let's trust him to do what he promised, and rejoice for every opportunity God gives us to present the precious and only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to those around us who are perishing. It's not about you - it's about HIM. In the end, it is all about HIM!
Sam was delivered out of the Church of Rome as an adult, same as I, and he walked a tough road as he witnessed the truth and endured the wrath of family and friend alike for his stand for the Lord Jesus and Bible truth. By the time I met him, the Lord had brought eternal life to most of his family, including father & mother, sisters, brothers, and cousins. He loved the Lord, and we loved him in the Lord. Patesville Baptist Church graciously adopted us Yankees into their church family, and Sam was our Pastor for about 3 years, until we moved here to Iowa in October, 2005. (So, to our dear friends Stevie, Johnny & Sally, Carol, Charlie & Jane, and Cheryl - if you're reading this, we love you and miss you!)
Sam taught me an important truth regarding evangelism, in his common-sense, homespun way. I probably was sharing with him my desire and efforts to evangelize and witness to those around me, and maybe expressing some frustration that so often, it seems that people just don't get it. Sam just said, "You can't pick the egg." And he said a lot in that little phrase. Sam went on to explain, so I will try to share that with you.
I was by no means a "city boy", having lived many years in the northwestern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and was recently moved from there to the very rural backcountry of Hancock County, Kentucky. I had a chicken coop (came with the house and the dog - really, there was a dog there when we moved in, fleas & ticks and all!), but I knew very little about the nuances of chicken life. Sam's analogy to the new birth was profound, and Frank Chirico suggested today that I write something about it. So, here goes....God is a masterful designer, and there are so many awesome things in the design & function of the lowly chicken egg that show his handiwork. We see his marvelous creations all around us, yet it is easy to take them for granted. Do a study on the chicken egg - it'll blow you away. But, to be brief, a chick growing in the egg has an egg tooth, a sharp protuberance that allows an emerging chick to break through the hard outer shell during a process called "pipping". As the chick grows in the egg, it reaches a size where it can no longer obtain enough oxygen through the pores in the egg shell. It breaks into the air sack (that space you see when you peel a hard-boiled egg; yep, its there for a reason) and gets just enough extra air so it can do the work of breaking through the hard shell using it's egg tooth, just like you see in the picture above.
Once the shell is broken through, the chick must struggle to free itself. It looks like a real struggle for the baby bird, and it is. However, if you try to "help" the baby chick by picking the egg, the chick will emerge and die. The reason is, the struggle to fully emerge from the shell is necessary to get it's lungs & muscles working properly. By "helping" the chick, in reality you are destroying it.
When we share the hope of the gospel with others, we do so with an earnest desire that they might be saved. But a man cannot be saved without understanding who he is in relation to a Holy God; what sin is and its consequences; the justice of God, and the righteousness of his commandments; to come to a right knowledge of his sin & its penalty; that "...God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). In short, that man or woman has to come to repentance toward God, and exercise saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). And all you and I can do is deliver the message of truth from God's word. If we try to get a response to the gospel using emotional appeal (stirring music, "every head bowed, every eye closed, no one is looking around...raise your hand...come to the altar) or some other method to get a "decision", or pray a prayer for salvation, brothers, we are picking the egg. And this, I believe, is what has filled our churches with false converts, not only in the pews, but in the pulpits! Marketing techniques work in the world of business, but in the business of men's souls, God has to bring them to that place where they are convinced and convicted, and turn to the Lord who bled and died on Calvary for them. All the sales gimmicks in the world won't get them there.
I was relating to Frank this morning a circumstance that happened to me last week, which led to this article. I had a couple of encounters with a man I met last year - in fact, it was June 8th, 2012 - because I wrote it down on one of my prayer chalkboards (see the highlighted area on the upper left of the picture below). Kit is a man from Austin, Texas who has relatives in the area. He was sitting at a picnic table at a small park across from my office, and I engaged him in conversation, witnessed to him and gave him a 180 DVD when we parted. Kit comes from a devout Irish Catholic family, and has plans to be married in Ireland in December of this year. He's a professed agnostic, has genuine questions, and we had a good conversation back then. I saw him one other time late in 2012 when I was out on a street corner with a witnessing cross.
But I met him again last week Wednesday at that same small park by my office. We talked briefly, and I urged him to look to Jesus alone and not his religion for salvation. (As a former Roman Catholic, I was able to relate to things from his religious background). We parted in good spirits, and I commended him to the Lord, who is able to "save to the uttermost." On Friday, I got out of work later than planned, and since it was nearly 5 PM already, I thought I'd get out on the corner too late, having missed some of the heavier traffic. But somewhat reluctantly, I went, and as I put my cross together and turned to the street, there was Kit standing on the other corner, a Hardee's bag in hand, and coming my way.
He was amazed that we ran into each other again - and it was kinda weird - maybe more so when I told him I almost didn't come out. We talked further, and I again presented the clear, simple gospel, discussed the difference between the religious experience of the Roman church and the living, risen Savior. Kit was apparently moved, and expressed sincere desire to buy me a cup of coffee and talk some more about these things. He took my cell phone (he already has both my email & this website address) and said he would contact me before leaving town on Tuesday.
