Jesus Thank You

 At our church meeting today, we sang "Jesus Thank You", and this is just a quick note to the world to say what an encouraging, blessed song of worship I think this is, especially when sung by a body of believers to an acoustic musical format. I don't know about you, but there are times when a song is so moving to me that I find it difficult to sing. That's how it was this morning, and here is a great recording made in 2018 by Bob Kauflin, Sovereign Grace Music on the album, "Together for the Gospel IV." The words are below: may you be blessed as you worship our great God and Savior Jesus Christ today, and may He be blessed by His church as we worship Him!

Jesus, Thank You

Sovereign Grace Music

The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend

The agonies of Calvary

You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son

Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me

Your blood has washed away my sin

Jesus, thank You

The Father's wrath completely satisfied

Jesus, thank You

Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table

Jesus, thank You

By Your perfect sacrifice I've been brought near

Your enemy You've made Your friend

Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace

Your mercy and Your kindness know no end

Your blood has washed away my sin

Jesus, thank You

The Father's wrath completely satisfied

Jesus, thank You

Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table

Jesus, thank You

Your blood has washed away my sin

Jesus, thank You

The Father's wrath completely satisfied

Jesus, thank You

Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table

Jesus, thank You

Lover of my soul

I want to live for You

Your blood has washed away my sin

Jesus, thank You

The Father's wrath completely satisfied

Jesus, thank You

Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table

Jesus, thank You

Lover of my soul

I want to live for You

Songwriters: Pat Sczebel

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.

The Years Go By

Funny how things work out. I was checking the stats on the Iowa Seed Sowers website, and a post from 5 years ago to the day showed up. It was January 29, 2017 and was just some comments on stuff I do when the weather is just too cold to get outside for evangelism. Here's a screenshot of that post:

Fast forward to January of this year, and I was home sick for a while, and used some of that time in a similar way: making a new witnessing cross! I had a large older witnessing cross I made out of some shelves I took down in my garage. It was my "How Great Thou Art!" cross I made to use at the Art Festival here in Marshalltown but haven't used much the last few years.

I cut the boards narrower and thinner to make it easier to use, and here's the result (sides 1 & 2):

I used a light stain before painting the lettering and wiped it down with boiled linseed oil to protect the wood, so it's ready to go once I get the chance to get out to my street corner. 

Jesus said, "...for the things concerning me have an end." (Luke 22:37). Everything the Bible says that is going to happen either already has happened (like the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus) or will happen, exactly as the Bible says it will.

History has marched on since January 2017. In these darkening days we live in, now is the time to trust God more, to read & meditate on his word, and to point people to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins & the gift of eternal life. If you're reading this and do not know Jesus as Savior, turn to him now with all your sin and put your trust in him alone for the forgiveness of those sins. God's promise is that all who believe on Jesus will never perish but will have eternal life (John 3:16). If you are born again and saved, keep walking daily with Jesus and be the light & salt we are called to be in this growing darkness. And find other Christians for the fellowship & encouragement so needed today (see my last post).

Maranatha! Come quickly Lord Jesus! Maybe today....

Paul.

They That Feared the LORD

John 3:16 is a very familiar Bible verse for Christians, but as we close out 2021 there is another "3:16" that I want to mention. I use a daily Bible reading plan (available to download - see the link above) that keeps me disciplined in reading God's word throughout the year, and today I finished the Old Testament with the book of Malachi. 

It is Malachi 3:16 that I wanted to mention, specifically the first part of the verse:

"Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another, and the LORD harkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name." Malachi 3:16

An excerpt from Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible regarding the people the LORD is speaking about reads: "They spake often one to another. They kept up the communion of saints. By mutual exhortation they strengthened each other's hands in the Lord." And although this was written regarding Godly Jews in Israel under the old covenant, there is an application that is confirmed for us in the new covenant:

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25

We who have trusted in Jesus Christ must walk together through this world, to encourage one another, pray for one another, and serve one another throughout the days and weeks and years of our pilgrimage here. We need one another, so take time or make time to be a "doer of the word" in this regard. Redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16); pray about it, and then follow the leading of God's Holy Spirit in living out this part of the Christian life.

Maranatha!