Well, that was last Tuesday, and I have yet to hear from Kit. (Kit, if you read this, you owe me a phone call, dude!) But I'm not bummed. I told Kit that I wasn't trying to get him to make some emotional commitment or anything: he's got to come to that place of understanding & faith in Jesus Christ, on his own. See, as bad as I want Kit to be saved, I've learned the lesson Sam Gray taught me. I'm not going to pick the egg. I was faithful to deliver the message. I pray for Kit. I want him to be saved, and so does God (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9) But he's got to respond to the truth God has given him: he knows God exists (Romans 1:17-20) and is in rebellion to him. He has the witness of God's law written in his heart; he has a conscience. He's heard the gospel truth, which "...is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth,...." (Romans 1:16).
IN CONCLUSION:
I hope this helps you when you're tempted to get frustrated, discouraged, or bummed-out about your efforts to reach the lost. Don't pick the egg, man. God is faithful; He knows how to hatch a chicken, and he knows how to save a sinner. Let's trust him to do what he promised, and rejoice for every opportunity God gives us to present the precious and only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to those around us who are perishing. It's not about you - it's about HIM. In the end, it is all about HIM!
Friday, July 26, 2013
Some Dates Added To The Calendar
Some of which are:
- Door to Door evangelism every Thursday in August. I will be joining First Family Church of Ankeny, IA and Tony Didlo of Saving Faith Outreach. All are welcome to join.
- Iowa State Fair I will be there all day Tuesday and Wednesday at the very least witnessing inside and outside the fair. For the past few years I have had some really great witnessing encounters.
- Octemberfest in Marshalltown, IA in September which has for the past few years has been the end of the summer evangelism season.
God bless,
Frank
Gospel Tracts
Over this past Independence Day holiday (July 4th), I had a chance to travel to Millers Creek, North Carolina to visit my son, Alexander, at the Christian summer camp he is working at, called Uplands Reach Conference Center. While driving around, I scanned the radio looking for Christian programming, and came across a broadcast of "Turning Point", with Dr. David Jeremiah.
Dr. Jeremiah is a highly respected and well known by many Christians. He was speaking on being a witness for Jesus Christ, and during his broadcast he made a remarkable statement. I will not try to quote him, but it was something along the lines of this: "Being a witness for Jesus Christ doesn't mean we run out and button-hole the first person we find, and cram a gospel tract down their throat." I believe he was trying to emphasize living a life that reflects the reality of Jesus Christ in our lives, maybe even similar to what I posted earlier this week "That All Men May Know...."
Do you know what a "straw man" is? In debate, a straw man is a logical fallacy, an argument in which you misrepresent your opponents position, which is then is as easily knocked down as you
would a straw man, appearing to have won the argument. The illustration (left) is from Answers in Genesis (AIG), depicting how Evolutionists use straw man arguments when dealing with Creationists. It seemed to me that Dr. Jeremiah was taking the same line in his broadcast: misrepresenting what Christians are doing when using gospel tracts to reach the lost with the hope of the gospel.
I give out a lot of gospel tracts. I do so for many reasons: God is real; sin is real; Heaven and Hell are real; I love my neighbor, and without saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, God will bring swift, complete, eternal judgment and justice to bear on their eternal soul - Hell forever and ever and ever. God has given me the gift of eternal life, and I want to pass it on. I want to be busy about the Father's business. These are some of the reasons. I'm not doing it out of guilt, or to make me look good, or to earn God's favor.
But given that, I have never grabbed someone and crammed a tract down their throat, in their ear, or up their nose, for that matter. The way I see it, our job as disciples of Jesus, is to deliver the message, whenever we can, to whoever we can, however we can, as often as we can, in the power of the Holy Spirit, speaking the truth in love, as clearly as possible. If someone I offer a gospel tract is offended, I have already come to the conclusion that I will risk offending them in this life, that they might have eternal life in Christ.
So what do you think? Do you use gospel tracts to reach out to those around you? Or, maybe you feel that is outdated or antiquated, and not effective. I'd like to hear from others, especially from outside the United States.
Dr. Jeremiah is a highly respected and well known by many Christians. He was speaking on being a witness for Jesus Christ, and during his broadcast he made a remarkable statement. I will not try to quote him, but it was something along the lines of this: "Being a witness for Jesus Christ doesn't mean we run out and button-hole the first person we find, and cram a gospel tract down their throat." I believe he was trying to emphasize living a life that reflects the reality of Jesus Christ in our lives, maybe even similar to what I posted earlier this week "That All Men May Know...."
Do you know what a "straw man" is? In debate, a straw man is a logical fallacy, an argument in which you misrepresent your opponents position, which is then is as easily knocked down as you
I give out a lot of gospel tracts. I do so for many reasons: God is real; sin is real; Heaven and Hell are real; I love my neighbor, and without saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, God will bring swift, complete, eternal judgment and justice to bear on their eternal soul - Hell forever and ever and ever. God has given me the gift of eternal life, and I want to pass it on. I want to be busy about the Father's business. These are some of the reasons. I'm not doing it out of guilt, or to make me look good, or to earn God's favor.
But given that, I have never grabbed someone and crammed a tract down their throat, in their ear, or up their nose, for that matter. The way I see it, our job as disciples of Jesus, is to deliver the message, whenever we can, to whoever we can, however we can, as often as we can, in the power of the Holy Spirit, speaking the truth in love, as clearly as possible. If someone I offer a gospel tract is offended, I have already come to the conclusion that I will risk offending them in this life, that they might have eternal life in Christ.
So what do you think? Do you use gospel tracts to reach out to those around you? Or, maybe you feel that is outdated or antiquated, and not effective. I'd like to hear from others, especially from outside the United States.
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